Ofunato Goishi Coast Tourism Festival

​

[When]                  Early-May (During the early period of Golden Week)
[Where]                 Goishi Coast Information Center
[Address (Eng)]     221-68 Ohama Massaki-cho, Ofunato, Iwate 022-0001
[Address (Jap)]     〒022-0001 岩手県 大船渡市 末崎町大浜 221-68

​

​

Right as the cherry blossoms peak in the area, the city celebrates the Goishi Coast Tourism Festival to invite people in and outside of the city to come enjoy the natural scenery of the coastline that is Goishi Coast.

​

The main stage holds events which include and are not limited to traditional instrumentals like flutes and drums, in addition to performances which stretch from Modern Ballet & Jazz Dancing, Baton Dancing, High School Brass Bands, and more. Many of the stage events are performed by groups within the city, but some are done by students from universities all the way from Kyoto in order to support the restoration of Ofunato since the tsunami disaster.

 

Although the festival area is relatively smaller compared to other festivals, you can take this time to enjoy the scenery throughout the Goishi Coast via the trail path that leads you along the coastline. Main vantage points include:

        - Ranboya

        - Kaminari Iwa

        - Anatoshi-iso

        - Black-Tailed Gull Nesting Rock

        - Observatory Points which overlooks the Pacific Ocean

​

Additionally, you can also take your time to see the Camellia Flowers which Ofunato is known for in the The World's Camellia Museum, Goishi, along with a tour of Ofunato's geograpical history in the Ofunato Public Museum which are both in walking distance.

 

Three reasons why I recommend stopping by the Goishi Coast during this time:

1. The weather during this time is one of the most relaxing and stable with lowerchances of heavy rainfall.

2. Since Ofunato is er.., lets just say not so urban, the number of public transportation is limited.. rather, there's probably only one that comes 3 or 4 times a day. Fortunately, during this time the number of buses are abundant and run very frequently which allows you to be more flexible when you go out and admire mother nature.

3. If transportation isn't much of a problem for you, as in you have a car handy. Then, how about staying the night here at the Goishi Camping Ground? Although it can be slightly brisky, the camping ground opens right around this time so that you can enjoy the beautiful night sky where not a single urban building light will bother you!