Cherry blossom corridor (lined with cherry blossom trees along National Route 397)

Masuzawain ruins

Fujiwara Kiyohira spent eight years copying over 5,300 volumes of sutras written in gold and silver on dark blue paper, and it is believed that the place where he copied the sutras was Masuzawa-in Temple, located within Iwatani-do and Masuzawachi. Get off at JR Tohoku Shinkansen Mizusawa-Esashi Station and transfer to the Esashi City Bus bound for Yanagawa, Gakumasawa or Iwate Prefectural Transportation Juoudou and get off at the Esashi Bus Center bus stop.

Tsukiean

A free rest facility located in front of the gate of Shoboji Temple in the back. In addition to souvenir items, there is also a soba restaurant and cafe. From Mizusawa-Esashi Station, transfer to the Iwate Prefectural Transportation Haneda Ofunato Line Mizusawa Ekidori bus stop and head to the Shohoji bus stop.

Kyozukayama

Kyozukayama is said to have been Fujiwara Hidehira's sutra store in the old days. At the top of the mountain, there is a ``horseshoe stone'' where Minamoto no Yoshitsune is said to have left his hoof prints while riding his horse. Also, the view from the top of Mt. Kyozuka is truly amazing, with the Ou Mountains in the distance and the Isawa Fan spreading out from there. There are quiet villages and countryside scattered there. The meandering Kitakami River flowing slowly at the foot of the mountain quietly conveys to us the changing seasons of Michinoku. The azaleas are in full bloom in late May, and in the summer you can enjoy hiking from the nearby Gassan Campsite.