Iwate is Japan’s second largest prefecture area-wise and is located in the country’s northeastern Tohoku region.
In this massive prefecture, mountainous landscapes meet stunning coastlines and preserved historical sites offer glimpses into eras past. Outdoor enthusiasts will love Iwate’s quality ski resorts and hot springs, while cultural fanatics can explore its traditional performing arts and crafts. Iwate’s gastronomic scene is defined by both its delectable mountain ingredients and premium seafood. To savor the latter, visit Rikuzentakata City.
Situated along Iwate’s Pacific coast, Rikuzentakata is a city that was once famous for Takata Matsubara, a two-kilometer long shoreline adorned with approximately 70,000 pine trees. Tragically, this scenic landmark, along with much of the cityscape, was destroyed by the Great East Japan Earthquake and following tsunami in 2011. Since this devastating event, Rikuzentakata has overcome adversity—rebuilding its communities and opening one of Tohoku’s most impactful memorial museums and parks. These destinations, coupled with its cultural sites and picturesque hot springs, make the city an off-the-beaten-path destination where you can experience the charms of local life and meaningful places of remembrance.
Rikuzentakata is also a prime spot to try some fresh Japanese seafood, including ikura and Sanriku wakame. To learn more about these beloved products, let’s turn our attention to Kawamura, a seafood company with a long history.
Kawamura sells its ikura products under the company name “Kawaki foods.” However, for simplicity, we will refer to the company as Kawamura throughout the article.
Firstly, what are ikura and Sanriku wakame?
Wakame is one of Japan’s three main types of edible seaweed with kombu and nori being the other two. It is known for its slightly chewy, slippery texture and mild flavor—featuring subtle salty, earthy, and sweet notes. People typically enjoy wakame in soups (especially miso soup), salads, various side dishes, and noodles.
Ikura, or salmon roe, are best recognized for their large size and vibrant reddish-orange color. They have a slightly fishy taste and a fun texture that bursts in your mouth. Their natural umami flavor makes them popular toppings for rice bowls and sushi.
Sanriku is a region in northeastern Japan that includes Miyagi, Iwate, and Aomori. Incredibly, this area is one of the world’s three largest fishing grounds and produces approximately 70% of Japan’s wakame. Here, the Kuroshio and Oyashio currents collide, resulting in pure ocean waters filled with nutrients. This nourishing environment produces quality seaweed and salmon.
Get your nutrients from the sea with these superfoods
Wakame is rich in minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and iodine. It also contains nutrients like vitamins A, C, E, and K. It is said to reduce blood pressure, benefit heart health, and decrease blood sugar.
Ikura also contains vitamins A and E and is rich in DHA and EPA, which are essential fatty acids that are believed to help prevent lifestyle-related diseases and dementia. So, not only are wakame and ikura delicious, but they are also said to have a host of health benefits.
Kawamura: One of Japan's leading producers of wakame and ikura in Japan
Located in Kesennuma, Kawamura is a seafood manufacturing and processing company that mainly sells salmon, ikura, wakame, and other seaweed products. The company sources all of its seaweed from Sanriku. For its salmon-related products, it also sources them from areas outside of Sanriku.
Since its inception, Kawamura has always strived to excel in health, safety, and quality management with the goal of providing exceptional Sanriku seafood to everyone. In alignment with its commitment to excellence, Kawamura has obtained an HACCP certification and international standard "FSSC22000 (Kawamura Iwate No.2 Processing Plant)" certification for food safety management. The company uses exclusive processes to ensure top-notch seafood products and prides itself on hygiene management.
Kawamura’s customers are also crucial to its product development. As a Business-to-Business (B2B) company, Kamamura primarily works with players in the food industry, such as sushi chain restaurants, convenience stores, and supermarkets. To develop new flavors, the company invites buyers to its factory and offers tastings for feedback.
With its attention to detail, you can feel confident that Kawamura’s products capture the essence of Sanriku.
Stronger than the tsunami
Kawamura Group suffered extensive damage during the 2011 tsunami—losing 25 of its 27 factories. However, the company rebounded quickly and began rebuilding that same year. It completed its last factory in 2016, a mere five years after the disaster, showcasing its resilience.
Try Kawamura’s products for yourself
Although Kawamuraya has an online store, where you can directly purchase Kawamura's wakame and salmon roe, Kawamura mainly works with food-related businesses in the Kanto and Tohoku regions. You can find Kawamura’s products in prepackaged meals at supermarkets, in sushi and soups at popular conveyor belt sushi restaurants, as a filling in convenience stores’ ikura onigiri, and more.
