Tono-go Hachimangu Shrine still Had Beautiful Autumn Leaves 11/4/2025

Tono-go Hachimangu Shrine is known for having a cat shrine on its grounds, and it's also known for its beautiful autumn leaves, and every year during the autumn leaves season, they hold an autumn leaves illumination event. This year's illumination ended on November 2nd, but I thought, "There should still be some autumn leaves to see," so Sachiki-san and I went there.

Japanese traditional umbrellas are placed on the horse track running perpendicular to the approach to the shrine, creating a nice atmosphere in combination with the autumn leaves.

This horse track is 500 meters long.

Sachiki-san wasn't paying any attention to the autumn leaves and was playing with the fallen leaves. (lol)

The shrine grounds are spacious.

At the main shrine, I prayed for the longevity, health, and happiness of my family. Sachiki-san is, of course, also a member of my family.

Although the autumn leaves illumination had ended, the autumn leaves themselves were still beautiful.
Next time, I'd like to come and see the snowy scenery.

Ran around a lot at Daiwa Fruit Park 10/24/2025

Daiwa Fruit Park is a fruit-themed tourist farm, but it also has a dog park, so Sachiki-san and I visited it.

It's located in Rikuzentakata City. Nearby is the Takatamatsubara Memorial Park for TSUNAMI disaster, known for its "Miracle Pine Tree."

Paying no attention whatsoever to the fruit being cultivated in the park (lol) and headed straight for the dog park.

Registration for the dog park is done at the cafe. It's the building you see behind Sachiki-san in the picture.

Almost at the same time as us, a male Akita Inu arrived. Sachiki-san doesn't get along well with male dogs, so we let the Akita Inu use the large dog area and used the vacant small dog area.

Sachiki-san, who loves new things and places, was excited about being in a new place.

He ran around a lot and did a lot of sniffing.

He occasionally kept an eye on the Akita Inu in the large dog area (lol).

A staff member kindly took pictures of us, saying, "You probably won't be able to get pictures together very often."

The Kuzakai Highland was already Autumnal with the Ears of Silver Grasses Bearing 9/4/2025

On my way from my home in Kamaishi City to Morioka City, Sachiki-san and I stopped off at the Kuzakai Highland Roadside Station.

This area is at a high altitude, and there are woods behind the roadside station, offering a cool, sheltered walk from the sun.

The midday temperature was 24°C. It was very comfortable in the woods.

Beyond the woods, silver grass grew thickly, its heads swaying in the breeze, creating a truly autumnal landscape on the highland.

I sticked to Sachiki-san closely on the cool highland (lol).

The lower world is still hot, but autumn is approaching.

Went to Seagull Park on the Long-awaited Cloudy Morning 8/7/2025

It had been almost a month since Sachiki-san and I last visited Seagull Park. 

In summer, the sun is so strong that even in the morning it gets hot when the sun is out, so we had been waiting for a cloudy morning. However, even though a cloudy morning came, there was a time we were unable to go, and a month passed. 

Therefore, I wanted Sachiki-san to run around briskly, but He went at his own pace. (lol)

The caretaker carried a 2-litre water bottle and followed Sachiki-san as he marked his territory. 

If the caretaker runs, maybe Sachiki-san will chase after and run too. 

But since the caretaker is 61 years older than Sachiki-san, running with him ends in seconds. (lol)

Kirikiri Beach was Cool and Quiet in the Morning 7/23/2025

A swimming beach opens at Kirikiri Beach in Otsuchi Town in the summer.

This year, Kirikiri Beach became the second beach in Iwate Prefecture to receive the international certification "Blue Flag".

This year's beach opens on July 24th. On the morning of July 23rd, the day before the beach opens, Sachiki-san and I went for a walk.

Fisharena and Kirikiri Fishing Port Park are located adjacent to the sandy beach where the swimming beach will be opened. Fisharena is a fishing port equipped with mooring and storage facilities exclusively for pleasure boats.

Kirikiri Beach is cool and quiet in the morning, and a walk while enjoying the scenery is the best.

However, Sachiki-san does not go down to the sandy beach because he once got dermatitis from digging into the sand while walking on another beach. The beach is known for its singing sand, but we took a walk in Kirikiri Fishing Port Park.

The park juts out into the sea like a peninsula, so you can get a good view of the surrounding scenery.

This was Sachiki-san's first time at this place, so he kept looking around and sniffing around during our walk and never once looked at the camera (lol).

The "Dokonjo(gutsy) Poplar" Survived the Massive Tsunami is so Tall 6/3/2025

In Okirai, Sanriku-cho, Ofunato City, there is a poplar tree that survived the massive tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake and came to be known as the "Dokonjo(gutsy) poplar".

The area around the poplar is now maintained as the "Dokonjo poplar square", but according to the information board, before the Great East Japan Earthquake, it was a place where shops, inns, and material warehouses were located.

