As someone born in a landlocked country, I’ve always been drawn to the sea. For the past few years, it has become my New Year’s Day tradition to visit Kitaizumi Beach in Minamisōma City to watch the first sunrise of the year – an old and cherished Japanese custom. Leaving about an hour before sunrise is usually enough, but this time I set off a little earlier, expecting the parking lot to be crowded. In the end, it took only about 50 minutes to get there, and I caught myself thinking, “That was quick, everything in Fukushima feels so close!” (in reality, though, Fukushima is the third-largest prefecture in Japan).

海のない国に生まれた人間としては、どうしても海に憧れがあります。数年前から、元日には初日の出を見に南相馬市の北泉海水浴場に行くのが習慣になりました。わが家からは、日の出の1時間前に出発すれば間に合います。ただ、駐車場が混むことを予想し、今回は少し早めに出発しました。実際は50分ほどで着いて、移動に慣れてきたからか「やっぱり今回もあっという間だった！福島って何でも近くにあるな〜」と思いました（本当は、福島県は日本で3番目に広大な都道府県です）。

On New Year’s Day, the Hamadōri coast was windy and cold, but I brought hot cocoa and a blanket. As the sun began to rise, everyone around me fell silent, absorbed in the moment, and I felt a sense of calm. As the sun slowly climbed above the horizon, I finally felt that the new year had truly begun.

元日の浜通りは風が強く、意外と寒く感じました。それを見越して温かいココアと毛布を持って行きました。太陽が昇ってくると、周りの人々も静かで、なぜか安心感を覚えます。太陽がゆっくり昇ってきて、「新年が始まった」とやっと感じました。

Because Hamadōri lies on Japan’s eastern coast, you can see the first sunrise slightly earlier than in many other prefectures. I highly recommend this experience to foreign visitors spending the New Year in Fukushima.

福島県の浜通りは日本の東側に位置しているので、多くの都道府県より少し早い初日の出が見られます。正月に福島を訪れる外国の観光客にぜひおすすめしたいです。

Next, I went for a “hatsumōde” – the first shrine visit of the year. It’s a tradition for a fresh start of a year that includes praying, purchasing amulets and drawing fortunes. It also gives you time to think about your goals for the following year. Since this year is the Year of the Horse, I first visited Sōma Nakamura Shrine in Sōma City, known for its many horse carvings. The shrine stands on the site of Nakamura Castle, once one of the Sōma clan’s strongholds from the Sengoku to Edo periods. It is famous as a stage for the Sōma Nomaoi festival (a very old samurai tradition in which armored horsemen reenact a legendary military training rituals).

次は、初詣に向かいました。初詣は心が洗われる行事で、今年実現させたいことを考えるきっかけにもなります。今回は午年ということもあり、馬の彫刻が多く見られる相馬市の相馬中村神社を訪れました。神社のある中村城は、戦国時代から江戸時代にかけて相馬氏の居城の一つでした。相馬野馬追の舞台としても知られています。

From early morning, many people had already gathered to pray. Food stalls lined the grounds, creating a lively atmosphere. There are almost always several types of New Year “omikuji” to choose from. “Omikuji” are paper fortunes drawn at random from a special box at a shrine or a temple. This time, I picked a cute horse-shaped fortune – and ended up with a “suekichi”, a rather modest blessing. Wanting to test my luck once more, I tied the “omikuji” to the shrine’s fortune rack. This is commonly done for less favorable fortunes, as it is believed that tying them there leaves any unwanted predictions behind instead of carrying them with you.

朝早くから大勢の人が初詣に訪れ、屋台も並び、賑やかな雰囲気でした。お正月のおみくじは種類がいくつかあり、選ぶ楽しみがあります。今回は可愛い馬の形をしたおみくじを引くと、「末吉」で…。もう一度運試しをしたくて、おみくじ掛けに結びました。

After that, I visited Sōma Odaka Shrine in Minamisōma City. The shrine stands on the ruins of Odaka Castle, once a base of the Sōma clan. It is also an important site for “Nomakake”, the most significant ritual of the Sōma Nomaoi festival. As every New Year’s Day, the grounds were crowded and filled with a bright, festive atmosphere. I used to think that drawing another fortune right away was rude, but I learned that it’s perfectly fine if you visit a different shrine. So, I tried again – and drew a “daikichi” (a great blessing). That instantly lifted my spirits.

その後、南相馬市の相馬小高神社も訪れました。この神社は、相馬氏旧本拠・小高城跡に鎮座する相馬三妙見の一社で、相馬野馬追ので最も重要な神事である“野馬懸(のまかけ)”の大切な舞台です。今年の元日も人が多く、新年らしい明るい雰囲気でした。私は以前、おみくじを引き直すのがマナー違反だと思っていましたが、別の神社なら問題ないと聞き、今年初めて挑戦しました。すると、「大吉」!! を引き当て、気分が明るくなりました。

From there, I took a slow drive through the Sōsō region. I passed quiet streets and rural landscapes stretching between villages and mountains, with hardly anyone in sight, while also noticing newly built facilities and stylish shops along the way. Although I often say I go to the sea on New Year’s Day to “recharge,” I realize that I also receive a lot of energy from the changing landscapes of Hamadōri.

