TOME 登米
The Tome City JETs meet regularly to play badminton, sing poorly at karaoke and study Japanese however most of the time we meet to eat and drink. There are lots of great restaurants in Tome and plenty more to be discovered. Most JETs are involved in community activities such as taiko , karate, pottery and eating.In our free time we go to onsens, bike around the countryside, travel or just relax.
Information about Tome
Tome was originally comprised of several small towns however in 2005 the towns merged to form a city. Tome remains a fairly rural area. It’s not a city, but rather a group of small towns. These charming towns are: Hasama, Minamikata, Nakada, Towa, Ishikoshi, Yoneyama, Toyoma, Toyosato, and Tsuyama.
Getting here
When travelling to or from Sendai you can take a train, bus or drive.
By train: The train line is called the Tohoku Honsen. There are three train stations on this line. They are: Umegasawa (Minamikata), Nitta (Hasama), and Ishikoshi. The fares range between 950 and 1400yen and take about 60-90 minutes. There is free parking at all of the stations and it is safe to leave your car there.
By bus: There are also two bus companies that run regular routes to and from Sendai. One leaves from Hasama Town Hall and the other from Toyoma Town hall. They will both take you to the front of Sendai Station. They cost about the same price as the train however the services are limited and the last bus back to Tome is around 6pm.
By car: follow the signs to Sendai.
Hasama 迫
Hasama has the largest population of all of the towns in Tome. It has a ‘downtown district’ with restaurants, bars and shops. Some highlights include: Uniqlo clothing store, YokuBenimaru (white dove supermarket), and Yamaya (foreign food and discount liquor store) for your foreign food and drink cravings. Hasama also has a bowling alley, McDonalds, Mos Burger and Sega world where you can entertain yourself for hours.
Hasama has a gorgeous temple where they hold an annual bonfire festival (called Dontasai). During the festival men dressed in loin cloths parade down the street with torches and then light a massive bonfire. Standing by the bonfire and eating hot food from stalls is a great way to keep warm on a cold winter’s night.
For the nature lovers you can take a boat ride around Izunuma Lake to see the blooming water lotuses. In winter you can watch geese migrating overhead who eventually settle here for the winter. By Hasama’s Lake Naganuma you can find a windmill and slide. (Yes, Tome has a real Dutch windmill). There are usually plenty of flowers in bloom and small paths to take quiet walks. There are also BBQ facilities so make the use of the summer weather and have a picnic. Remember to bring some cardboard to use on the slide or you will get a very sore behind!
Minamikata 南方
Minamikata is located next to Sanuma and is home to the larger mega-stores. The main shopping plaza JUSCO has a grocery store, department store, kid’s entertainment area and food court (including KFC and Baskin Robbins! mmm…) Close by there are other stores such as: Homac (home accessories store), Dengeki-soko (electronics store), Merci (clothing store), two drugstores, Xebio (sports and outdoor store) and a wonderful 100yen store called Daiso.
Minamikata also has a beautiful park that connects to a hilltop Buddhist temple. It’s slightly hard to find but worth the effort. For those of you that want to try a martial art the town’s Budoukan has nightly club activities such as Judo, Kendo, Karate, and Yagyu Shingangyu. The townsfolk are more than happy to have ALTs join in on the fun.
Nakada 中田
As the Japanese name suggests Nakada is located in the middle of rice field. Not surprisingly it’s here that most of the town’s rice is grown. There is a great fresh food community store where you can buy local produce such as fruit, vegetables and plants.
Nakada has a great Arena for playing sports (call ahead for the schedule) and the best gym in Tome. For 200 yen, you can use the air-conditioned facilities to work out and cool down. Nakada also has a commercial district including: Komeri Power(home improvement store), Super Denkodo (electronics), Shonan (video/music/books) and COOP (Grocery store).
Towa 東和
Towa is the largest and most northern town in Tome. It consists of mountains dotted with small old shrines and some breathtaking scenery. Towa is also home of the tallest mountain in the area at 418m! There is only ONE convenience store in all of Towa, making it a haven for family business. Towa is home to a local traditional crafts market, called the Rinrinkan, and an old-style Japanese home turned museum. The home belonged to the lord of the area in the Meiji era. It houses some beautiful works of art and traditional clothing.
One of the most famous festivals in Towa is held at the end of winter. During the festival men dress up in straw costumes and carry buckets of water. They throw water over houses and buildings (and the occasional unsuspecting child). This is to prevent fires for the coming year and to ensure the safety of the town.
Ishikoshi 石越
If you’re craving to feel like a kid again stop by Cha-Cha World for some fun and games at the kid’s entertainment park. They have various rides and amusements for a great day out. If you are interested in learning about animation, Tome’s only Manga Museum can be found in this small town too.
