Hanamaki 花巻市

The most beautiful onsen town in Tohoku

Discover the beauty of Hanamaki, a town full of history and a gem of Iwate prefecture. Nestled in the mountains, today the town is popular for its onsen, volcanic natural hot springs. 

Miyazawa Kenji Memorial Museum

The iconic character of Hanamaki is the writer Kenji Miyazawa. For Japanese literature enthusiasts, you’ll find exhibitions tracing his life and works in the Miyazawa Kenji Memorial Museum. Books, CDs and videos of his work are freely available. The museum also organises conferences and workshops about the author as well as concerts.

  • Address: 1 Chiwari-1-36 Yasawa, Hanamaki, Iwate 025-0011
  • Opening times: 08:30-17:00 (last admission at 16:30)

Local stories were collected during the Meiji era (1868-1912) by Yanagita Kunio, in a book entitled "Legends of Tono". Published in 1910, it's one of the first collections of Japanese folk tales.

The village of Tono is the birthplace of one of the most famous Japanese legends, the kappa. These creatures are mystical spirits who resemble humanoid turtles and who live around rivers, lakes and ponds. Legend says that they kidnap and eat children who venture near them, and serve to remind little ones of the danger of water.

Tono in Iwate, birthplace of the kappa

Kappa

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