そこから相双地域をゆっくりドライブしました。静かな通りや人の気配のない里山の一方で、新しく建てられた施設やおしゃれなお店などを眺めながら走りました。元日に「パワーをもらいに海に行く」と言っても、実際は少しずつ変化していく浜通りの景色からもパワーをいただいています。

Then it was time for lunch. In Belarus, New Year’s Eve is celebrated in a big way, with champagne and a wide spread of food lasting late into the night, followed by a few relaxed days afterward. However, many restaurants remain open even on New Year’s Day. When I spent my first New Year in Japan, I went out to eat but found that most places were closed, which felt a little lonely. I remember walking through a shopping street on New Year’s Eve as the shops shut one by one and the city lights slowly dimmed, thinking, “Do Japanese people not celebrate New Year at all?” I felt disappointed, simply because I didn’t yet understand how the Japanese New Year is celebrated.

さぁ、お昼ごはんはどうしよう。ベラルーシでは、誰もが深夜までシャンパンとおいしい料理で新年を盛大に祝っていて、その後の数日間はなかなか動き出しません。とはいえ、多くの飲食店は元日でも休まず営業しています。日本で初めて正月を迎えた時、外食しようと思いましたが、休業ばかりで寂しさを感じました。大晦日の夜に、商店街の店の閉店とともに街の明かりも段々と暗くなって、「ということは…日本人は正月を全く祝わないのか？」と勘違いしてがっかりした記憶があります。

This year, I looked for shops and restaurants in Hamadōri that were open on New Year’s Day and chose the “Roadside Rest Naraha” in Naraha Town. It ended up being “New Year soba” rather than New Year’s Eve soba (which is a tradition to eat soba noodles on the 31th of December), but I enjoyed a simple plate of “zaru” soba. On the first floor, the local products shop had vegetables, sweets, “kirimochi” and “shimimochi” rice cakes, and also “miso shiso-maki” from Iwaki City – a side dish made by wrapping sweetened miso in fragrant shiso leaves, skewering it, and lightly frying it until crisp on the outside. Although “miso shiso-maki” is said to be a specialty of Miyagi Prefecture, I think it can be considered a Tohoku classic. If you ever visit Naraha, I recommend stopping by this roadside station.

今年は、楢葉町の「道の駅ならは」を選びました。年越しそばではなく、「正月そば」になってしまいましたが、シンプルなざるそばをいただきました。1階の物産館には、野菜やお菓子のほか、切り餅や凍み餅が並び、いわき産のみそしそ巻きも見かけました。みそしそ巻きは宮城県の郷土料理だといわれていますが、東北の名物の一つといってもいいと思います。楢葉町に行く機会があれば、ぜひ道の駅の物産館にも立ち寄ってみてください。

My final destination was Tenjinmisaki Sports Park in Naraha Town. I went to the two observation decks and read the display panels. As I looked out over the coast and the Pacific Ocean, as always memories of the Great East Japan Earthquake came to mind. At the time, I was in my home country and had only seen the disaster on television. Visiting a place like this makes me reflect on the region’s complex past and future, and I spent some quiet time there. That said, I have also come to see this observation deck as something of a “power spot.” On gloomy days, you can shout toward the sea to release what’s been weighing on your mind, while on clear days, it’s a place to relax and watch ships slowly pass on the horizon.

最終目的地は、楢葉町の天神岬スポーツ公園です。2カ所の展望台に上がって、展示パネルを見て、海岸や太平洋を見下ろすと、東日本大震災の様子が頭の中に浮かんできます。当時、私は母国にいたので、テレビや写真でしか見たことがありませんが、このような場所に来ると、複雑な過去と将来の問題を考えたりして、しばらく静かに過ごします。といっても、この展望台をパワースポットとして感じるようになってきました。気分が上がらない日は海に向かって大声で叫んでもいいし、晴れている日には遠くをゆっくり進んでいく船を眺めながら過ごしてもいいところです。

Whenever I visit Tenjinmisaki Sports Park, I always stop by the ice cream shop in the park, “Windy Land”. There are many flavours to choose from and I hesitate every time, tempted to try them all. This time, I picked two: kinako and one made with yuzu grown in Naraha Town. The yuzu had a refreshing flavour, making it an ice cream that truly captures the season, as yuzu are usually harvested from late autumn through January.

天神岬スポーツ公園に来たら必ず公園内のアイスショップ「ウィンディーランド」に立ち寄ります。アイスクリームの種類が豊富で、すべて味わってみたいので毎回迷います。今回、きなこと楢葉町産のゆずを使った2種類にしました。ゆずの爽やかで新鮮な風味が印象的で、季節感を楽しめるアイスだと思いました。

Spending the day visiting places unique to Fukushima left me feeling energised and ready to move forward into the new year. All of the spots I’ve introduced can be enjoyed year-round, so I hope you’ll visit them someday.

今回は、福島ならではの場所を巡ることで、新しい一年を前向きに頑張る力をもらった気がします。私がご紹介したスポットは、一年中楽しめるので皆さんもぜひ訪れてみてください。

お問い合わせは日進堂グループ各社まで

株式会社 日進堂印刷所　　電話 024-594-2211(代)
トキワ印刷 株式会社　　 電話 0248-75-2145
株式会社 進和クリエイティブセンター　電話 024-594-2145
株式会社 エス･シー･シー　電話 024-593-0500
株式会社 Like-s　　　　　電話 024-573-8063

For inquiries in English, please contact the following email address: info@nisshindo.co.jp

※Please contact a sales representative for the estimate about translation.
※翻訳などに関してのお見積りは担当営業までお問い合わせください。