In the hills above Ishinomaki, 56m above sea level, this beautiful park stands on the site of the former Ishinomaki castle. Offering sweeping views over the city, it's a wonderful spot to relax. The park's 400 cherry-blossom trees bloom from mid-April. On a more sombre note, it's also the best vantage point to comprehend the scale of the 2011 tsunami's destruction.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26.92 MILES
The mausoleum of Date Masamune sits majestically atop the summit of a tree-covered hill by the Hirose-gawa. Built in 1637 but destroyed by Allied bombing…
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14.03 MILES
Tōhoku’s finest Zen temple, Zuigan-ji was established in AD 828. The present buildings were constructed in 1606 by Date Masamune to serve as a family…
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0.45 MILES
This popular manga museum's other-worldly spaceship structure survived the tsunami largely intact, while the collection has since been restored and…
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13.53 MILES
You can't miss the 252m-long red wooden bridge connecting Fuku-ura-jima to the mainland. The shady trails here, which wind around the island through…
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13.83 MILES
Date Masamune constructed this small wooden temple in 1604. Although it stands on an island in the bay, connected to the mainland by two short bridges, it…
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Miyagi Sant Juan Bautista Museum
3.4 MILES
A full-scale replica of the Spanish-style Japanese-made ship Sant Juan Bautista, commissioned by Date Masamune in 1613 as part of a diplomatic mission to…
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Minami-Sanriku Crisis Management Centre
19.06 MILES
The steel shell is all that remains of this three-storey building, standing alone in what once was central Minami-Sanriku. It has been preserved by the…
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27.27 MILES
Built on Aoba-yama in 1602 by Date Masamune and destroyed during Allied bombing, Sendai-jō still looms large over the city. Giant moss-covered walls, as…
Nearby Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) attractions
1. Ishinomori Mangattan Museum
0.45 MILES
This popular manga museum's other-worldly spaceship structure survived the tsunami largely intact, while the collection has since been restored and…
2. Miyagi Sant Juan Bautista Museum
3.4 MILES
A full-scale replica of the Spanish-style Japanese-made ship Sant Juan Bautista, commissioned by Date Masamune in 1613 as part of a diplomatic mission to…
13.53 MILES
You can't miss the 252m-long red wooden bridge connecting Fuku-ura-jima to the mainland. The shady trails here, which wind around the island through…
13.83 MILES
Date Masamune constructed this small wooden temple in 1604. Although it stands on an island in the bay, connected to the mainland by two short bridges, it…
13.97 MILES
This pavilion was presented to the Date family by the daimyō (domain lord) Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century. It served as a genteel venue for…
14.03 MILES
Tōhoku’s finest Zen temple, Zuigan-ji was established in AD 828. The present buildings were constructed in 1606 by Date Masamune to serve as a family…
7. Minami-Sanriku Crisis Management Centre
19.06 MILES
The steel shell is all that remains of this three-storey building, standing alone in what once was central Minami-Sanriku. It has been preserved by the…
26.46 MILES
Housed in an award-winning structure designed by Japanese architect Itō Toyō, this cultural hub includes a library, art galleries and event spaces. Check…