Kamaishi boasts a beautiful jagged coastline plus a World Heritage Site

Nearly the entire city of Kamaishi is covered in steep mountains, though about a third of its border runs along the Pacific Ocean, offering views of its beautiful jagged coastline. The city is sometimes called “the town of iron and fish”, and the fact that the Hashino Iron Mining and Smelting Site was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015 is testament to the importance of iron. The site marks Japan’s oldest remaining Western-style blast furnace, built in 1858.

The city’s strength in fishing is evidence by the abundant seafood it harvests from the Pacific Ocean. Off the coast of Kamaishi are the Sanriku Fishing Grounds, a part of the Northwest Pacific Fishing Grounds—said to be among the top three fishing areas in the world. You can get sushi or seafood dishes prepared with the fresh catch at locations throughout the city. Our local writer recommends an eating and drinking spot called the Uogashi Terrace, located within walking distance of the heart of the city. The seafood there is of course incredible, but you can also catch amazing views of Kamaishi Bay from the terrace.

The Kamaishi Dai-Kannon statue is one of the hallmarks of Kamaishi and a must-see. This massive white statue of the Buddha of Compassion stands nearly 48 meters in height. The observation deck she holds in her arms (at 120 meters above sea level) offers sweeping views of the area’s stunning jagged coastline.

Kamaishi Unosumai Memorial Stadium, a symbol of recovery after the Great East Japan Earthquake

Kamaishi Unosumai Memorial Stadium, where matches for the 2019 Rugby World Cup™ in Japan will be held, is built on the site of an elementary and junior high school that was destroyed in the massive tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake. It is a meaningful landmark for city residents.

It takes about 12 minutes to get to the Kamaishi Unosumai Memorial Stadium from Ishinomaki Station on the Sanriku Testsudo Rias Line. When you get off at Unosumai Station, you’ll see the Unosumai Tomosu disaster memorial park, which also has eateries and shops selling local sake and unique rugby items you can only find there. You can’t bring food or drinks into the game venue and the limited-edition rugby items they sell at Unosumai Tomosu aren’t available at the stadium, so make sure you stop by before you head out!

It’s about a ten-minute walk from Unosumai Station to the Kamaishi Unosumai Memorial Stadium. It’s an area that’s still in the midst of recovery, so even the buildings are few and far between. Note that you won’t be able to travel to the stadium by car on game days and there are limited roads in the area, so if you’re coming by car, your best bet is to reserve a (paid) spot at one of the several park & ride locations in the area and take a paid shuttle bus from there into the venue.

There are plenty of places to eat and drink at the stadium, and you can even get signature Kamaishi dishes like Kamaishi-style seafood paella made with local seafood or a vegetarian homestyle dish from Iwate Prefecture called suppuku, which is a soup made from a shiitake mushroom broth flavored with soy sauce and thickened with starch.

Take a drive north up the area’s jagged, endlessly varied coastline

Kamaishi is by no means a convenient place in terms of getting around, but it is in a gorgeous natural setting that offers countless opportunities for enjoyment if you can get access to a car. Driving north up the Pacific Coast is particularly rewarding, with endlessly varied views as the ocean appears to be cutting into the mountains along the jagged rias coastline.

Even if you don’t have a Japanese driver’s license, the Geneva Convention still allows you to rent a car in Japan with an international one. If your country participates in the program, apply for your international license and have it issued in your home country before you leave. There are two car rental shops at Kamaishi Station, and they have English websites available. They’re likely to be packed on the days around the matches, so make sure you reserve a car well in advance. The best place to start your drive is at Nebama Beach, located at the base of the Hakozaki Peninsula. The view of the ocean peeking between the pines is a scene full of classic Japanese charm.

If you drive about twenty minutes north of Nebama Beach, you’ll find yourself at Namiita Beach with its beautiful sands and crystal blue waters. The ocean is tranquil here, but the area is still popular with surfers. It’s not great for swimming during September and October, but you’re sure to get some enjoyment out of simply walking through the sand.

If you keep driving north for another ten minutes from Namiita Beach, you’ll end up at the Michi-no-Eki Yamada roadside station—which is famous for its wakame seaweed soft-serve ice cream. Tinted with just a touch of green, it has a unique and interesting flavor with hints of seaweed and salt on the finish.

The final destination on your drive is Jodogahama (Pure Land Beach) in Miyako, about sixty kilometers from central Kamaishi. Here, fascinating natural rock formations and white sand beaches form a stark contrast with the green-blue seas that you don’t want to miss. A monk who lived here about 340 years ago marveled that it was beautiful enough to look like the Pure Land (heaven in the Buddhist tradition), which is how it got its name.

You can finish this entire route in about two hours, even with all the stops along the way. If you take the Sanriku Expressway, you can make it back to Kamaishi in about an hour.

Helpful multilingual websites for your Kamaishi trip