In the Ōshū area, you can choose from several themes for your trip: community festival traditions, temple and castle history, and the Isawa Dam. The season can also shape your itinerary: the cherry blossom festival at Mizusawa Park takes place in April, while activities such as rafting are possible in summer. Reservations are required for some temple offerings. The following places and events provide concrete ideas to help you plan.

Esashi Jinku and the Cherry Blossom Festival

The Esashi Jinku Festival has been carried on as a traditional community festival in Esashi, Ōshū, since 1974. Its origins go back to the Hifuse Festival in Iwayadō: Iwayadō is part of its origin story, while Esashi is where the tradition has continued. The 2026 program includes the Esashi Shishi-odori dance “Hyakuroku-gunmai,” performed by 100 participants, and the Esashi Jinku parade, in which more than 1,000 residents dance. Groups representing the ages of 42 and 25 also take part.

Another seasonal event is the cherry blossom festival at Mizusawa Park. It takes place every year from early to late April; the exact dates vary. The festival includes a festival food stall and vendor stalls. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the dates for the relevant year.

Castle and Temple History

The Isawa Castle Ruins are the remains of a castle complex from the Heian period. Sakanoue no Tamuramaro had it built in 802 as a political and military administrative base. The southern outer-gate area was developed as Isawa Castle Ruins Historical Park and opened in late June 2019. If you plan to visit the park, check the latest access information in advance.

Shōhō-ji was founded in 1348 as the first Sōtō Zen temple in the Tōhoku region. Its main hall, kitchen (kuri), and main gate are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. The temple’s founding and the designation of these three structures offer different insights into its history.

The Tamasaki Shrine preserves objects associated with Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Reservations are required to visit the treasure hall. According to legend, Yoshitsune survived and visited the shrine on his journey north to pray for good fortune and safety. This story is a legend; the preserved objects are a distinct aspect of the shrine’s connection to Yoshitsune.

Daumehekazan Endong Shoboji Temple offers various forms of Zen meditation and vegetarian meals by reservation. If either offering interests you, make sure to plan for the required reservation. Together with Shōhō-ji and Tamasaki Shrine, the temple shows that Ōshū’s religious heritage is not limited to a single historical period or form.

The Isawa Dam and Summer Activities

Completed in 2013, the Isawa Dam is a central-core rockfill dam and one of the largest dams of its type in Japan. It is 127 meters high, and its crest is 723 meters long. Exhibits about the dam can be viewed at the nearby Ōshū-ko Kōryūkan. Activities such as rafting are possible near the Isawa Dam in summer. If you plan to go rafting, check availability before your trip.

For seasonal planning, there are two distinct options: the cherry blossom festival in April and possible activities at the Isawa Dam in summer. The festival dates vary, and you should separately check whether summer activities are available during your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Kitakami, Tono, Ichinoseki, Hachimantai, