Ishinomaki

Ishinomaki (石巻市; ishinomaki-shi) is a city in Miyagi. It has a population of around 165,000 people. Its islands, Kinkasan and Tashirojima have separate articles.

Understand


Ishinomaki was one of the towns hardest hit by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, with the tsunami reaching up to 5 km inland and some 3,400 people killed.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a partly bilingual guide site.

See

 * The replica of the Japanese-built galleon San Juan Batista
 * Mount Kinka
 * Ojika Whale Park
 * Ishinomaki St. John the Apostle Orthodox Church
 * Kadanowaki area, once a sandy beach that completely disappeared after the tsunami.
 * Kadanowaki area, once a sandy beach that completely disappeared after the tsunami.

Eat


The fishing port of Ayukawa (鮎川) is one of the homes of Japan's controversial whaling fleet, and whale (鯨 or くじら, kujira) is a local speciality served in many restaurants. Ethics aside, few locals are enamored with the stuff: in addition to tasting like fishy meat, it's commonly associated with wartime deprivation and school lunches.

Go next

 * Ishinomaki is a 30-minute drive from Matsushima, a beautiful bay with tree-covered islands.
 * Ferries run from Ishinomaki to Tashirojima, Tohoku's Cat Island.
 * Sendai, the biggest city in Tohoku, is less than an hour away, by train or car.
 * Onagawa
 * Minamisanriku
 * Tome
 * Wakuya
 * Misato
 * Higashimatsushima