Ishikoshi is on the outskirts of Tome and has a train line that will take you to Sendai. It is also close to the expressway which is convenient for a quick escape to the ski slopes during the winter months.
Yoneyama 米山
One of Yoneyama’s main attractions is Byoudo-numa Park which is popular during Cherry Blossom season for hanami (flower viewing parties) and during July for the tulip festival. Yoneyama is also home to Miyagi-ken’s premiere taiko (Japanese drumming) group!
One other main attraction is an aeroplane with a gorilla hanging off the side. It’s located near a hot stone sauna which is a great place to sooth the mind and body. Here you lie on hot stones and wear a very unattractive suit made from towelling. This is a great place to visit during winter but not ideal for a first date.
Toyoma 登米
Toyoma is a historical town which has a collection of buildings from the Meiji period. These include a nationally renowned elementary school, police station, courthouse, Noh theatre and samurai house. Here you can taste traditional green tea, mochi (chewy rice treats) or wander around the garden.
In Toyoma you can also try some local delicacies such as cow tongue and eel (which is surprisingly good!) The best time of year to visit is during the Autumn Festival where you can see handmade floats being paraded around the town and hear children playing traditional musical instruments.
Toyosato 豊里
Toyosato has two train stations that run on the Kesennuma Line. There is also a new expressway entry close by which shortens the trip to Ishinomaki considerably. The best time to visit Toyosato is during the summer festival where you can see different types of Yosakoi dancers. People come from all over Miyagi to watch and perform in the festival. There is also another festival in the fall where townsmen carry a portable shrine. They parade around the town and people on the roadside splash buckets of water on participants.
Toyosato also shares a part of Yoneyama's Byodonuma Park. On this side of the park there is a new information center where pictures of the town's festivals and scenery are on display. Toyosato is also home of the area’s “Clean Center,” a.k.a. the garbage incinerator.
Tsuyama 津山
Tsuyama is located along Route 45, and consists of two villages, Yanaizu and Yokoyama. On Route 45 you can find Moku Moku Land, which contains a woodwork crafts store, local produce centre and a few small restaurants. All of the items for sale in the crafts store are handmade, beautiful, and fairly expensive. They also hold various festivals here throughout the year where you can see taiko performances, fireworks and listen to traditional music.
Tsuyama is also the home of an 800-year-old O-Fudo-Sanis Buddhist temple. On the last Sunday and Monday of Golden week each year they hold a festival which draws a large crowd.
Information about Tome
Tome was originally comprised of several small towns however in 2005 the towns merged to form a city. Tome remains a fairly rural area. It’s not a city, but rather a group of small towns. These charming towns are: Hasama, Minamikata, Nakada, Towa, Ishikoshi, Yoneyama, Toyoma, Toyosato, and Tsuyama.
Getting here
When travelling to or from Sendai you can take a train, bus or drive.
By train: The train line is called the Tohoku Honsen. There are three train stations on this line. They are: Umegasawa (Minamikata), Nitta (Hasama), and Ishikoshi. The fares range between 950 and 1400yen and take about 60-90 minutes. There is free parking at all of the stations and it is safe to leave your car there.
By bus: There are also two bus companies that run regular routes to and from Sendai. One leaves from Hasama Town Hall and the other from Toyoma Town hall. They will both take you to the front of Sendai Station. They cost about the same price as the train however the services are limited and the last bus back to Tome is around 6pm.
By car: follow the signs to Sendai.
Hasama 迫
Hasama has the largest population of all of the towns in Tome. It has a ‘downtown district’ with restaurants, bars and shops. Some highlights include: Uniqlo clothing store, YokuBenimaru (white dove supermarket), and Yamaya (foreign food and discount liquor store) for your foreign food and drink cravings. Hasama also has a bowling alley, McDonalds, Mos Burger and Sega world where you can entertain yourself for hours.
Hasama has a gorgeous temple where they hold an annual bonfire festival (called Dontasai). During the festival men dressed in loin cloths parade down the street with torches and then light a massive bonfire. Standing by the bonfire and eating hot food from stalls is a great way to keep warm on a cold winter’s night.
For the nature lovers you can take a boat ride around Izunuma Lake to see the blooming water lotuses. In winter you can watch geese migrating overhead who eventually settle here for the winter. By Hasama’s Lake Naganuma you can find a windmill and slide. (Yes, Tome has a real Dutch windmill). There are usually plenty of flowers in bloom and small paths to take quiet walks. There are also BBQ facilities so make the use of the summer weather and have a picnic. Remember to bring some cardboard to use on the slide or you will get a very sore behind!
