Sentier côtier Michinoku et kayak de mer à Jodogahama

Our adventure began early in the morning when we met at Morioka Station. From there, we traveled by private bus to Jodogahama, where we took in the stunning views. Right from the start, our guide Katy was warm and welcoming, clearly explaining the day’s schedule and sharing interesting insights about the region. She provided just the right amount of information and was always happy to answer my questions. The day was filled with exciting activities! I tried sea kayaking for the first time, and although I felt nervous, the local guides were incredibly supportive, making me feel at ease. After this fun outdoor adventure, we enjoyed a delicious local lunch of Bin don, a specialty of the area. In the afternoon, we heard from a local storyteller about the impact of the 2011 disaster on the region. She was a very talented storyteller, and I found myself deeply moved as she shared her experiences. It was inspiring to see how the city has risen from the ashes, like a phoenix. We wrapped up the day with a delicious local dinner, followed by a night safari that offered us an even deeper understanding of the area. Overall, it was an incredible first day, balancing the beauty of the coastline with meaningful learning about the tsunami's impact and the resilience of the locals. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to explore beyond Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, and wanting to discover an underrated region of Japan while supporting local communities facing depopulation.

Fabulous day. We started with a short hike, had bindon, bottled seafood - a local specialty - for lunch, and went kayaking. It was a great experience, I really loved it! Afterwards we drove to Otsuchi and met our local guide who shared her personal experience of the 3/11 tsunami and took us to some key points in the area. Very touching to hear her stories and look onto the town and the sea from the evacuation point as she explained what happened below. She also took us to a shrine on a small island off the coast, and we watched the sunset there. It was beautiful. After a local seafood dinner we went on a deer safari, which was a lot of fun!

We started the day walking the beautiful coastal trail to Jodogahama beach where we joined the kayaking tour. The guides were fantastic at explaining the local history behind the rock formations and local shrines. We enjoyed a lunch of local Bin don-a delicious seafood dish, tempura cod and soup. Later in the day we explored Otsuchi with member of a local NGO who told very moving stories about the 2011 Tsunami's heartbreaking destruction of the area, reconstruction and resiliency of the local community. The evening ended with a fun, deer-filled sighting tour with local researchers who study and try to find ways for the locals to live with the deer population.

This tour was honestly jam packed with great stuff. I went with my wife. There was some nice hiking, but the highlight for me was the kayaking, which offered beautiful views of types of rock formations I hadn't seen in Japan before. We were told the old Buddhist lore behind the rock names which was pretty metal. We got really lucky with the weather. The other highlight for me was a story teller named Miyo, who taught us about the havoc wrought by the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami. We stood above a town where none of the old buildings survived, and walked by a seawall that had been rebuilt as she told us about the disaster, but also the fortitude of the community living there and the struggles they endured after the fact. The night also ended in a deer Safari, where we went around the town and took pictures with flashlights of the many, MANY deer that live there while we were taught facts about the deer ecology. Oh, and did I mention the local seafood was amazing?

Such an amazing activity! It was my first time trying kayaking, and it was on Pacific Ocean! Incredible. The man in charge explained everything so well, and while kayaking he told us many stories and legends from that area. I 100% recommend it to everyone.

It was an incredibly eye opening experience to learn more about the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami and how it affected Iwate Prefecture. Being in Miyako and Otsuchi really showcased the resilience of those who call this prefecture home. Paired with a brief history lesson of Jodogahama, we began our day hiking a portion of Michinoku Coastal Trail before kayaking by natural depictions of the Buddhist “Pure Land” and other significant places in the Buddhist afterlife. Although stunning, what left a huge impression on me was seeing remnants of the devastation that occurred in 2011. I think many people who were outside the country during that time - and perhaps even inside Japan - only really learned about the tsunami as something that occurred sporadically and led to the collapse of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Most of the focus at that time was on the impact of the nuclear waste leaking into the ocean with snippets of the water quickly engulfing streets through traffic cameras. In reality the impact was far more wide spread and is still felt to this day. This tour is an important reminder of the strength in community, and poses thoughtful questions about how we, as individuals living or travelling in Japan, should exist with nature. A few highlights were the Bin Don which is a seafood rice bowl with the seafood thoughtfully presented in a glass milk bottle. As well the food amazing NGO team in Otsuchi who organized an evening safari (so many deer)! I couldn’t recommend this experience enough and thank you to Katy for the wonderful tour!

Tohoku region has a rich culture is filled with stunning nature and exploring it with guide Katy was truly amazing. We started with a short but sweet hike in Jodogahama Beach. It was fun because the guide would share a lot of interesting information about the area and would point out where the 311 tsunami came to in the town. For the adventure part; it was actually adventurous with sea kayaking and searching for wild deer in the night! We also got to hear about the effects of the tsunami in Otsuchi and the story is worth listening to!