That night, we visited the Tsunami Memorial Park Nakanohama, residence to a previous camp with the battered remnants of a house and restroom. Jodogahama Beach, a beachfront with white sandstone cliffs and peaceful bays, was where we went on our hike. The return was well worth it because we enjoyed ourselves in the airconditioned bedrooms and surroundings of Jodogahama Park Hotel.
The scenery changed to picturesque vents and serene bays as we left the remote, rugged coastline of north Tohoku for Miyako area.
One of the worst- hit towns, large pieces of Miyako have been previously rebuilt. Here, we walked our last stretch: The Hama Kaido, an old path from the Edo period that was previously the main thoroughfare between the coast and Sendai, Tohoku’s main city. When roads turned out to be impassable, it was once used to transport items like salt, iron, and seafood. It later turned into a makeshift path by tsunami rescuers.
Our final day included a visit to Funio Sakamoto, one of the few kesen-daiku carpenters renowned for creating Japan’s intricate temples and shrines, including the magnificent Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo. As we passed through another stretch of the Hama-kaido, where torii shrine gates lined a picturesque narrow gorge with waterfalls, we admired his craftsmanship.