When you visit an unfamiliar city, what do you want to learn about? There are many things, such as delicious restaurants and tourist attractions. But I'm sure many people also want to experience the city's history and culture.
For those interested, this article introduces seven spots in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, where you can learn about its history and culture. It's a city where you can learn about a history and culture that blends old and new, from a history that dates back to the Jomon period to a new culture that emerged after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Whether you've never been to Ishinomaki or live there, please give it a read.
As you all know, Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture was severely damaged by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and there are many organizations and facilities that have been established to pass on the memory of that time. This time, I would like to introduce just two of them.
The coastal area of Ishinomaki City called "Minamihama" was swept away by the tsunami. In 2021, the "Ishinomaki Minamihama Tsunami Reconstruction Memorial Park" (hereinafter referred to as the Reconstruction Memorial Park) opened in Minamihama as a symbol of recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. The area, which was a residential area before the earthquake, has been developed with walking paths and many trees planted, and is operated as a place to "pass on history while moving forward into the future."
The glass-walled building in the center of the reconstruction memorial park is the "Miyagi East Japan Earthquake Tsunami Memorial Museum," a memorial facility that displays records of tsunami damage in Miyagi Prefecture. In addition to records of the Great East Japan Earthquake, visitors can learn about the history of tsunamis in Miyagi Prefecture and the mechanisms of tsunami generation, making it a facility that raises awareness of disaster prevention.
As someone living in earthquake-prone Japan, I felt that it's worth going to see, even if you're not a resident of Ishinomaki.
Location: 2-1-56 Minamihama-cho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0835 Business days: Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays) Business hours: 9:00~17:00 Access: 10 minutes by car or bus from Ishinomaki Station Parking: Available Official website, SNS:https://ishinomakiminamihama-park.jp/
I have two heavy topics coming up, but I would appreciate it if you could bear with me a little longer.
The "Ishinomaki City Earthquake Disaster Memorial Kadowaki Elementary School" is a memorial facility that preserves the original Kadowaki Elementary School, which was engulfed in flames during the tsunami fire caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and adds a new exhibition space. The photos of the exterior are quite shocking, aren't they?
While classrooms remain as they were at the time and visitors can learn about the tsunami damage in Ishinomaki, what makes the Ishinomaki City Earthquake Memorial Kadowaki Elementary School unique is that it teaches "how to live daily life in a way that can protect oneself and others in times of emergency." Even when it comes to evacuation drills, the students approached them with a high level of awareness, asking themselves "why are we doing this evacuation drill?" As a result, when the 3.11 earthquake struck, the entire school was able to evacuate quickly, minimizing the damage.
I won't say anything more, but the citizens of Ishinomaki hope that you will take what you have seen and learned at this cultural heritage site back to your communities and families and share it with others.
Location: 4-3-15 Kadowaki-cho, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0834 Business days: Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Mondays) Business hours: 9:00~17:00 Access: 10 minutes by car or bus from Ishinomaki Station Parking: Available Official website, SNS:https://www.ishinomakiikou.net/
Walking along the banks of the former Kitakami River, you'll come across a striking spherical structure. This is the Ishinomori Manga Museum, which displays numerous manga works, including those by Shotaro Ishinomori, the creator of Kamen Rider.
Many manga characters greet you right at the entrance.
The building has three floors, and we first headed to the exhibition space on the second floor. There are both permanent and special exhibitions, and when I visited in the spring of 2022, there was a special exhibition on Kaiketsu Zorori (written by Yutaka Hara). It wasn't just a row of past works; you could also learn behind-the-scenes stories such as "Why did they choose this story?", making it a very interesting exhibition.
The permanent exhibition features works related to Shotaro Ishinomori's representative works, including Kamen Rider, Cyborg 009, and Sarutobi Ecchan. Many of the works were unfamiliar to me, a writer born in the Heisei era, but the exhibition still made me think, "I'd like to read them."
The third floor houses a library with a large selection of manga, as well as exhibits showcasing the damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent recovery efforts. The encouraging messages from renowned manga artists are truly moving.
After seeing all the exhibits, you can also buy souvenirs and merchandise on the first floor. These would make great gifts for family and relatives.
Location: 2-7 Nakase, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture 986-0823 Business days: Monday to Sunday Business hours: 9:00 to 18:00 Access: 10-minute walk from Ishinomaki Station Parking: Available Official website, SNS:https://www.mangattan.jp/manga/
The Maruhon Maki Art Terrace, a museum with a distinctive chimney-like shape, is a multi-purpose exhibition facility that just opened in the spring of 2021. Within the same facility, there are two types of spaces: the Ishinomaki Arts and Culture Center and the Ishinomaki City Museum.
The former, the Ishinomaki Arts and Culture Center, hosts art-related events from time to time, while the latter, the Ishinomaki City Museum, allows visitors to learn about the history and culture of Ishinomaki City. Just a little spoiler: apparently, humans began living in what is now Ishinomaki City about 9,000 years ago!
The facility also houses a branch of "Coffee Workshop Ishikawa," a famous coffee shop in Ishinomaki, so it would be nice to relax with a cup of coffee after you've finished viewing the exhibits.
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