Rikuzentakata, Coastal city in Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Description
Rikuzentakata is a coastal city in Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Honshu, lying between the Pacific Ocean and forested mountains. The city includes a flat plain by the sea, several river mouths, and hills inland that open toward the water.
History
The area was inhabited during the Jōmon period by the Emishi people, until it came under the control of the Date clan during the Edo era. The present city gained official status in 1955 after several villages were merged into a single administrative unit.
Culture
The name translates as "land before the high hill" and refers to its position between mountains and ocean, where fishing and farming intertwined for centuries. Fishers still bring their catch to local harbors, while the community sees post-2011 reconstruction as a shared commitment.
Practical
Access is via the JR Tohoku Shinkansen to Ichinoseki Station, then by regional train and bus toward the coast. Paths in the city center are wide and level, as the terrain was reshaped after 2011.
Did you know?
The entire city center was raised by more than 10 meters (33 feet) after the 2011 tsunami, creating one of the largest earth-moving operations in Japanese urban planning. Visitors can walk the new streets on the elevated level and look down at the former shoreline.
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Miracle Pine Tree
2 km
Machinaka-Rikuzen-Takata Station
654 m
Goishi Coast
10 km
Kesennuma-Bay Crossing Bridge
14.6 km
Ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake Kesennuma City Memorial Museum
21.4 km
Rikuzentakata Youth Hostel
2 km
Mount Anba
13 km
Takatamatsubara Memorial Park
1.6 km
Hayama Shrine
13.1 km
Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum
1.5 km
Rias Ark Museum of Art
17.1 km
Fumonji
2.2 km
Ice Museum
14.2 km
Rikuzentakata City Museum
693 m
Tsubakishima
12.4 km
長安寺
10.9 km
觀音寺
14.4 km高田松原運動公園
1.1 km
Amaterasu Mioya Shrine
9.7 km
En'unkan Garden
16.5 km
Dokonjo Poplar
19 km
Isuzu Shrine
13.4 km
Ōya Mine History Museum
24.7 km
補陀寺
13.7 km
Kumano-jinja
8.7 km
Chida's House
13.8 km
観音寺
3.6 km
旧月立小学校校舎
12.3 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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