Hanami-chan, Shibata's PR character!
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At a Glance
Welcome to Shibata, known aptly as "The Town of Flowers". Sharing the Hitome Senbonzakura with Ogawara, in springtime the area becomes flooded with tourists coming from both across Japan and the world for a chance to view one of the top cherry blossom spots in the country.
Outside of cherry season, the town has many other flowers on display; June has hydrangea; September, spider lily; and October through November are chrysanthemums. March even has plum blossoms much ahead of the famous cherries! The area comprising Shibata is larger than the central Funaoka area, so there's much to see! |
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Kouran - 好蘭
A small Chinese restaurant in Shibata which has some very good Japanese-Chinese dishes at very reasonable prices! Matsu-chan Shokudou - 松ちゃん食堂 Shokudo restaurant serving up all the classics; katsu curry, yakisoba, and more! Prices are dirt cheap for the quality you get. |
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Minoya - めん屋 みの家
A smaller ramen restaurant located just off Route 4. Specialising in miso based ramen, they sure have some of the best around. Their sesame miso might look odd (it's pure black!), but it's amazing stuff. |
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Ibis Cafe
Located right in front of Tsukinoki Station, this small cafe is ready to fulfill all your cafe needs! From reasonably priced set lunches to decent coffee, there's everything you'd want in a cafe here. Frigoles - フリゴレス A cafe in the Funaoka area which roasts its own beans. They also offer curry in the Sri Lankan style, and the owner has traveled extensively to Sri Lanka to learn the elements which go into curry as a whole. Certainly an experience, and one to try out! Zatto Mukashi - ざっと昔 A small cafe located right along the banks of the Shiroishi River. Great place to stop in after walking along in cherry season! |
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Patisserie Marble Marble
Serving not just cakes, this patisserie also carries gelato! A nice place to stop in if looking for something cold after passing under the cherry trees. Patisserie Tant - パティスリー・タント Located close to the famed cherries, this small patisserie is great to stop in at before your hanami if you'd like some desserts for it. The mon blanc is supposedly great! Haubing Bakery - ハウビングベーカリー A bakery located towards the centre of town. Fairly decent, and is mildly known for their sesame coronets. Kasho Sanzen -菓匠三全 船岡駅前店 While a branch of a pastry shop located in Sendai Station, the one in Funaoka is just as delicious while skipping all the crowds of Sendai! |
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Pwoom - インド風カレー パオーン
An Indian restaurant in Shibata serving all the classics. Cheap, too! |
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Shibata History Museum - しばたの郷土館
A local history museum detailing the people who've lived in the Shibata area since Paleolithic times. |
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Kodawari Highway - かどわり街道
An unusual art(?) display along a rural road - featured on NHK's Michitan program, there's a combination of old Showa Era signs, mannequins, and other odd things all laid out to see. |
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Funaoka Castle Ruins
While there might have been a castle here in the past, today all that stands there is a statue of the goddess Kannon and flowers of all kinds. There is a cable car which runs to the top of the park, and in springtime is quite the idyllic ride through countless blossoms towards the statue. The view from the top is also quite impressive. There are countless flowers for each season, and in December when they all go deep underground, the area is turned into a massive Christmas light display. |
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Hokujiya - 麹やコレクション
A former Edo Period storehouse, this building holds all kinds of events throughout the year. From pop-up cafes to small concerts, there's almost always something happening here. When not holding events though, the building is a museum full of Edo items and various artwork. |
