Michinoku Hydrangea Park is open for a short time in the summer annually. From July 1 to July 31, the flower event is focused on the rainy season flower, the ajisai, or hydrangea. Many hydrangea here are harvested and sold throughout other areas of J..
The legend of the Sansa Dance is said to have began when a wicked demon was punished by the god of Mitsuishi Shrine in Iwate. The demon had to promise to god that he would never do bad deeds again. To show the demon's promise, the demon left a ha..
The Ugoku Tanabata, or Moving Tanabata, is held on August 7 annually in Rikuzentakata City. 12 groups of traditionally decorated floats with paper lanterns parade through the city. Participation in pulling the float around Rikuzentakata city is encou..
Tono is a small city located in Tohoku's Iwate prefecture. Known as the City of Folklore, Tono is well-known for its abundant collection of folktales as well as dedication to the preservation of traditional culture. Kunio Yanagita recorded the legends, the Tōno Monogatari, in 1910, preserving th..
Everyone seems to have their own favorite restaurant, cafe, or sweets shop. But if you are asking for bakery recommendations in Morioka, you are going to hear the same answer over and over again: Fukuda Pan Bakery (福田パン). What started as a simple bak..
If you find yourself in Hanamaki, Iwate, you don't want to miss out on a great dining experience. To say that Marukan is an institution in Hanamaki is an understatement. Not only do they have the restaurant and department store, they had at some ..
"Jan jan!" the waitress shouted encouragingly as she tilted the small bowl of noodles over the larger, empty bowl on the table in front of me. They slid into it with a dull splat and I gazed down at them sadly. "More more!" T..
Situated in the heart of Morioka, at the source of the city's animated pulse, is Hotel Metropolitan Morioka. Hotel Metropolitan Morioka is a convenient 2-minute walk from Morioka train station. From the station to the hotel, you will pass thro..
A hotel with a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, a tasteful local winery, a majestic mountain, and a peaceful farm all within a one-hour driving radius sounds pretty grand, doesn't it? Welcome to Hotel Folkloro Hanamaki Towa! In addition to..
While in my previous installment I introduced a small hot spring place called Dai Onsen, this time I will talk about my favorite hotel there. It is a Japanese style hotel, a so-called Ryokan, and you could call their style omakase, which basically m..
Rikuzentakata (陸前高田) is a coastal city in southern Iwate Prefecture, along Japan's Pacific coastline. The area is known for a number of popular attractions, but since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami Rikentakata is also known as a region that has ..
Every year, on the first weekend of August, the streets and public places in Kitakami come to life with one of the greatest performing arts festival in Japan. You can see the Onikenbai dancers, Kagura dancers, the Shishi dancers as well as a mikoshi ..
The Kitakami Michinoku Geino Festival is dedicated to performing arts. It features the rich cultural heritage of Iwate but more specifically Kitakami. For three days, on the first weekend of August, the streets and public spaces come to life with a w..
