This is the shrine of the guardian deity of the Soma Domain, and a ceremony site of the Nomakake ritual which takes place during the exhilarating Soma Nomaoi Festival. Somei Yoshino cherry blossom and weeping cherry trees light up the shrine grounds in spring, making Soma Odaka Shrine a popular cherry blossom viewing spot.
| Website | http://odaka-kanko.jp/c-kankou/ (Japanese) |
|---|---|
| Contact | Minamisoma City Education Committee Cultural Asset Division Cultural Asset Affairs (+81) 244-24-5284 |
| Best Season | All Year |
| Parking | Available |
| Entrance Fee | Free |
| Access | Odaka Furushiro 13, Odaka-ku, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Pref. 979-2102 View directions |
|---|---|
| Getting there | By Car: 15 min from the Namie I.C. exit off the Joban Expressway By Train: 5 min by taxi from Odaka Station (JR Joban Line) |
Approximately 1,500 cherry trees of the quintessential Japanese Somei Yoshino variety create a beautiful tunnel of cherry blossom for visitors to pass through. Many of these trees are over 100 years old.
The Suzuki Sake Brewery used to operate a sake brewery in Namie Town's Ukedo district, this building was located steps from the sea and was physically destroyed by the tsunami wave. This left the owner of the brewery without a home or a livelihood. They managed to evacuate with the necessities of the brewery and after the disaster, the brewery was moved to Nagai City to the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture in October 2011 (the same year as the earthquake). Since then, they’ve continued to brew sake with the hope of preserving the traditional sake brewing techniques that had been developed by generations of brewers in Namie Town. Finally, on March 20, 2021, the brewery was able to return to its hometown of Namie with the opening of a new brewery at the Namie Roadside Station. Here, visitors can watch the Suzuki brewers at work making their delicious sake. They even use locally grown rice to make some of their sake, with a focus on maintaining their hometown flavor. At the Namie Roadside Station, you can visit the sake brewery and taste their freshly brewed sake. For visitors who don't drink sake, there is also a sake flavored soft serve ice cream that is absolutely delicious. The soft serve comes in a traditional wooden sake cup!
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>As the park's 630 Somei Yoshino cherry blossom trees bloom simultaneously, it is easy to be swept away by the scenery. You will be able to enjoy the coming of spring as you walk along rows of cherry blossom trees on the <em>sando</em> (a road which runs from the torii gate to the shrine).</p><p>Baryo Park is a well-known location for viewing cherry blossoms, and every year from early to mid April the park holds a light-up event at night. We recommend you visit in the evening to see the cherry blossoms illuminated by the lights from the paper lanterns. A good spot for taking pictures is at the bottom of the <em>sando</em>, looking up at the torii.</p>
In the year 806, the holy priest Tokuichi constructed Hattachi-Yakushi Temple as a place of worship for the Buddhist deity who has the ability to ensure the safe voyage of seafarers. The temple grounds are extremely beautiful in spring when the hydrangeas bloom, earning the temple the local nickname ‘Hydrangea Temple’. In front of Hattachi-Yakushi Temple is Bentenjima Island and Shrine, and the Hattachi Coastline, which connects the mainland with the island. The Hattachi Coast is covered in unique gravel, which has traditionally been thought to have healing properties. However, removing a stone and bringing it home can have the opposite effect.
<p><span style="color:#000000">Futaba Art District is an art initiative carried out by art collective Over Alls in Futaba (</span><span style="color:#000000">双葉町)</span><span style="color:#000000">, a town in the coastal area of Fukushima.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">As of February 2023, Futaba Art District comprises ten murals located between the JR Futaba station and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">Futaba town had to be evacuated and was severely affected by the nuclear accident in 2011. In 2020, the evacuation order was lifted for the area around Futaba station.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">The murals that make up Futaba Art District depict various aspects of Futaba's culture and pay homage to its residents.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">When the artists asked Futaba residents what was most representative of their town, many answered ‘daruma dolls’ (traditional Japanese dolls for good luck). Since the Edo period, Futaba town held a yearly daruma market which had a famous tug-of-war. There are now murals depicting both the tug-of-war and the daruma dolls. </span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">In 2023, the Futaba Daruma Market was held again in Futaba town after 12 years.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">A woman who tended the local cafe and a family who used to live in the town, as well as other members of the community, are depicted in some of the murals.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">On each mural, you’ll find a QR code that you can scan to learn more about it (in Japanese).</span></p><p><span style="color:#000000">You can easily reach the Futaba Art District from the JR Futaba Station. Click </span><a href="http://www.overalls.jp/cn23/cn30/futaba-art-district.html" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="color:#1155cc">here </span></a><span style="color:#000000">for a map of the Futaba Art District (in Japanese).</span></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 style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#202833">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. </span></p><p style="text-align:justify"> </p><p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#202833">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.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify"> </p><p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#202833">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. </span></p><p style="text-align:justify"> </p><p style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:#202833">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.</span></p>