Soaked up Negative Ions at the Namiita Fudonotaki Falls 2026/4/11

Two months ago, Sachiki-san and I visited Namiita Beach in Otsuchi Town, but this time we visited the Namiita Fudonotaki Falls, located in the mountainous area of the same Namiita district.

I'd wanted to go for a long time, but Google Maps navigation showed that the final few hundred metres to the falls would have to be on foot, so I hesitated.

I checked the Otsuchi Town Tourism and Exchange Association’s website, and it seemed possible to drive there, so I decided to go. I was able to drive almost all the way to the Kujirayama Shrine actually, just before the waterfall. However, the road is unpaved.

According to the information board, the waterfall is about 15 metres high.

The sound of the powerfully flowing waterfall was soothing, and it feels as plenty of negative ions are being released.

It seemed possible to drive right up to Kujirayama Shrine, which is very close to the waterfall, but since making a U-turn would be difficult, I parked my car in a wider area along the way.

There are many stone monuments standing where I parked. Some of them appear to have been donated recently, showing that the shrine is still a place of worship today.

Kujirayama Shrine can be seen at the end of the approach path in the image below. The waterfall is beyond that.

The current shrine building appears to have been constructed after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

The shrine used to be situated so close to the waterfall that it seemed as if the water's droplets splashing to it, but now only a small offering box is placed in that spot.

The water flowing from the waterfall forms a gentle stream, which seems to cleanse the soul.

There were Lots of People and Dogs at Takamatsu Park on Sunday 3/29/2026

When Sachiki-san and I lived in Morioka City, we often went for walks in Takamatsu Park. This park is one of several dog-walking spots in Morioka City and many dogs visit it. Not only can you take a walk along the path that circles the large lawn, but you can also play with your dog on the lawn itself. You can also walk over to the adjacent Takamatsunoike Pond.

We visited Takamatsu Park for the first time in a while, on a trip to a salon to groomer salon in Morioka City to have Sachiki-san washed.

It was a beautiful, warm Sunday, there were lots of people and dogs at the park.

We rarely see other dogs on our usual walks, but we encountered many dogs here.

Sachiki-san sometimes barks at other dogs, was able to greet them without barking at all here.

Pines at Namiita Beach had Grown Tall 2/17/2026

Sachiki-san and I went for a walk at Namiita Beach in Otsuchi Town.

Namiita beach is known for its Katayosenami waves. According to the Otsuchi Town Tourism Exchange Association, "it is said that the waves are absorbed by the coarse sand, resulting in no return waves. However, it is also thought that other factors play a significant role, such as the shallow seabed topography, currents within the bay, and the wavelength of the incoming waves, as the return waves remain small even after the sandy beach disappeared by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami."

I have been to this beach many times since I was a child. Before the Great East Japan Earthquake, this was a beautiful beach with a beautiful contrast between green pine wood, white sandy beach, and blue sea. However, the pine wood and sandy beach disappeared due to the tsunami and land subsidence caused by the earthquake.

The current Namiita beach has seen its sandy beach restored through regeneration works, and the pine trees, which were reportedly about 30cm tall when planted, have grown considerably.

Near the coast, there is a surf shop and such. Namiita Beach is one of the best surfing beaches the Tohoku region.

A little way from the beach, there is a monument inscribed with a poem by Kenji Miyazawa in a parking area along the national highway.

Having Heard No More Bear News, Went for a Walk on Shiroyama 1/13/2026

Since last autumn, there had been continuous reports of bear sightings and damage caused by bears. However, for the past month, I've heard no such news, nor have I received any bear sighting alerts via LINE from the town hall.

Perhaps the bears have finally gone into hibernation?

So, Sachiki-san and I went for a walk on Shiroyama(Castle Hill) in the neighbouring town.
Shiroyama was the site of the Otsuchi clan's castle from the Muromachi period until the beginning of the Edo period.
It is now maintained as Shiroyama Park.

We started from the car park of the Otsuchi Town Central Community Centre at the southern end of the park.
The paved road has a gentle gradient but continues uphill for about 1 km. I regretted not starting from the western car park closest to Honmaru(Centre of the Castle) site, one of the three available.

This is the western car park.

We left the paved road and entered the walking path, reaching the base of Honmaru site. However, I, turn 65 years old this year, decided not to go all the way to Honmaru site.
Honmaru site is located at the top of these steps.

We didn't go up to Honmaru site, but we got a good view of Otsuchi Bay.