
As the saying goes, "the early bird catches the worm." There is an early morning market in front of Mutsu Minato Station in Hachinohe. You can fill your bowl with your choice of fresh fish (squid, sardine, flounder, etc.). After recharging your body with some great food, let's ride on Umineko Line! Starting from the natural monument, Kabushima, you run pararell the beautiful coastline and repeat the moderate ups and downs. Passing Ashigezaki Observation Tower (looks like an ancient castle) and Shirahama Swimming Beach which is crowded with bathers, you arrive at Sanriku Fukkō National Park/Tanesashi Coast. Ryotaro Shiba (a Japanese author best known for his novels about historical events in Japan and on the Northeast Asian sub-continent) described this coast as "the coast we want to guide first when we have a visitor from the universe." Take a rest and say good-bye to the coastline, then enjoy the peaceful mountain ride.