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Iwate Day 4 We could see some aftermaths of the Tohoku Tsunami in 2011. Miles of seawall had been built along the coast to protect from futre disasters. No more views of the sea and neaby hills had to be sacrificed for the construction. The sea walls resemble bunkers.
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| Sanriku railway | Views from Sanriku Railway | Begin Michinoku trail | |
| Michinoku Lunch Break | |||
| Iwate Day 4 -Sanriku Railway and Michinoku Coastal Trail | |||
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The railway had been damaged by the tsunami in 2011 but was repaired and was up and running in 2019, giving hopes to the local people. Now they need to attract as many tourists as possible to revive their economy.
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There were more tunnels on the railway than I expected. The only views were the gaps between the tunnels and not many views of the noted Rias coast as that because of the construction of seawalls. All the buildings are new (some still live in temporary housing) and no big trees as they were swept away. The train slows down or even stops briefly when it comes to a point of interest.
The prospect toward the sea is completely different from that before the quake. These new concrete seawall levees resemble bunkers. I wonder if the government acted too quickly in building them. | ||
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_23apr12-bw_1033.jpg The engineer announced this is the longest span of its kind in Japan (if I hear correctly.)  |
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_23apr12-bw_1039b.jpg Salmon hatchery, I think the eingineer said, the largest in Japan.  |
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The Michinoku Coastal Trail is a long stretch of trail between Miyako and Hachinohe created when the Sanriku Fukko (Reconstruction) Park was established. We only walked one end of it (12 km, 4 hours) near Hachinohe, as it seemed to fit our schedule and what I wanted, to walk along the coast. We started the trail at Okuki thinking there would be some information there. However there was nothing, just a bathroom. It was a cold and windy day. We were hungry and cold when We arrived at a little cafe at Tanesashi Coast, a welcome site. The coast was beautiful.
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_23apr12-bw_1238a.jpg It was very windy, cold and gray. We felt unsure.  |
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_23apr12-bw_1228.jpg The beginning of trail  |
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Less than an hour into the walk, shelter was a welcome site. There was a continuous strong cold wind and overcast sky. During our break, the sun appeared.
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_23apr12-bw_1314.jpg This is a peculiar sort of local native grass. It never grows higher than a couple inches.  |
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_23apr12-bw_1425b.jpg Welcoming the sun.  |
_23apr12-bw_1600.jpg Detail of this peculiar grass.  |
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