Sightseeing Spots

Aharayama Plateau

Located between Mt. Hosai and Taneyama Plateau, there is the municipal Abarayama Makino. From late May to mid-June, the astragalus azalea colony is in full bloom, creating a wonderful contrast between bright green and vermilion. Take the Esashi Municipal Bus Ide-Kojiya Kuchizawa Line (via Kami-Ide) to Babasaki bus stop, get off at the JR Tohoku Shinkansen Mizusawa-Esashi Station, get off at the Iwate Prefectural Transportation Esashi Fujiwara-no-sato Esashi Bus, get off at the Esashi Bus Center bus stop, and transfer.

Atagoyama Nature Park

There are many plants that are rare due to their distribution, and the Ite River flows through the area. There is the site of Numajiri Castle, and at the top of the mountain there is Atago Shrine, built by Sakanoue Tamuramaro. Take the Esashi Municipal Bus Ide-Kojitani-Kuchizawa Line (via Kami-Ide) to Fujisato bus stop, get off at the JR Tohoku Shinkansen Mizusawa-Esashi Station, then transfer to the Iwate Prefectural Transportation Esashi Bus bound for Fujiwara-no-sato and get off at the Esashi Bus Center bus stop.

Oshu City Fire Memorial Museum

A memorial hall that exhibits the history of Mizusawa City's fire department, Gohei Sasaki, and the history of fire departments. The museum is filled with exhibits that tell the story of history, such as firefighting equipment, Hanten and Matet, and the automobile pump ``Benz'' that was active in the early Showa period. It is located on the grounds of Hidaka Shrine, which is associated with the Hidaka Fire Prevention Festival, which was held to pray for fire prevention.

Kesen Carpenter and Plastering Tradition Museum

The Kesen Carpenter and Plasterer Tradition Museum was built in the citizen's forest to pass on and preserve the craftsmanship of Kesen carpenters and plasterers. Kesen cedar is used abundantly here as well, and there are three buildings with a variety of styles, such as thatched mushrooms and warehouse structures. The tea you drink in the hearth of the main building also has a special taste.

Fureai no Oka Park

Located in eastern Haneda-cho, Mizusawa Ward, Oshu City, you can enjoy sports centered around the Mizusawa General Gymnasium as well as nature walks. There is a park golf course on a slightly elevated hill, an artificial slope where you can go sledding all year round, a barbecue corner, and play equipment, making it a space where families can enjoy nature in the midst of nature. From Mizusawa-Esashi Station, transfer to Iwate Prefectural Transportation Haneda Ofunato Line Mizusawa Ekidori bus stop and head to Fureai no Oka Koen bus stop.

Taneyama Plateau

A gentle plateau at an altitude of 900m that spans Esashi, Tono, and Sumita in Oshu City. You can see the mountains of Monomiyama (871m) and Tateishi (730m) as well as the Kitakami Plain, and the Taneyama Farm on the plateau is used for grazing cattle. There is a monument written by Kenji Miyazawa on the standing stone, ``The grass that I cut in the clouds of Taneyamagahara is sluggish, but I forgot about it.'' The clusters of Astragalus azaleas are spectacular in mid-June.

Kuramachi Mall

Iwatanido has long been a distribution center for goods transported by boat on the Kitakami River, and is home to many traditional products such as Iwatado tansu, Iwatani yokan, konkonzuke, and egg noodles. ``Kuramachi Mall'' is a pedestrian-only road that has been built to make use of the warehouses of the manufacturers and merchants. With its stone pavement and classic street lamps, this spot is full of retro vibes, so you can enjoy a relaxing stroll and shopping.

Former Goto family residence

This is a typical straight-style private house that divides the style of private houses in the Tohoku region into two, along with the curved houses in the south, and is estimated to have been built between the Genroku and Hoei years (1688-1711). (National/Important Cultural Property) Reservations are required to tour inside.

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.

Fujisato petrified wood

A petrified redwood tree located near Atago Shrine in Atagoyama Natural Park. It is 12 million years old and blows out of the Inase Volcanic Formation, a sandy pseudoash mixed with andesite rocks. That part alone has a diameter of 1.3 meters and a height of 4 meters, making it the second largest tree in the prefecture after the petrified tree of Nebaru. Take the Esashi Municipal Bus Ide-Kojitani-Kuchizawa Line (via Kami-Ide) to Fujisato bus stop, get off at the JR Tohoku Shinkansen Mizusawa-Esashi Station, take the Iwate Prefectural Transportation Esashi Bus bound for Fujiwara no Sato, get off at the Esashi Bus Center bus stop, and transfer.

Toyotakan ruins

It is said to be the residence of Fujiwara Kiyohira until he moved to Hiraizumi. There is a monument to the ruins of Toyota Castle dating from 1774, and it is said that a four-eared white porcelain vase from China was excavated from this area.

Tamasaki Shrine

There is a legend about Yoshitsune's journey northward, which says that Minamoto no Yoshitsune actually escaped without dying in Hiraizumi, and visited this shrine to pray for good luck and safety on his journey, and items related to Yoshitsune are preserved. Reservations are required for the treasure hall.