Miyagi Prefecture's kokeshi dolls are divided into five distinct styles: Naruko, Togatta, Yajiro, Sakunami, and Hijiori, each featuring subtly different patterns and shapes. Visitors can learn about the history and manufacturing process of kokeshi while enjoying a painting experience.●Japan Kokeshi Museum74-2 Urimae, Naruko Onsen, Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture0229-83-3600 (Naruko Kokeshi)●Miyagi Zao Kokeshi Museum36-135 Shinchi Nishisuriyama, Togatta Onsen, Zao Town, Katagata District, Miyagi Prefecture0224-34-2385 (Tōgatta Kokeshi)●Yajiro Kokeshi Village72-1 Yajiro Kita, Fukuoka Hachinomiya, Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture0224-26-3993 (Yajiro Kokeshi)

“The months and days are travellers of eternity; the years that come and go are also voyagers.”So begins The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Matsuo Bashō’s enduring masterpiece, which records a 150-day journey of some 2,400 kilometres that commenced in 1689.
The destination of this journey was Ōshū—present-day Tohoku—, a land long celebrated in classical Japanese poetry as a utamakura, a place imbued with poetic resonance. By hiking the 12-kilometre stretch of ancient road that remains along the Miyagi–Yamagata border, we retrace Bashō’s footsteps and seek to re-experience the state of mind in which he forged his aesthetic of 不易流行"fueki ryūkō"—the harmony between the timeless and the ever-changing—amid his travels.

Risshaku-ji Temple is popularly known as Yamadera (Mountain Temple). The rocky mountain itself is a sacred location for ascetic Zen practices. Visitors can enjoy breath-taking views along the one-hour path from the foot of the mountain to Okunoin Temple and Daibutsuden Hall at the top. The great Haiku master Basho Matsuo composed one of his best-known Haiku poems “Shizukesa ya/iwa ni shimiiru/semi no koe” in the work “Oku no Hosomichi” (Narrow Road to the Deep North) while walking this path.
The series of 1,015 stone steps to Okunoin Temple is said to steadily release visitors from their worldly desires as they ascend. The many historic sites and scenic locations along the way encourage visitors to continue the climb while enriching the mind and senses.
The path begins with Konpo Chudo Hall, the oldest cedar wood building in Japan and a designated Important Cultural Property. Midahora Rock is a lucky location that is said to bring happiness if visitors can find the figure of Buddha on the side of the rock eroded by wind and rain over thousands of years. Passing through the Niomon Gate with a pair of fierce guardian god statues brings you to the majestic Kaizando and Nokyodo Halls. The red Nokyodo Hall sitting on a craggy mountain outcrop is an iconic view of the Yamadera. The steps on from Kaizando Hall take visitors to Godaido Hall which is evocative of a traditional Noh stage offering a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. The final destinations are Okunoin Temple and Daibutsuden Hall, which is said to expel evil spirits.
After exploring the mountain temples be sure to enjoy the variety of local specialties available at the nearby shops including Yamadera Chikara Konjac, cherry ice cream and Dashi Soba noodles!

Deep in the Nagai Lake, a canoe field that fits the word "unexplored region" perfectly!From the start, it takes about one hour each way to paddle through a V-shaped canyon with mountains towering hundreds of meters above the ground.What appears before your eyes is a powerful cliff more than 50 meters high.Prayers are offered to nature and God, and as you enter the sacred area, the air inside is cool and refreshing even in mid-summer.Stretching for about 250 meters, Sanbuchi Gorge is a power spot with a legend.