High in the hills above Kesennuma, this local art museum houses the largest collection of photographs and artefacts in existence relating to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. A comprehensive booklet containing an English translation of each exhibit is available. The sheer volume and nature of the collection is a little overwhelming.
RIAS Ark Museum of Art
Top choice in Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.62 MILES
Established in AD 850 by the priest Ennin, the Chūson-ji complex was expanded by the Ōshu Fujiwara family in the 12th century. A total of 300 buildings…
25.62 MILES
Gilded and gleaming up to its eaves, with elaborate lacquerwork and mother-of-pearl inlay throughout, the Konjiki-dō, in the Chuson-ji complex, was at the…
12.86 MILES
This 6km scenic stretch of rocky coastline and picturesque beaches around Ōfunato is home to a number of geological attractions, including Ranboya Gorge,…
24.94 MILES
Established by the priest Ennin in AD 850 at the same time as Chūson-ji, Mōtsū-ji was once Tōhoku’s largest and grandest temple complex. The buildings are…
9.41 MILES
More than 70,000 pine trees lined the coastline around Rikuzen-takata until 2011, when all but one were destroyed in the tsunami. That tree, known as the…
Minami-Sanriku Crisis Management Centre
15.06 MILES
The steel shell is all that remains of this three-storey building, standing alone in what once was central Minami-Sanriku. It has been preserved by the…
25.64 MILES
One of only two original constructions remaining on the Chūson-ji site, this understated building guarded by Kishi Monju Bosatsu and Four Attendants…
29.21 MILES
You may need to ask a local to take or direct you to this photogenic little shrine in the middle of a luminous yellow field of canola. If you're a…
Nearby Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) attractions
9.41 MILES
More than 70,000 pine trees lined the coastline around Rikuzen-takata until 2011, when all but one were destroyed in the tsunami. That tree, known as the…
12.86 MILES
This 6km scenic stretch of rocky coastline and picturesque beaches around Ōfunato is home to a number of geological attractions, including Ranboya Gorge,…
3. Minami-Sanriku Crisis Management Centre
15.06 MILES
The steel shell is all that remains of this three-storey building, standing alone in what once was central Minami-Sanriku. It has been preserved by the…
4. Hiraizumi Cultural Heritage Center
24.84 MILES
This modest, friendly museum charts Hiraizumi's rise and fall through visual displays and artefacts, with English explanations throughout.
24.94 MILES
Established by the priest Ennin in AD 850 at the same time as Chūson-ji, Mōtsū-ji was once Tōhoku’s largest and grandest temple complex. The buildings are…
25.62 MILES
Gilded and gleaming up to its eaves, with elaborate lacquerwork and mother-of-pearl inlay throughout, the Konjiki-dō, in the Chuson-ji complex, was at the…
25.62 MILES
Established in AD 850 by the priest Ennin, the Chūson-ji complex was expanded by the Ōshu Fujiwara family in the 12th century. A total of 300 buildings…
25.64 MILES
One of only two original constructions remaining on the Chūson-ji site, this understated building guarded by Kishi Monju Bosatsu and Four Attendants…