This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
in Akiu"Rairaikyo"is renowned as one of the most beautiful places 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
Across the Nozoki Bridge, on the opposite side of the Rairaikyo Gorge, is the facility we'll be introducing today,the Akiu Sato Center. The name might sound rather formal, but in reality, the Akiu Sato Center is a lively facility that hosts a variety of events, including light-up events, footbaths, 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!
The Akiho Electric Railwaywas a railway line that ran between Nagamachi and Akihokan 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
"Jūemon no Yu,"This footbath, named
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 head out from the footbath side to the banks of the Natori River, you'll find a walking path"Maple Leaf Path." Why not take some time to enjoy the ever-changing nature of Akiu throughout the seasons while listening to the gentle murmur of the Natori River?
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 fully enjoy Akiu, including an Akiu day-trip hot spring map, bicycle rentals, and coin lockers. And what's more, all of these services are free! Even bicycle rentals are free!
Akiu is a long stretch of area along the Natori River, so having a bicycle makes a huge difference! If you want to fully enjoy Akiu, you should definitely give it a try!
A balding writer who loves travel and laughter.
A nice guy who hides his thinning hair by shaving his head!
He travels north and south to bring smiles to Tohoku through his writing!
