[Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture] Roadside Station Takada Matsubara, a symbol of Rikuzentakata's reconstruction

"Michi-no-Eki Takada Matsubara"in Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecturethe "Takada Matsubara Tsunami Reconstruction Memorial Park"located within"Iwate Prefecture Great East Japan Earthquake Tsunami Memorial Museum"is adjacent to the

Located along National Route 45, which runs along Hirota Bay, Takada Matsubara Tsunami Reconstruction Memorial Parkthe "Miracle Pine Tree,"and serves as a place to commemorate and mourn the victims of the disaster and to pass on the lessons of the earthquake.

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A roadside station in Rikuzentakata that has existed for 30 years

In July 1991,"Rikuzentakata Seaside Terminal (Tapic 45)"opened in Rikuzentakata City next to the current building.

Around Tapic 45 were the only Mos Burger in the Kesennuma region and the famousCapital Hotel 1000, which was funded by singer Sen Masao. It was a popular tourist spot that many people visited as a base for going to Takada Matsubara Beach. Although the interior of Tapic 45 was destroyed by the tsunami, the building itself remained intact, saving the lives of three people who took refuge on the roof, and it is preserved as a disaster memorial.

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Takada Matsubara Roadside Station and Iwate Prefecture Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Memorial Museum

After the Great East Japan Earthquake, a new roadside station was built next to the old building of the former Roadside Station Tapic 45, along with the Iwate Prefecture Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Memorial Museum, and"Roadside Station Takada Matsubara"opened on September 22, 2019.

The building, which resembles a bird taking flight towards Hirota Bay, was designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma. There is a basin filled with water in the center, and a path called the "Axis of Prayer" runs from there to the newly constructed seawall

Looking from the parking lot, the left side of the water basin is the Iwate Prefecture Great East Japan Earthquake Tsunami Memorial Museum, and the right side is Takada Matsubara Roadside Station

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Introducing the facilities at Roadside Station Takada Matsubara

the "Seafood Sales Area," you can purchase a variety of delicious seafood from the Sanriku coast, including oysters and scallops from Hirota Bay, famous for their taste, as well as wakame seaweed.

the "Local Products and Agricultural Products Direct Sales Area,"you can find rice, apples, shiitake mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and other vegetables from Rikuzentakata, which is undergoing reconstruction, as well as sweets, bread, and local sake, soy sauce, miso, and other brewed products, as well as handicrafts.

Additionally, a new baseball field was opened in the nearby Takata Matsubara Sports Park in 2020 with the cooperation of the professional baseball team, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, which has signed a sports exchange activity partnership agreement with Rikuzentakata City

The first baseball field"Rakuten Eagles Miracle Pine Tree Stadium," and Rakuten Eagles cheering goods are also sold in the merchandise area of ​​the roadside station.

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Restaurants at Takada Matsubara Roadside Station

There are two restaurants that serve meals, both of which offer self-service meals that you can pick up and enjoy in the food court inside the station

Takata's Rice

a locally produced brand of rice"Takada no Yume,"You can enjoy local Takada cuisine, including seafood bowls made with

which allows you to enjoy three different kinds of seasonal mini seafood bowlsthe "Three Seafood Greedy Bowl,"you can choose four small dishes from a variety of Takada's local cuisine"Daily Special Obanzai Set Meal," where.

The seaweed miso soup that comes with the set meal is also popular

Matsubara Restaurant

This restaurant also specializes in seafood bowls and is run by the Hirota Bay Fisheries Cooperative

Being a directly managed store of the fishing cooperative, the seafood is delicious, and the conger eel "Ipponmatsu Tendon" (Tempura Bowl), which represents the "Miracle Pine Tree," is highly rated. The "Jaja Reimen" (Cold Noodles), which is a combination of Morioka's specialties "Jajamen" and "Reimen," is also popular

is sold in limited quantities, isthe "Salted Sea Urchin Rice Ball,"popular because it is large and the salted sea urchin inside is rich and delicious, so it sells out very quickly.

Sunaba Coffee Takada Matsubara Branch

"We don't have a Starbucks, but we do have a Sunaba (sand dune: referring to the Tottori Sand Dunes)."famous for its slogan,"Sunaba Coffee,"This is a branch of

During the earthquake, the president and staff of Sunaba Coffee rushed over from Tottori and volunteered by providing meals and other support, which led to Sunaba Coffee opening its first store outside of Tottori Prefecture

In addition to delicious coffee, you can also enjoy gelato made with Tono milk

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Rediscover the lost Takada Pine Grove!

Takada Matsubara was once a scenic beach area with a colony of approximately 70,000 pine trees over 300 years old and a 2km stretch of white sand

Over 70,000 of these pine trees were knocked down by the tsunami, but miraculously, just one remained, and it is still fresh in our memory that this tree was dubbed the "Miracle Pine Tree."

The Miracle Pine later withered due to saltwater damage caused by subsidence, but it was treated with preservatives and its branches and leaves were replicated, so it will remain forever as a relic of the earthquake disaster

The white sandy beach was also mostly lost due to the tsunami and subsidence, but it has been restored outside the newly constructed seawall, and the restoration of Takada Pine Grove is underway with the planting of approximately 40,000 pine seedlings

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summary

In Rikuzentakata, which was devastated by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, a new city has been completed by building up soil on the pre-earthquake urban area

The Takada Matsubara Tsunami Reconstruction Memorial Park, where the Takada Matsubara Roadside Station is located, is considered to be a facility that symbolizes this reconstruction

The numerous remains of the earthquake within the park are a source of sadness, but on the other hand, the newly constructed facilities convey the hope and recovery of the Sanriku region. If you are in the area, be sure to visit Takada Matsubara Roadside Station

Takada Matsubara Roadside Station <Information>

• Name: Roadside Station Takada Matsubara
• Location: 180 Dotekage, Kesen-cho, Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture, Takata Matsubara Tsunami Reconstruction Memorial Park
• Phone number: 019-22-28411
• Business hours: 9:00-18:00
• Closed: None
• URL:Takada Matsubara Roadside Station Official Website

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