All-You-Can-Eat Strawberry Picking
By Sarah Chaney
Years in the making, the Michinoku Trail follows the Sanriku Coast from Soma in Fukushima to Hachinohe in Aomori. It's a 900 kilometer long trail that winds up the jagged edge of the Pacific Ocean in Tohoku. Michinoku is the old name of Tohoku.
For most people outside Japan, even in Japan, Tohoku barely register on their maps. It's a shame, Tohoku such a beautiful area of Japan. The Michinoku Trail will take you on beautiful beaches, steep and dangerous cliffs with splendid views, big forests and you'll meet very warm and friendly people and even some wildlife along the way.
To do the whole length of the trail takes over a month, I met a hiker that did just that, he took 45 days from Soma to Hachinohe, he had just finished. The trail is divided in 23 sections that take a couple of days each. You can start in any of these sections for a weekend adventure. There are many places to camp along the way but also if you want more comfortable accommodations, there are lot of hotels and ryokans to spend the night as well.
The Tanohata section with Kitayamazaki and Unosu Cliffs is one of my favorite area. Around Ofunato, Goishi Kaigan is also quite beautiful but just walking along the shore is also quite relaxing, smelling the fresh ocean air.
You can find all the details at this government site; http://tohoku.env.go.jp/mct/english/
Getting there
The southern starting point is Soma in Fukushima, just south of Sendai. and the northern end is Hachinohe in Aomori. You can start at any of the 23 sections of the trail. It's not a continuous trail since there are some cities and towns along the way.
