19 May 2025

The National Parks, Arts and Culture of Hachinohe

Colourful flags waved from shore as Heritage Adventurer made her way into Hachinohe. Filing down the gangway we were greeted by Hachinohe’s iconic mascots – an adorable squid/gull hybrid.

Guest wanting to stretch their legs today boarded coaches bound for Tsuta Numa Lake, in the heart of Towada-Hachimantai National Park, where we enjoyed walks of various lengths taking in the many ponds and verdant growth in this wetland area. Lunch saw us visiting a pair of restaurants on the shore of Lake Towada where simmering plates of beef and onions and sides of pickled vegetables, salad and rice were enjoyed with Japanese beer, sake, juice or soft drinks. More walking was enjoyed at Oirase Gorge where we walked along the crystal-clear waters of the Oirase Stream where impressive waterfalls, valley greenery and numerous cascades and rapids through logs and boulders were enjoyed.

Those taking the art/culture-focussed option made the was the Hachinohe Portal Museum also known as Hachi (eight). Hachi is like a community centre in many ways and we arrived just in time to witness the mechanical clock chime on the hour as mechanical Komainu heads (dog-like guardians) performed a synchronised routine with their jaws chomping and their heads swinging side to side. A short walk from Hachi is the Hachinohe Museum of Art, home to a collection of prints including a series from Edo-period  artist Utagawa Yoshitsuya.

After a bento box lunch we were treated to a musical performance from an all-female cultural group dressed in kimono and playing various instruments. Taiko drums were banged, shamisen were plucked (3 stringed instrument) and piercing vocals filled the room as performers danced in elegant synchronicity wielding traditional umbrellas. We then visited famed gull shrine Kabushima, which sits atop a small mountain overlooking the ocean and doubles as a large nesting ground for black-tailed gulls.

Welcomed back on board with hot towels and a cool drink, we enjoyed a special, after dinner presentation by on board artist Lisa Reihana.

Images © C. Perry, L. Thorpe and J. Mishina, Heritage Expeditions