Travel information
One popular sight is Genbikei (厳美渓, Gorge of Harsh Beauty), a gorge which has white water rushing over rocks, a few waterfalls, hot spring hotels, and dango which is made in a shop across the river and sent to customers via an overhead cable.
During the cherry blossom season in early spring, Tsuriyama (釣り山), a large hill located on almost a straight path west of the station, is lit by lanterns at night and is beautiful during the day as the trees bloom. Outside of cherry blossom season, the paths up the hill and the small park at the summit offer a pleasant place to explore and look at the city from above. According to local legend, the outcropping of rock and earth at the top of the hill was once a signal fire tower during the era when Ichinoseki had just been brought under Kyoto rule.
Haishiwa Shrine (配志和神社) is a shrine located northwest of the station, in the Nakasato area of town. Situated at the top of a densely wooded hill, it is truly breathtaking, not only due to the giant, thousand-year-old trees at the top, but the incredibly long flight of stairs you must climb to get there.
The town of Higashiyama, technically a subdistrict of Ichinoseki since the merger, offers Geibikei (猊鼻渓, Lion's Nose Gorge). A ten minute walk from Geibikei Station on the Ofunato Line brings you to the gorge, where flat-bottomed boats take you upstream past Buddhist rock carvings. The Yuugendou (幽玄洞, Mysterious Caves) Caves are also located in Higashiyama, and according to legend were a hideout for Japanese Christians during the Edo period.
Photos from Ichinoseki, Japan
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The downtown is accessible on foot, but bicycles are available for rent at the bicycle parking lot to the left of the station's west exit. Look for the Rentakun (レン太君) sign next to the office. The station also has a taxi pool and is a hub for the city's buses. Trains on the Ofunato Line access the more rural areas of Ichinoseki.
Photos from Ichinoseki, Japan
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A couple of small "izakaya" style places for beers and small eats in front of the train station.
Photos from Ichinoseki, Japan
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Paper Moon is a bar popular with the foreign crowd due to its having pizza and spaghetti on the menu. It is located on the main street, Ohmachi Doori (大町通り). To get there, walk straight out of the station, down and up the underground walkway, turn right at the traffic lights, and look for an outline of Snoopy on the second floor window of a slightly run-down building.
Donque is a similar restaurant-bar, located on the edge of the downtown. It has a vaguely "European" feel to it, but has a wide variety of alcohol. To get there, turn right after exiting the station and walk straight until you can see the slope that allows cars to pass under the train bridge. The second-last block has Donque on the corner.
Abanzale is the most popular bar for the youth of Ichinoseki, due to its bi-weekly events such as hip-hop night and small dance floor. The English-speaking owner and staff are friendly. To get there, walk down Ohmachi to the Peare gym, and turn left. Abanzale is located next to the Jishumachi (自主町) exit of the Aikawaya (相川屋) department store.
Photos from Ichinoseki, Japan
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