Sightseeing Spots

Gando Lake Family Travel Village

A family travel village was opened in June 1981 on the north side of Lake Iwado, said to be the most beautiful man-made lake in Japan, so that groups centered on families could easily enjoy nature. The travel village has a ``campground'', ``festival plaza'', ``children's plaza'', ``picnic plaza'', ``promenade'', and ``tennis court'', and in 2000, an auto campsite complete with sanitary house was opened. Additionally, the annual Iwado Lake Festival is held in late September, where you can enjoy local Yabukawa soba and tankaku beef.

Toyama Dam

Toyama Dam was constructed during the war to dam the Toyama River between the mountains. Toyama Forest Park is located nearby. You can also enjoy the 48 waterfalls from the promenade at Takiuchizawa downstream of the dam.

Hayasaka plateau

The grassland, which stretches over 1 km from east to west, is surrounded by forests of white birch and larch. In spring, buttercups, azaleas, and azaleas are in full bloom. Part of the grassland where Mt. Iwate and Mt. Himekami overlap is used as a pasture, where Japanese Shorthorn beef cattle, affectionately known as ``Akabeko'', are grazed. Rengetsu azalea flowering period/mid-June to late June

Hayasaka plateau

Hayasaka Plateau has been designated as a prefectural natural park, and visitors are fascinated by the azaleas, birches, linden trees, and katakuri trees. It is a large, calm plain that spreads out around Hayasaka Pass, which is 916 meters above sea level, and is also known as a treasure trove of wild vegetables and mushrooms. The autumn leaves are also spectacular. Iris flowering period/mid-June to late June Flowering period of iris: mid-July to late July

Shibumin Park (No. 1 Takuboku Poetry Monument)

Shibumin Park stretches along the banks of the Kitakami River across National Route 4 in front of the Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Museum. Here is the first Takuboku poem monument, erected on April 13, 1922 (Taisho 11), with the inscription, ``As if I were to cry when I saw Kitakami Kishibeme looking at Yanagi.'' It is rare. At Takuboku Station in the park, there is a coffee shop and also sells handmade cakes made by local housewives, Takuboku goods, and farm-fresh vegetables.

Iwado Revitalization Center

There is an overnight training room, a corner where you can experience making local Yabukawa soba noodles, a large hall that can accommodate 150 people, and a farm-to-table corner. This is a multi-purpose facility that can be used for recreation while enjoying the seasonal colors of nature, as well as for various training sessions. (Equipped with self-catering facilities) Especially in winter, it is crowded with people fishing for smelt. You can also take a day trip bath after returning from camp, but reservations are required.

Ishikawa Takuboku Memorial Museum

The museum was opened in 1970 to honor Takuboku, collect materials, preserve them, and provide information.The current building was constructed in 1986 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Takuboku's birth. The white Western-style building is a reproduction of the ideal "home" that Takuboku described in his poem "House." Following the footsteps of Takuboku, who started in his hometown of Shibumin and then moved to Morioka, Hokkaido, and Tokyo, many personal belongings and related materials such as Takuboku's handwritten notes, letters, photographs, and clothing are on display. *Photography is prohibited

Hotokuji Temple

This temple, which was founded in 1658 and has the largest temple in the ward, is where Takuboku Ishikawa spent his childhood. There is a monument with a poem in the temple grounds that looks directly towards Mt. Iwate, which reads, ``An old bird came to sing at the top of the Hiba tree on the side of my hometown temple.'' When the building was rebuilt in 2000, the room used by Takuboku was restored.

Koiwai Farm Makibaen

One of the largest private integrated farms in Japan, popular as a spot connected to Kenji Miyazawa. At the tourist area "Makiba-en" located in the center of the farm, you can enjoy various attractions and gourmet food, as well as guided tours of production sites that are closed to the public. In February 2017, 21 buildings on the farm were designated as nationally designated important cultural properties.

Sannoumi Dam

The dam is located upstream of the Takinagawa River and is a scenic spot with fresh greenery in the spring and autumn leaves in the fall.With a storage capacity of approximately 38.4 million tons, it is the largest agricultural rockfill dam in Japan. In addition, it is a "parent-child dam" connected by two tunnels to the neighboring Kuzumaru Dam (water storage capacity of 5 million tons) in Ishidoriya-cho, Hanamaki City. It moistens the rice fields. Open to the public (May to November) 2nd Saturday and 3rd Wednesday 9:00-noon

Iwate Safari Park

At the ``Wild Kingdom'' Iwate Safari Park, you can enter by private car or bus among about 600 African animals of about 60 different species, including lions and tigers, giraffes, and zebras. Let's experience the ecology and behavior of wild animals as if we were a zoologist!

Goronuma

Goronuma, located to the south of the ruins of Hizumekan, which was built by Toshihira Hizume, the grandson of Kiyohira, the first generation of the Fujiwara clan in Hiraizumi, entertains visitors with cherry blossoms in the spring and swans in the winter. In July, the ancient lotus (Chusonji lotus), which was revived from seeds found in Yasuhiro's head bucket at Chusonji, blooms beautifully in the lotus pond next to the parking lot. On the east bank, there is a stone monument called the Night Cry Stone, which is said to have the sound of the cries of a woman who was turned into a human pillar to stop the repeated collapse of the swamp embankment.