I had visited the area once before I started living with Sachiki-san, but I went back again with Sachiki-san for a walk.

The Dokonjo poplar is so tall that you should look up to see it. It is about 25m tall, about the height of a 7-8 story building. It is about 80 years old. It was planted after the Sanriku tsunami in 1933.

The grass in the square had just been mowed, so Sachiki-san found it comfortable to sit on.

The Ofunato Tsunami Narrative Society website has a picture of the "Dokonjo poplar" standing among the rubble. 

https://www.ofunato-tsunami-museum.org/kui-3-3-dokonjopoplar

Looked out over the Lake-like Yamada Bay from the Yamada Bay Observation Square 5/20/2025

The construction of seawalls after the Great East Japan Earthquake has reduced the number of places where the sea can be seen.

About 2 km from the center of Yamada town, near the Orikasa Bridge on National Route 45, is Yamada Bay Observation Square, where you can see Yamada Bay, which is surrounded by peninsulas and looks like a lake.

It is located beside National Route 45 and has a parking space and observation deck, so Sachiki-san and I stopped for a break while we were driving around.

The island on the left is Oshima. It is also known as Oranda jima(Holland Island. It is said a Dutch ship anchored there during the Edo period to supply water and food.

The island to the right of Oshima is Kojima.

The door that appears in the film ‘Suzume no Tojimari(English title is Suzume’ has been reproduced.

The station and the sluice gate that appeared in the film are also located near this observation square.

Sachiki-san also climbed up to the observation deck.

Yamada Bay is surrounded by two peninsulas and looks like a lake.

The gap between the tips of the two peninsulas seen beyond Kojima Island is the mouth of the bay.

Quietly Enjoyed the Cherry Blossoms at the Yakushi Park Cherry Blossom Festival 4/16/2025

The famous cherry blossom spot in Kamaishi City is the Hongo Sakura Namiki in Toni-cho, where a feudal lord's procession marches under the rows of cherry blossoms in full bloom once every three years, but Yakushi Park, located on a hill in the center of the city, is also one of the famous cherry blossom spots. The Yakushi Park Cherry Blossom Festival is held during the cherry blossom season.

The cherry blossom information said that the cherry blossoms at Yakushi Park were in full bloom, so I and Sachiki-san went for a walk.

This is the first time I've visited this park since I was in high school. The caretaker went to high school in Kamaishi City from a neighboring town.

At the Yakushi Park Cherry Blossom Festival, there are no stalls or events, and only lanterns are set up, so you can quietly enjoy the cherry blossoms.

There is the "Statue of the Goddess of Peace" in the park, which comforts the souls of those who died in the Pacific War, but when we visited, it was under repainting work.
In the caretaker's memory, it was a Kannon statue, but it is a goddess statue!

The park is on high ground, so you will have to walk on stairs and steep slopes.

There is no car park at the park, so you will have to use a paid car park nearby.

Halfway up the slope there is a temple called Kannonji, but I'm not sure if you can enter the temple grounds with dogs.

Yakushi Park

https://www.city.kamaishi.iwate.jp/docs/2015030200137/

Cherry Tree Pruning Work was Being Done at Takamatsunoike Pond 3/19/2025

When Sachiki-san and I lived in Morioka City, we sometimes took walks around Takamatsunoike Pond. We had dog friend dogs there, walked with us when we met them while we were walking.

Even after moving, I still get sachiki-san ​​shampooed at our favorite dog salon in Morioka City, so we take a walk in Morioka City before going to the salon.​ This time we stopped by Takamatsunoike Pond.

It's been a while since we last walked around Takamatsunoike Pond, and there were only a few swans. Most of them seem to have returned north.

Cherry tree pruning work was being done around the pond.
The cherry trees here have been selected as one of the "100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots in Japan," and together with Morioka Castle Site Park, it is the venue for the "Morioka Sakura (cherry blossoms) Festival."

Takamatsu Park
https://www.city.morioka.iwate.jp/kurashi/midori/koen/1010492.html

Played with a Ball at Seagull Park 2/21/2025

his dog park was originally attached to a hotel where you can stay with pets, but the hotel moved due to the aging of the building, so I was worried that it would be closed.

But there was no need to worry. Even after the hotel moved, it has been operating as usual.

Sachiki-san and I went to play for the first time in almost a month.

When we arrived, the only other guest was the black labrador retriever. After talking with the owner, we decided to play in separate areas.

The black labrador was playing with a ball happily. When there is no other dog in the same area, you can use toys.
The owner of the black labrador threw a ball to Sachiki-san over the fence.
The black labrador also had her own ball, but it seemed like she was more interested in the ball Sachiki-san was holding (lol)
Sachiki-san showed the ball to her and then brought it away.

We had fun playing with the ball.