This site is a web media that delivers all kinds of trivia, from sightseeing and gourmet spots in the six Tohoku prefectures to local, customs, and history.
Akiu's scenic spot Rairaikyo Gorge, is renowned as one of the most scenic spots in Sendai City and Miyagi Prefecture.
At the entrance to the Nozokibashi Bridge, there is a heart-shaped depression in the rock, which has been certified as a lovers' sanctuary by the Lovers' Sanctuary Project and is visited by many couples every year
On the other side of the Nozokibashi Bridge, on the other side of Rairaikyo Gorge, is the facility we will introduce today, the Akiu Sato Center . The name alone may give the impression of being stuffy, but in fact, Akiu Sato Center is a lively facility where a variety of events are held, such as light-up events, foot baths, and harvest festivals.
It is the perfect base for enjoying Akiu's scenic beauty, hot springs, and local specialties! What kind of facility is Akiu Sato Center?
What is Akiu Sato Center?
Akiu Sato Center is a tourist facility that introduces all the highlights of Akiu
The museum has many useful tourist spots, such as a tourist information center and a corner introducing Akiu's hot spring facilities. Among them, the arts and crafts exhibition and the Akiu Electric Railway corner are must-sees!
The craft and arts exhibition corner displays a wide variety of crafts and art works produced in Akiu, from traditional crafts passed down since ancient times to modern crafts. From Akiu Kokeshi dolls, Edo tops, pottery, natural wood processing, buried woodwork, dyeing and weaving, lacquerware, woodwork, Sendai chests, glass crafts, sculptures, and flower arrangements, there's sure to be something to suit your taste!
This is a facility you'll want to check out before choosing souvenirs!
Akiu Electric Railway was a railway that connected Nagamachi and Akiukan until 1961.
The corner showcasing this now-disused railway is also one of the museum's highlights. In particular, the diorama faithfully recreates the Akiu Electric Railway, and with the push of a button, the train starts moving, making it popular not only with railway fans but also with families with children!
Foot baths! Maple leaves! The outdoor facilities are fun too!
The Akiu Sato Center's appeal isn't limited to indoors. There are also many attractive outdoor facilities!
The first thing I would recommend is a foot bath
This foot bath, named "Juemon no Yu,"
By the way, Juemon is the name of the savior who rescued Akiu Onsen from being buried in the Ansei Great Earthquake. Without him, Akiu Onsen would not exist today, so we must be grateful for his great achievements!
The hot springs are open on weekends and holidays from April to November. On the day we visited, we visited the source of Akiu Grand Hotel's "Rairai no Yu." Despite the cold weather, the water was so hot that it warmed us from the inside out, making us want to immerse ourselves up to our shoulders
If you go out from the footbath to the banks of the Natori River, you will find the walking path "Momiji no Komichi ." Why not listen to the murmuring of the Natori River while feeling the changing nature of Akiu with each season?
If you're feeling a bit hungry, have a meal at HACHI
After a walk around Rairaikyo Gorge, it was already lunchtime. I hadn't decided what to eat!
For those people, we recommend "HACHI," a restaurant attached to the Akiu Sato Center. Their specialty dish is "Akiu Doria with Hamburg Steak and Lots of Vegetables," which uses fresh ingredients from Akiu! We also recommend "Japan's Best Neapolitan with Hamburg Steak"!
There is also a wide selection of cafe and take-out menu items, so please choose the one that suits your hunger!
To enjoy Akiu to the fullest!
The Akiu Sato Center has everything you need to enjoy Akiu to the fullest, including Akiu day-trip hot spring maps, rental bicycles, and coin lockers. What's more, all of these services are free! Even the rental bicycles are free!
Akiu is a long stretch of land along the Natori River, so having a bicycle makes a huge difference! If you want to fully enjoy Akiu, be sure to give it a try!
A thin-haired writer who loves traveling and laughter. A nice guy who hides thinning hair by shaving his hair! I will run north and south to make Tohoku smile with my writing!
