Miyako, Iwate Day 1
Pei Yen came over to Tokyo for her holidays and like last year, we decided to go on a short trip since I had to take my summer holidays too. After researching the Tohoku area (we wanted somewhere cooler than Tokyo), we decided on Iwate Prefecture (岩手県), specifically Miyako City (宮古市), the most eastern part of the main island of Japan (Honshu). From Tokyo to Iwate, we had to take the shinkansen (bullet train) for about 2 plus hours to Morioka (盛岡) and from there, take another train for another 2 plus hours to Miyako (宮古). Since there weren't much accommodation around the area and the hotel that we wanted to stay was full, we stayed at another hotel in Tarou (田老) for the first 2 nights which was another few stations away from Miyako station. The whole traveling time was quite long and the place is really at the countryside. The trains from Morioka to Miyako only come like 6 times a day. And the trains from Miyako to Tarou come like once every one to two hours? The scenery was supposed to be fabulous though as the ride from Morioka to Miyako is actually along a river (Hei River) which joins to the Pacific Ocean at Miyako. BUT, it was bloody raining. It rained the WHOLE day. Not pitter patter rain, but downpour with strong winds (especially when we were near the sea). So we couldn't really see anything along the way.
Tarou Station. It's a small station tucked away in the countryside.
Our room.
View from our room. Clouds... Rain.... (PY are you reading this? We should tag ourselves on this photo in FB. lol.)
The hotel puts the names of all the guests outside of the rooms that they are staying in.
Hotel
Post office. I had to draw money. So we walked in the wind and rain, with chattering teeth and shivering hands to find the post office.
This can only be seen in the countryside. So quiet, no high buildings. Very simple.
We were famished as we travelled all the way without food. So we raided the combini.
Our dinner! Yum...
This is really good. We bought it from the combini. Melon flavored calpis sour (alcoholic).
It was only after we got there than we found out that Tarou is actually the place where the most tsunamis hit Japan. We stayed at a hotel which was behind a fishing port. So I guess the main livelihood of the people staying in Tarou is through fishing. It is a small town, build with tsunami disasters in mind. Apparently the way the streets are paralleled with each other is to allow for easy evacuation when disaster hits. There is a huge long wall with gates that will be closed to contain the waves when tsunami hits. Although it is a small humble town tucked away in a corner of one of the biggest prefectures in Japan, where many do not take notice of it, but reading it's history and having been there to take a look myself, somehow I feel touched by it all and respect the people of Tarou for their perseverance. For those interested, you can click here for more information.
Till the entry of Day 2.
