In a crescent shaped cove separated from the mainland on the small island known as Bentenjima Island, you will find the mysterious Bentenjima Shrine. The vermillion painted tori gate stands out against the jagged stone and the powerful waves. It is believed that the shrine was land based until an earthquake that occurred in 1410 resulted in the formation of this jagged rock island. The construction date of the original shrine is unknown.
The island is also known as Wanigafuchi because, according to legend, a creature known as a “wanizame” (crocodile shark) lived on the island. Half crocodile, half shark, this creature can be seen in many old Japanese paintings. The creature may have been believed to cause the swirling water and violent waves that crashed against the rocks, sometimes resulting in people getting swept into the water. Another legend suggests that the wanizame once kidnapped a young woman from Iwaki who had wandered out to explore the island.
This coast is lined with small round pebbles that shine when the water hits them. However, do not take any of these pebbles home, legend says that anyone who takes pebbles home from this coast will suffer from eye disease.
This area was once a very popular destination for tourists and I highly recommend checking out the photos on the Iwaki city website linked below. It is all in Japanese, but you can read it with the google translate extension on google chrome browsers.
| Website | http://www.city.iwaki.lg.jp/www/contents/1480645369048/index.html |
|---|---|
| Best Season |
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| Parking | None : car park |
| Access | Yokouchi-9 Hisanohamamachi Tanoami, Iwaki, Fukushima 979-0335 View directions |
|---|---|
| Getting there | It is situated right before/after a tunnel, so those without a keen eye may not notice this place. I recommend parking your car at the public parking lot down the road and walking over this island to do a bit of exploring. The parking lot is not on google maps, but you will notice a big parking lot with a public restroom. It will be on your right, before the temple, shrine, and tunnel. There is a beautiful temple ( Hattachi-Yakushi Temple ) near the shrine that I recommend checking out as well, but please do not park there while accessing the shrine as it is disrespectful to the temple monks and patrons. |
<p>Selected by Iwaki City as a Natural Monument, the great weeping cherry tree is over 500 years old. The flowers bloom slightly earlier than those of Yoshino cherry trees, and are lit up by traditional Japanese lanterns in the evenings of cherry blossom season. Stretching even further down than the roots, the weeping branches of the tree give it an extremely beautiful appearance.</p>
<p>Namie Town was once a bustling seaside town that was famous for their unique style of pottery and the large number of artisans in town. Along the coast the <a href="https://fukushima.travel/destination/the-suzuki-brewery-in-namie-town/341" target="_blank">Suzuki Brewery</a> created delicious local sake.</p><p>After the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 and the following accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the residents of Namie Town were forced to evacuate their town. Nearly all of the buildings close to the coastline were destroyed by the enormous tsunami wave, many lives were lost. When it became clear that evacuees would not be able to return to their homes, people were deeply saddened at the devastating loss of many of the neighbors, their homes and their hometown culture. As residents settled in other areas of Fukushima and continued their lives, many believed that the rich culture of the town that had been created for generation would be lost.</p><p>However, people of Namie Town chose to fight to preserve the rich culture and traditions of their hometown. So, the Namie Roadside Station was created to do just that. Here visitors can learn about the unique style of pottery that originated in Namie Town, shop the collections of several Namie Town artisans, and even try a pottery class!</p><p>The Namie Roadside Station is also the new home of the <a href="https://fukushima.travel/destination/the-suzuki-brewery-in-namie-town/341" target="_blank">Suzuki Brewery</a> that was formerly located at the Namie Town seaside before it was destroyed by the tsunami wave. The head brewer was able to evacuate, and has been continued the same brewing methods that were developed in Namie Town</p><p>By visiting the Namie Roadside Station you can support the preservation of the culture of this unique seaside town! You can also shop the wares of many locals who were affected by the disaster but nevertheless work hard to preserve their hometown culture.</p>
<p>Full House is a stylish bookstore and cafe run by critically-acclaimed Japanese novelist Yu Miri. It is located near the JR Odaka Station in Minamisoma City, in the coastal area of Fukushima prefecture.</p><p>Full House is located on the ground floor of a refurbished house. The interior is wooden and elegant, and there is a selection of books in Japanese chosen by the author. The cafe serves meals like pasta and doria, as well as desserts and drinks with seasonal options.</p><p>Author Yu Miri is famously known for her novel <em>Tokyo Ueno Station </em>(translated into English by Morgan Giles), which won the U.S. National Book Award in the Translated Literature category in 2019.</p><p>Following 3.11, Ms. Miri has worked extensively to communicate the stories of residents of evacuated towns and villages in Fukushima’s coastal area, and has been living in Minamisoma City since 2015.</p><p>When Ms. Miri moved to Minamisoma, there were no other bookstores open in the area —the few bookstores that had been there before 3.11 had closed following the evacuation—, so she decided to open her own in 2018, and named it ‘Full House’ after one of her novels.</p><p>But something was missing. She quickly realized that people who traveled all the way to visit the store wanted to sit down with a warm drink, and there weren’t many restaurants or cafes nearby yet, so she decided to turn Full House into a book cafe the following year.</p><p>Today, Full House is a lively and cozy hub where locals and visitors can bond over their love of coffee and literature.</p>
<p>Natsuigawa Valley continues 15 km along JR Ban-etsu East Line. In autumn, the train passes the valley at a slow speed so that passengers can enjoy the awesome views from its windows. The beautiful view of the waterfalls and clear streams meandering through rocks is definitely worth seeing.</p>
<p>Shiramizu Amidado Temple (Amitabha Hall) was constructed in 1160 by Princess Tokuhime of the Oushu Fujiwara clan, which built the "golden culture" in Oushu (the present Tohoku Region). It is the only building in Fukushima Prefecture that has been designated as a national treasure. Inside the hall stands a wooden statue of Amida Nyorai as well as a number of other Buddhist statues such as Kannon Bosatsu, Seishi Bosatsu, Jikoku Tenno, and Tamon Tenno. The garden, called Jodo Teien (Jodo, or "the pure land", is the Buddhist paradise) is a realm of natural beauty in every season. The scenery is especially breathtaking in summer when the lotus flowers are in bloom, prompting one famous writer to liken the garden to the mythical paradise.</p>
<p>Soma Nakamura Shrine, long revered for enshrining the patron deity of the Soma clan, is built on a small hill in the western area of the Nakamura Castle grounds.</p><p>The shrine was erected in 1643 by Soma Yoshitsune, the 18th head of the Soma family.</p><p>The main shrine is a an example of Gongen Shinto architecture, in which the main hall and worship hall are connected by a passageway, and the lacquer, painting, and metal fixtures are authentic representations of its Kan'ei era construction.</p><p>The shrine was designated as a national important cultural property in 1984.</p>
<p>Selected by Iwaki City as a Natural Monument, the great weeping cherry tree is over 500 years old. The flowers bloom slightly earlier than those of Yoshino cherry trees, and are lit up by traditional Japanese lanterns in the evenings of cherry blossom season. Stretching even further down than the roots, the weeping branches of the tree give it an extremely beautiful appearance.</p>
Iwana no Sato is well-suited for family trips! Try out fishing ‘Iwana’ (charr fish), and enjoy the picturesque scenery of Japanese-style gardens, watermills, & other traditional Japanese architecture. There is an onsite restaurant, areas for having a BBQ, and even accommodation too. Iwana no Sato is close to Tenzan Bunko and Café Amazon, popular spots among tourists visiting Kawauchi Village.