north from Tokyo Station, and in about two hours we arrived at Shiroishi-Zao Station in southern Miyagi Prefecture. This stop is just 13-minutes short of Sendai (population 1.1 million) – the Tohoku region’s largest city and the capital of Miyagi, but the town of Shiroishi (population less than 33,000) is a different world – natural, rural, and teaming with culture and tradition from by-gone days.

Yamabiko means “echo,” as in the echo often heard in the Zao Mountain Range and its valleys. But it can also refer to a yōkai – a spirit or monster – believed to cause such echoes. It seemed quite appropriate. My visit was in the middle of January, Japan’s slowest and coldest season. There were few tourists, but it wasn’t blistery cold. In fact, in the next few days my six companions and I – plus a couple of representatives from the prefectural government – strolled leisurely through the old samurai village and visited a famous merchant’s former residence, Sairi Yashiki, now a museum. We passed numerous flowering trees and bushes with winter Sakura and Tsubaki – Japanese camellia – in crimson, white, and pink, proudly blooming despite the tufts of snow on both the ground and their small, leafy branches. We enjoyed meeting local artisans and business owners, still operating as in decades and centuries prior, and we explored the awe-inspiring and cold (Yes, ironically, we did have to bundle inside the castle) Shiroishi Castle — “White Stone Castle”, whose history dates back to the 1200s. Here, we examined an exhibition of historic hand-made swords and sword adornments and were invited to dress up in authentic Date Clan samurai attire. The panoramic view from the reconstructed castle tower – the only reconstructed castle tower in Miyagi Prefecture – was spectacular, and we could really envision how the samurai could spot the enemy approaching from a great distance.

Gastronomy, Meeting Locals, and Hands-On Crafts and Experiences
The Shiroishi region is blessed with an abundance of local craftspeople and culinary traditions. Among the most famous gastronomic offerings are umen noodles. These thin, smooth, delicate somen-style wheat noodles, similar in appearance to vermicelli, have been a local specialty for over 400 years. According to legend, a local child, who wanted to prepare a nourishing meal for their sick father, learned how to make the noodles from a traveling monk. Unlike other somen noodles, these are uniquely made without oil. My group and I had a fascinating experience first watching the experts, then hand-stretching noodles by ourselves. Not easy! We then dined at a charming umen specialty restaurant called Hikarian located in a traditional thatched-roof house with a small garden and authentic torii gate. They serve 15 different hot and cold umen meal sets including three Halal options!

We also took a tour of a traditional washi paper studio, where a gallery showcased intricate and bold hand-made paper sculptures and lamps. Then, we made uchiwa fans by cutting and gluing colorfully dyed washi paper onto wooden fan frames as instructed by a local artisan.

In nearby Yajioro Kokeshi Doll Village – considered the place of origin of the wooden Kokeshi Dolls – we met a national living treasure Kokeshi doll artisan. We watched him lathe the wood into shape and spin clear wax on top as a polish. I volunteered, and he made me a little wooden spinning top. Then, we went into a studio and had the chance to paint a doll ourselves to take home! Kokeshi dolls are limbless wooden statuettes decorated in paint or lacquer. Dating back to the late Edo period, they are identified by their cylindrical bodies, rounded heads, and multicolored designs. They are said to represent little girls who may have been sacrificed due to starvation. However, earlier versions were created by kijishi craftsmen (local wood carvers) and sold as souvenirs for 17th Century visiting spa tourists.

On another day, we drove further out into the countryside and met an older woman, whose life work – since she married into her late husband’s family business – was raising silkworms in their cocoons and processing these cocoons into silk thread for sale. The heavy industrial equipment containing metal trays for the larvae looked very 1950s. She let us try operating it, so that the trays repositioned themselves, and she also talked to us about her life via our guide-translator. Afterwards, not only did we take home a little silk cocoon souvenir, we went to another location, where we made cute little doll ornaments out of the silk cocoons, beads, and washi paper.

My personal favorite experience was visiting the blacksmith studio of Shiroishi’s resident master swordsmith. Squeezed into his tiny quarters, we watched him repeatedly heat and hammer a long strip of iron into a magnificent sword. We watched him dip the heated metal into buckets of water as steam rose in our faces. We even got to try holding the not-yet-sword in the fiery embers. We were so upclose, and he even answered questions through our translator-guide. Most importantly, winter was the perfect season for this high temperature activity!

Where We Stayed
We stayed at Ichijo Resort, a large, upscale traditional ryokan-style hot spring resort with both indoor and outdoor onsen baths. We enjoyed a delicious and aesthetically beautiful multi-course kaiseki dinner, and an extensive Japanese breakfast.

How to Book
If you are ready to offer this experience to your clients, contact Tohoku area DMC, The Hidden Japan: https://thehiddenjapan.com/contact/