Sightseeing in Rikuzentakata City
One of Iwate’s southernmost cities, Rikuzentakata offers a picturesque blend of cultural sightseeing, seaside relaxation, and quiet rural life. After the devastation of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, the city also became a beacon of remembrance and future preparedness with its educational museum, memorial parks, and preserved ruins. Listed below are some of the area’s most popular destinations.
Fumonji Temple
Established over 500 years ago, Fumonji is a temple of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism. The peaceful complex is home to three cultural properties of Iwate—a three-storied pagoda, a wooden statue of Kannon (the goddess of mercy in Zen Buddhism), and a silk image of Aizen Myoo (a wrathful deity). Upon approach to the Main Hall, there is also a large crape myrtle tree that is over 300 years old and designated as a natural treasure of Iwate.
The Main Hall itself is a mesmerizing feat of carpentry, featuring detailed carvings of dragons, flowers, birds, and plants. Resting behind the Main Hall is the modest, yet equally impressive three-storied pagoda encircled by a tranquil Japanese garden.
The temple’s foreground exudes a mystical and ancient atmosphere enriched by massive trees and a moss-adorned setting. On the outskirts of the complex, tall bamboo creates a naturally secluded space. This area is also decorated with hundreds of hand-carved statues to honor the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. No two statues are the same, forming a collection of restful, happy, and quirky expressions. It is a beautiful memorial that celebrates the bright souls of people lost.
Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum and Park
The Iwate Tsunami Memorial Museum not only honors the victims and devastation of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, but also aims to share lessons learned to prevent such loss again.
The museum is divided into four zones—history and science of tsunami disasters, impacts of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, lessons learned, and reconstruction efforts. The displays have Japanese and English descriptions, and some areas have English-speaking staff to answer questions and offer additional information. The building also houses a rest stop with delicious eateries and local souvenirs.
Zone two is perhaps the most visually impactful one as it exhibits a number of battered objects recovered after the tsunami, including a car and part of a bridge, as well as mundane objects like a volleyball, trumpet, and musical keyboard. Aside from its somber tone, the museum is incredibly informative, offering detailed explanations of response actions and how to better prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Outside, the memorial continues with an expansive park home to green spaces and preserved disaster ruins, including a junior high school, youth hostel, apartment complex, and rest area building. The vacant structures stand as impactful reminders of the tsunami waves’ height and devastation. There is also an ocean lookout point where you can admire the sea against hundreds of young pine trees.
The Miracle Pine
Located on the grounds of the aforementioned memorial park, the Miracle Pine stands as a symbol of hope throughout Japan. This area was once home to approximately 70,000 pine trees known collectively as Takata Matsubara. Tragically, the tsunami destroyed all of the trees, except one—the Miracle Pine. Although this pine tree died shortly after the tsunami due to salt toxicity, Rikuzentakata preserved the tree as a memorial to the lost souls and as a beacon of hope and recovery.
Kurosaki Senkyo Onsen
Kurosaki Senkyo Onsen embodies utter relaxation. Perched on the tip of Rikuzentakata’s Hirota Peninsula, this day-use hot spring facility has indoor baths that overlook the Pacific Ocean. The separate male and female baths have changing rooms, lockers, bathing facilities, and hot spring baths in front of floor-to-ceiling windows. Through the windows you are granted unobstructed views of the sparkling sea interspersed with rocky outcroppings. Greenery sprouts in the foreground, creating a mesmerizing picture of nature. With this enchanting scene before you, the nourishing hot spring waters are even more rejuvenating.
The onsen also has a small souvenir shop that sells handmade wares and snacks and has an ocean view resting area with tatami flooring. Here, you can enjoy delicious meals that range in price from 600–950 yen, including ramen, curry, udon, and tonkatsu. If you would like to get closer to the waves, the facility also has a small outdoor seating area!
Experience Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture
The closest shinkansen station to Rikuzentakata city is Ichinoseki Station, which is easily accessible via the Tohoku Shinkansen—about 2.5 hours from Tokyo Station or 30 minutes from Sendai Station. From Ichinoseki Station, take the JR Ofunato Line, which includes about 1.5 hours of train travel to Kesennuma Station and roughly 35 minutes of BRT (bus rapid transit) travel to Rikuzentakata.
Iwate Prefecture is a gateway to a less touristy side of Japan where grand coastlines, majestic mountains, and cultural attractions coexist. In Rikuzentakata , you can explore the ocean’s wonders more closely in a resilient community that has survived the unimaginable. As you embark on this meaningful adventure, keep your eye out for Kawamura’s high-quality wakame and ikura.
Looking for more Tohoku seafood?
Kawamura’s wakame and ikura represent only a fraction of Tohoku’s seafood offerings. Visit our Seafood Journey feature page to dive into northeastern Japan's culinary delicacies and discover more passionate seafood and marine product processors.