Minamikata 南方
Minamikata is located next to Sanuma and is home to the larger mega-stores. The main shopping plaza JUSCO has a grocery store, department store, kid’s entertainment area and food court (including KFC and Baskin Robbins! mmm…) Close by there are other stores such as: Homac (home accessories store), Dengeki-soko (electronics store), Merci (clothing store), two drugstores, Xebio (sports and outdoor store) and a wonderful 100yen store called Daiso.
Minamikata also has a beautiful park that connects to a hilltop Buddhist temple. It’s slightly hard to find but worth the effort. For those of you that want to try a martial art the town’s Budoukan has nightly club activities such as Judo, Kendo, Karate, and Yagyu Shingangyu. The townsfolk are more than happy to have ALTs join in on the fun.
Nakada 中田
As the Japanese name suggests Nakada is located in the middle of rice field. Not surprisingly it’s here that most of the town’s rice is grown. There is a great fresh food community store where you can buy local produce such as fruit, vegetables and plants.
Nakada has a great Arena for playing sports (call ahead for the schedule) and the best gym in Tome. For 200 yen, you can use the air-conditioned facilities to work out and cool down. Nakada also has a commercial district including: Komeri Power(home improvement store), Super Denkodo (electronics), Shonan (video/music/books) and COOP (Grocery store).
Towa 東和
Towa is the largest and most northern town in Tome. It consists of mountains dotted with small old shrines and some breathtaking scenery. Towa is also home of the tallest mountain in the area at 418m! There is only ONE convenience store in all of Towa, making it a haven for family business. Towa is home to a local traditional crafts market, called the Rinrinkan, and an old-style Japanese home turned museum. The home belonged to the lord of the area in the Meiji era. It houses some beautiful works of art and traditional clothing.
One of the most famous festivals in Towa is held at the end of winter. During the festival men dress up in straw costumes and carry buckets of water. They throw water over houses and buildings (and the occasional unsuspecting child). This is to prevent fires for the coming year and to ensure the safety of the town.
Ishikoshi 石越
If you’re craving to feel like a kid again stop by Cha-Cha World for some fun and games at the kid’s entertainment park. They have various rides and amusements for a great day out. If you are interested in learning about animation, Tome’s only Manga Museum can be found in this small town too.
Ishikoshi is on the outskirts of Tome and has a train line that will take you to Sendai. It is also close to the expressway which is convenient for a quick escape to the ski slopes during the winter months.
Yoneyama 米山
One of Yoneyama’s main attractions is Byoudo-numa Park which is popular during Cherry Blossom season for hanami (flower viewing parties) and during July for the tulip festival. Yoneyama is also home to Miyagi-ken’s premiere taiko (Japanese drumming) group!
One other main attraction is an aeroplane with a gorilla hanging off the side. It’s located near a hot stone sauna which is a great place to sooth the mind and body. Here you lie on hot stones and wear a very unattractive suit made from towelling. This is a great place to visit during winter but not ideal for a first date.
Toyoma 登米
Toyoma is a historical town which has a collection of buildings from the Meiji period. These include a nationally renowned elementary school, police station, courthouse, Noh theatre and samurai house. Here you can taste traditional green tea, mochi (chewy rice treats) or wander around the garden.
In Toyoma you can also try some local delicacies such as cow tongue and eel (which is surprisingly good!) The best time of year to visit is during the Autumn Festival where you can see handmade floats being paraded around the town and hear children playing traditional musical instruments.
Toyosato 豊里
Toyosato has two train stations that run on the Kesennuma Line. There is also a new expressway entry close by which shortens the trip to Ishinomaki considerably. The best time to visit Toyosato is during the summer festival where you can see different types of Yosakoi dancers. People come from all over Miyagi to watch and perform in the festival. There is also another festival in the fall where townsmen carry a portable shrine. They parade around the town and people on the roadside splash buckets of water on participants.
Toyosato also shares a part of Yoneyama's Byodonuma Park. On this side of the park there is a new information center where pictures of the town's festivals and scenery are on display. Toyosato is also home of the area’s “Clean Center,” a.k.a. the garbage incinerator.
Tsuyama 津山
Tsuyama is located along Route 45, and consists of two villages, Yanaizu and Yokoyama. On Route 45 you can find Moku Moku Land, which contains a woodwork crafts store, local produce centre and a few small restaurants. All of the items for sale in the crafts store are handmade, beautiful, and fairly expensive. They also hold various festivals here throughout the year where you can see taiko performances, fireworks and listen to traditional music.
Tsuyama is also the home of an 800-year-old O-Fudo-Sanis Buddhist temple. On the last Sunday and Monday of Golden week each year they hold a festival which draws a large crowd.
