Michinoku Coastal Trail: Kesennuma Station - Oshima Island

hikesasia

Jan 1

Written By Anne

How better to start the New Year than with a hike?

I caught the earliest highway bus from Miyako to Kesennuma and took a nap on the two-hour ride. I arrived a little after 10 AM, initially thinking of grabbing breakfast, but since I wasn’t too hungry, I opened my trail map and set off toward Oshima Island. I was drawn to the Kesennuma-Oshima Ohashi Bridge for some reason, though I couldn’t quite explain why.

To be honest, I wasn’t feeling great today, and with the strong wind warning, the walk was mentally tough. As I walked through Kesennuma’s newly built streets, I could see the city’s recovery efforts from the 2011 tsunami. While the reinforced dikes, water gates, and rebuilt highway made it more resilient, they also seemed to take away some of its old charm. Crossing the bridge was a challenge—the wind was intense. Part of the trail ran alongside the ocean, and with high tide and strong gusts, I had to be extra careful.

I reached the Kesennuma-Oshima Welcome Terminal around 12:30 PM and checked the bus schedule—only to realize there was just one more bus back to Kesennuma Station for the day due to the holiday. With an hour to spare, I grabbed lunch before heading back to catch the bus.

I completely forgot about the New Year’s limited schedule—my mistake. I had to cut my hike short, or I would’ve been stuck walking back or paying for an expensive taxi.