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Not as lively as Tokyo and Osaka which welcome hundreds of thousands of tourists every year, Miyagi is quiet and resilient like the way they fought the tsunami in 2011. But somewhere in Miyagi there are hidden beauties that make others want to explore.
Go and feel
A friend once told me: “Even if you hear about a place 100 times or see thousands of pictures, it is not as good as going there and feeling it yourself.” That was true when I came to Miyagi. The nature, people, lifestyle, culture, architecture and cuisine all left me “eyes wide open and eyes flat”.
If you walk down the same street with Japanese people, you will soon be left behind, because Japanese people walk very fast. Partly because of the culture of walking every day, partly because they are very focused on their work. For them, even a minute late is late.
Another valuable point is the quietness. Even though I spent 5 days traveling around the cities in Miyagi, I did not hear a single car horn or loud noise coming from the restaurants. They usually move very slowly at intersections without red lights, and, as a secret signal, “big cars give way to small cars”.
Muronoi's Fruit Garden
The first place I visited after Sendai - the capital city of Miyagi was ZAO Street. Although it was called a “street”, it did not have a bustling appearance. It was a peaceful countryside stretching for dozens of kilometers. Through the window, I saw forests, saw skinny persimmon trees but full of fruit. I saw houses located dozens of meters apart but surrounded by fruit-laden gardens. If you have ever loved Japanese animation movies, you will surely find Miyagi a familiar scene.
The bus took me to visit Muronoi's pear orchard. The pear trees here are planted quite low, if you are not careful, you can hit the fruit with your head. However, it is not because the pears here have short trunks, but because they are intentionally shaped to grow at eye level. So that when harvesting, they can easily select good fruit and also pick the fruit easily. This pear variety usually takes 80 years to bear fruit, and when it does bear fruit, it will bear fruit twice a year. One in April and May and one in October and November. Luckily, I visited during the harvest season and got to enjoy this delicious fruit right in the orchard.
The owner of the garden was also generous enough to take us to visit the bright red apple orchard across the street. I really did not expect that the small, skinny tree could produce so many apples. Although he let us pick as many as we wanted, I could only pick and eat them all in the garden. Surprisingly, he did not sell the apples I picked myself because they were not necessarily the best and highest quality. The apples he sold were all selected by himself and could be left outside for about 6 days without spoiling.
Lost in the fox village of ZAO street
Another “scene” in the ZAO neighborhood is the fox village. In many countries, foxes are animals that you can only see in zoos and of course you cannot touch them. In Japan, they have a whole village dedicated to raising these lovely animals in the wild.
In Japanese culture, foxes are fast, intelligent animals and also symbolize luck. Coming to the fox village, you are not limited in time when visiting, but you will only have 5 minutes to hug a fox. The foxes raised here are very gentle and quite tame. Although you will be told to be careful when approaching them, they may bite you and you may have to visit Miyagi hospital... however, they are more pleasant than you are warned. Even while you hug them, they can easily fall asleep on your arms. At that time, you can freely feel their soft, smooth fur.
I lined up and waited just to hug them for 5 minutes, the fox I hugged was named Kanto. The interesting thing is that there are more than 100 foxes here with 6 different species but the caretakers remember the name and age of each one. With the weather only 12-13°C during the day and the temperature only 6-7°C at night, being able to hug a fox in my arms at this time is happiness.
Wooden cages are built everywhere for the foxes to sleep at any time. Because the weather is quite cold, they sleep more than usual. You will rarely see foxes playing or chewing on your shoes or pulling your shirt, but instead there will be countless "cotton balls" curled up scattered along the path. You will have to be very careful because unfortunately while you are busy taking pictures of this fox, you may accidentally bump into another fox.
Serenity at Zuigan-ji Temple
Zuigan-ji Temple, the pride of Matsushima, is the place that preserves greater values called “The Spirit of the Japanese”. This place gives me a feeling of purity, sacredness and solemnity. Right from the entrance, I was attracted by hundreds of tall cedar trees leading to the main gate. The deeper I went, the more I realized that the temple was a mysterious maze that was meticulously designed. From the paintings on the walls, from the vestiges left by the Meiji emperor, the Buddha hall, the Onari hall..., all create a “national treasure picture”.
The Japanese are very respectful of public space, so the more crowded the place, the quieter it is. This is especially true for temples. Coming to Zuigan-ji Temple, you will not only hear historical stories about the temple, which is more than 400 years old, but it is also a place for you to pray for luck. There are many areas where you can place your faith. For example, you can put 100 yen in a box and draw a lucky charm. You can keep the good charm and tie the bad charms to the wooden frames at the temple. Another way you can do this is to buy a wooden doll with your wishes written on it and send it to the temple, praying that your wishes will come true. Of course, I have not yet verified their accuracy. But it is also an interesting way for you to shake off your worries and keep your faith.
More information:
- Visa:Submit your application directly to the Japanese Consulate in Vietnam. You will receive your visa after 8-15 days. Currently, Japanese tourist visas are limited to a stay of 14 days.
- Trip: There are direct flights to Japan from Vietnam. Flight times will depend on your departure location and the airline you choose.
- Means of transport:Public transport in Japan is great. You can take trains, buses, taxis for long distances and you can walk around the streets if you just want to sightsee and shop. However, always pay attention to the signs and remember your destination station so you don’t miss your train.
- Suitable time:Spring, autumn and winter are all great seasons to visit Japan. Summer is generally not recommended as it can get quite hot.
- Accommodation: In Sendai, you can choose Hotel Metropolitan Sendai East, right at Sendai Station. In ZAO Street, you can sleep at Daiwa Resort. Particularly in Minami Sanriku, you must stay at Hotel Kanyo because in the afternoon, you can go to the rooftop to watch the sunset, feed the seagulls and watch the stars at night.
- Cuisine:Premium Miyagi beef, fresh oysters, grilled beef tongue are a unique culinary experience here. In addition, do not forget to enjoy a Kaiseki meal - a Japanese sushi set of over 9 dishes or a bowl of authentic Ramen at any restaurant in Japan.
- Skin:If you travel at this time, you should definitely prepare warm clothes and thermal bags because Japan is coldest from January to February. Don't forget a good pair of shoes that are used to your feet because you will have to walk a lot.
- Must-see places when coming to Miyagi:
+ Central Sendai downtown area
+ For onsen, you can bathe at Togatta hot spring area right on ZAO street.
+ Enjoy tea ceremony and watch the sea at Kanrantei
+ Visit two famous temples, Godaido and Zuigan-ji.
- Other notes:
+ Do not eat outside or bring food or drinks from outside into the restaurant.
+ If you are invited to dinner, you should not leave any food leftover.
+ You can drink water from public taps. All taps in Japan provide clean water of good quality for drinking.
