The approach to the mountaintop shrine is paved with stone steps that pass through two rows of sugi (cedar) trees which are more than 350 years old. While making your way up to the shrine, make sure to pause at the magnificent five-story pagoda. The natural beauty is striking enough to have earned a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide Japan.
The edamame of Odate is known for its high nutritional value, which comes from the manure of the Hinan Jidori that is used for fertilizer. Another local delicacy of Odate is tonburi, the dried seed of the summer cypress, which is also sometimes called “field caviar” because of its texture.
Since its inception, the mochi cuisine of Ichinoseki-Hiraizumi has evolved separately from that of other parts of Japan. Today there are more than 300 variations. Although contemporary ingredients can now be found in such combinations as pizza mochi, mochi cabbage rolls, and mochi spring rolls, look also for established standards, such as anko (red bean), walnut, and fusube (burdock root, daikon and chili pepper with chicken, or more conventionally, pond loach). There’s even a mochi parfait to satisfy sweet-tooth cravings.
Mount Moriyoshi is known as one of the hundred most beautiful flower mountains of Japan and is famous for its “snowmonsters”—the towering, icy figures of trees which have become covered in rime. The scenery of Lake Towada is also worth seeing. A caldera lake formed over multiple volcanic eruptions in the past, Lake Towada is surrounded by exceptionally beautiful foliage in spring and autumn. To see this beautiful unspoiled scenery, take the Akita Nairiku Line through the mountains on a journey into the past.
Ichinoseki and Hiraizumi offer spectacular scenery. Geibikei Gorge, with its 100m-high cliffs, is one of Japan’s 100 most scenic spots.
For visitors who want to spend time with the locals, the method for making kiritampo is best learned from the wives of Odate’s farmers. You can also join the people of Odate in harvesting rice and other produce. Those who are charmed by the rustic community can stay at a farmhouse to learn about local foods firsthand from the family and see what rural life is really like.
While at Ichinoskei and Hiraizumi, make sure to partake in a mochi honzen meal or try your hand at pounding mochi while singing a mochi-tsuki song that has been handed down for generations.
Since ancient times, Buddhist shugendo ascetics have handed down vegan practices developed deep in the Three Mountains of Dewa. In order to survive the harsh winters of the mountains, the yamabushi (literally, “those who prostrate themselves on the mountain”) developed ways of preserving vegetables and herbs to last through the lean months. As a result, ascetic cuisine is sometimes referred to as “life-sustaining food.” These healthy, delicious, yet simple meals are created with ingredients gathered from the foot of the mountain, and are distinctive even within Buddhist cuisine. Consumed with gratitude for the blessings of nature, this spiritual food purifies both the body and the soul.
Ishinomaki was the area hit hardest by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The Ishinomaki Minamihama Tsunami Memorial Park was developed as a place for memorial services, and as a base for passing on the memories and lessons of the disaster to posterity.
On the Shonai Plain, expansive agrarian scenery stretches out to the feet of Mount Gassan and Mount Chokai, and the ochre rays of the sun setting over the Shonai Coast are breathtaking. Cherry blossom lovers will delight in a visit to Tsuruoka Park, one of Japan’s top 100 cherry blossom spots.
