DYA717 Japan H I S Tohoku Food & Flowers May 20, 2026

DYA717 Japan H_I_S Tohoku Food & Flowers May 20, 2026 [Nippon No Yado Koyo, Kanahebi Shrine Flower Festival, Matsushima Bay, Chusonji Temple, Hotel Mori No Kaze Oushuku] Day 7 – 7:00 a.m. breakfast at the Yamagata Nippon No Yado Koyo. Google said today will be 59-82 degrees. First stop was the Kanahebi Shrine. Kanahebisui Shrine in Iwanuma, Miyagi Prefecture, is most famous for boosting financial fortune and business success. It is also noted for its natural snake-patterned rocks, a massive 300-year-old "Nine Dragons' Wisteria", and an annual spring flower festival. Went to Matsushima Bay. We had a Gyu-tan (beef tongue) lunch. Gyu-tan is a food specialty of this area. We did a DIY sasakama cooking. We got the basic fish paste and put it on a burner. Sasakama (or sasa-kamaboko) is a traditional Sendai and Miyagi Prefecture specialty consisting of white fish paste that is shaped to resemble a bamboo leaf and gently grilled. Then we jumped on the ship for a boat ride around the bay looking at the famous pine treed islands. Then a quick stop at an food stand for a taste of the local oyster. The on to Hiraizumi for a visit to Chuson-ji temple. Chūson-ji is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Hiraizumi, Iwate. Built in the 12th century by the Northern Fujiwara clan, its crowning jewel is the Konjikidō (Golden Hall), a dazzling, gold-leaf-covered pavilion housing the mummified remains of the clan's leaders and over 3,000 National Treasures. Then a long ride to our hotel in Morioka. Got there around 6:35 p.m., got our rooms at the Hotel Mori No Kaze Oushuku, dumped the luggage and had a 7:00 p.m. dinner. Whew long day. I recorded 5-miles and 10,630 steps. Wow, my doc gonna be happy with all the exercise I’m getting. 😊 This video is a composite of misc photos I usually share with family and friends. Nothing fancy; you’re welcome to view it.