What to know
Ishinomaki (石巻) is a large port city east of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture. The city has a number of interesting attractions, and is known for being the hometown of prominent manga artist Ishinomori Shotaro.
During the 2011 Tsunami, Ishinomaki suffered the largest losses of life and property of any municipality as the tsunami inundated much of the city's low-lying waterfront districts and neighborhoods. From Hiyoriyama Park, located on a hilltop near the city center, visitors can look out over the affected waterfront districts. A memorial park with a lot of green space and a museum was opened in 2021 in the coastal district.
Direct JR trains connect Sendai with Ishinomaki about twice per hour. Local trains along the JR Senseki Line take about 80-90 minutes, while less frequent rapid trains along the JR Senseki-Tohoku Line require about one hour. By either train type, the one-way fare is 900 yen and covered by the Japan Rail Pass, JR East Pass and JR East South Hokkaido Pass. Local trains depart Sendai from the Senseki Line platforms in the station's basement, while rapid trains depart from the Tohoku Line platforms above ground.
Miyagi Kotsu (Miyako) operates 1-2 buses per hour between Sendai (how to get to Sendai) and Ishinomaki stations. The one-way ride takes about 75 minutes and costs 900 yen.
How to get to and around the Sanriku Coast
Visitor information
Practical details to check before planning this stop.
- Hours
- 9:00 to 18:00 (until 17:00 from October to March)
- Closed
- Mondays (or next day if Monday is a national holiday or the 11th of each month, Jun 12, Sep 1 or Nov 5) and from Dec 29 to Jan 3
- Admission
- free
- English name
- Original name
- Ishinomaki
Verify details before visiting. Currency conversion is indicative and may vary over time.