There are many reasons why I’ve come to love Karakuwa and why I’ve decided to devote so much of my time here. The food is amazing, the fresh air is addicting, the rich Tohoku history is captivating and the people are so nice and full of energy.
But one of the things that immediately stood out to me was the pure beauty of the Karakuwa landscape. Granted, much of the shoreline was destroyed and still is scarred from the giant tsunamis, it is still one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.
The Karakuwa shoreline is also unique even in Japan, and is one of the few places that the mountainous terrain continues right until the waterline, and you get many beautiful rock formations and unique coastal features. Because it is also a peninsula, it is an amazing place where you can experience beautiful sunrises and sunsets without moving very far. Simply put, the sunrises/sunsets are absolutely stunning. But sometimes it can feel a little eerie because the beautiful sunsets/sunrises are backdrops to such devastation and damage. I can only imagine how beautiful the town of Karakuwa must have been before the tsunamis.
I look forward to the day that I will be able to see a beautifully reconstructed Karakuwa, along with the beautiful sunsets and sunrises together, sometime in the near future.
がんばっつぉ！(the Karakuwa style rallying call)
Top: Sunrise from the Baba district in Karakuwa.
Bottom: Sunset from Shibitachi, Karakuwa. Oshima in the distance.
