Recovery. Kesennuma JR Station 気仙沼駅 is the terminus station on Ofunato line 大船渡線, located in Miyagi Prefecture 宮城県. Kesennuma city is located along the coastline facing Pacific Ocean, where commercial fishing, in particular shark, saury and bonito, is the main industry supporting the livelihood of locals. However, this peacefulness was mercilessly disrupted by the Tohoku Earthquake in March 2011 as the city was swarmed by powerful tsunami, turning the large sections of the city into rumbles. The rail network was also severely affected by this fateful ordeal and Kesennuma line connecting Kesennuma to Maeyachi 前谷地駅 was one of them. To reinstate accessibility as soon as possible and optimise cost of restoration, the damaged railway line was converted into a dedicated bus rapid transit (BRT) by the end of 2011. This explains why the train station looks relatively different from the conventional ones; here you will see a railway track (Ofunato line) running alongside a bus lane (Kesennuma line). All thanks to Pokémon with you, I set foot in Kesennuma for the very first time. Even though I did not experience the immediate aftermath caused by the natural disaster, I had a better understanding of the trials overcame by the locals over a span of four years and the continuous strive to rebuild their homeland. The road to recovery is long but it is heartening to see the optimism displayed by the locals to re-establish the momentum in life.
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| Spotted the BRT after alighting from the train. |
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| Dedicated bus routes converted from dysfunctional railway tracks. |
(1) Pokémon with you train, as the name implies, is a Pokémon themed train introduced as part of recovery efforts to promote tourism in Kesennuma, commuting between Ichinoseki 一ノ関駅 and Kesennuma 気仙沼駅 via Ōfunato line. Operated usually on weekends and public holidays, the two carriage train underwent a complete renewal in Jul 2017 and became fully Pikachu centric. Had the opportunity to board the first version of Pokémon with you train from Kesennuma to return to Ichinoseki in Oct 2015 and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. At Kesennuma JR Station, passengers will be welcomed by Pikachu and other adorable Pokémon upon alighting from the train or entering the train station. I could not help but to snap a few shots with these lovable characters before rushing off to catch my bus to Umi no ichi 海の市.
https://www.jreast.co.jp/railway/joyful/pokemon.html
What’s nearby?
(1) Kesennuma Ekimae Tourist Information Center 気仙沼駅前観光案内所, located just outside the train station.
Apart from acquiring information on the attractions in the surrounding areas, visitors can also get hold of merchandise featuring Hoya Boya ホヤぼーや, the mascot of Kesennuma, from the tourist information center. Bought a collar pin and clear file as a gesture of my support to the recovery efforts in the city.
(2) Kesennuma Ekimae bus stop 気仙沼駅前, less than a minute walk from the train station.
One of the attractions nearest to the train station is Umi no ichi 海の市, a two storey building located adjacent to Kesennuma fish market. The ground floor of the building is occupied by shops selling fresh and processed seafood, souvenir shops and eateries while both the tourist service center and Japan’s only Shark Museum シャークミュージアム are located on its second floor.
To get to Umi no ichi, walk to the bus stop 気仙沼駅前 located on the main road (Kesennuma Highway 気仙沼街道), board the clockwise direction city loop bus 市内循環バス (時計回り) and alight at Umi no ichi mae 海の市前. Bus journey takes approximately 10 mins.
Bus schedule: http://www.kesennuma.miyagi.jp/sec/s023/010/010/010/010/050/17junkan20180416.pdf
Remember... Apart from Umi no ichi, we also visited several facilities temporarily constructed to house shops and eateries, whose original addresses/buildings were wiped out by the tsunami, such that livelihood could be sustainable. This included a restored yatai village 復興屋台村 and restored shopping center 復興商店街. While compiling this overdue post, I found out that both temporary facilities have closed since 2017. But the good news is that the tenants have found permanent facilities to resume their businesses! A new two storey complex named Murasaki Jinja mae shopping center 紫神社前商店街 was developed in Minami-cho 南町 for previous tenants of the restored shopping center to move into and also creating a brand new common space for locals to hang out in. On the other hand, eateries/restaurants in the restored yatai village have also relocated to new venues to continue their operation, showcasing their culinary skills and dishing up good food for the locals to enjoy. It is heartening to hear about all these positive changes that have taken place over the last few years. Will love to return to Kesennuma city to witness these changes and at the same time, explore the area further.
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| The former restored shopping center, made up of container blocks. |
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| Previous tenants of restored shopping center have moved to Murasaki Jinja mae shopping center, a permanent holding place. |
Take the city loop bus 市内循環バス and alight at Minami-cho 南町. About 2 minutes walk from the bus stop.
Bus schedule: http://www.kesennuma.miyagi.jp/sec/s023/010/010/010/010/050/17junkan20180416.pdf
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| The former restored yatai village which has ceased operation in 2017. |
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| The former restored yatai village which has ceased operation in 2017. |
Commemorative stamps:
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| Kesennuma City Tourist Information Center |
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