Photogenic Spots

Visit beautiful photogenic spots along the waterfront that will make your heart skip a beat

When touring the four cities of Togoku Suigo there are many eye-catching displays of water. As the name "Suigo" (riverside district) implies, there are a wide variety of waterfront areas, from rivers and lakes to the sea. How about taking a picture of the glittering surface of the water and realizing its charm for yourself?

1. Ichino Torii (Kashima City)

Kashima City Fireworks Festival is a display of about 10,000 fireworks that are set alight from behind the West Ichino Torii gate of Kashima Jingu
Shrine, which stands on the Wani River of Lake Kitaura.

Information

Tel 0299-82-1209 (Kashima Jingu Shrine)
Address 2251 Oki, Ofunatsu, Kashima City
Access 5 min. drive from JR Kashima Jingu Station

2. Suigo Sawara Ayame Park (Katori City)

Suigo Sawara Ayame Park is a famous flower spot with 1.5 million irises representing about 400 varieties blooming along the waterfront. Sappa flat-bottomed boats are also in operation.

Information

Tel 0478-56-0411
Address 1837-2 Ogishima, Katori City
Hours 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. during the Iris Festival
Closed Mondays or the following day if Monday is a national holiday, open without holiday during the Iris Festival
Admission 800 yen during the Iris Festival
Access 20 min. by car from JR Sawara Station

3. Swan Village (Itako City)

A swan village located on the shore of Lake Kitaura in Itako City. From late November to early March, nearly 300 swans migrate to here and can be seen mainly in the morning and evening.

Information

Tel 0299-63-1111 (Itako City Tourism and Commerce Section)
Address 514, Mizuhara, Itako City
Access 5 min. by car from JR Nobukata Station

4. Suigo Hokusai Park (Itako City)

Suigo Hokusai Park is located along the Hitachi-Tone River in Ushibori, Itako City. The origin of its name is Katsushika Hokusai's painting "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji: Ushibori in Hitachi Province".

Information

Tel 0299-63-1111 (Itako City Tourism and Commerce Section)
Address 17 Gai, Ushibori, Itako City
Access 10 min. by car from JR Itako Station

5. Little Edo Sawara Boat Tour (Katori City)

Boat tour in Sawara. From the boat, you can peacefully, languidly gaze at the elegant townscape through the willow trees. The tour takes about 30 minutes.

Information

Tel 0478-55-9380 (Burekimera)
Address 1730-3, Sawara-1, Katori City
Business Hours 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (May - September) (varies depending on the season)
Closed In cases of bad weather and times of increased or shortages of water flow.
Fee 1,300 yen
Access 12 min. walk from JR Sawara Station

6. Kashima Coastal Industrial Zone (Minato Park) (Kamisu City)

The Kashima Coastal Industrial Zone is centered around Kashima Port. From Kamisu City's Minato Park, you get a panoramic view of Kashima Port, which is a popular spot to catch views of the factories at night.

Information

Address 10 Higashifukashiba, Kamisu City

7. Thousand People Gallery (Kamisu City)

The Minamihama district of Kamisu City is lined with offshore wind turbines. The seawall's surface has been decorated with numerous paintings drawn by citizens and has been labelled the “Thousand People Gallery”.

Information

Location Minamihama Seawall, Kamisu City

8. Hirai Beach (Kashima City)

Hirai Beach in Kashima City is a spacious sandy beach with shallow waters. The waters are exceptionally clear and the waves are gentle in the summer.

Information

Location Hirai, Kashima City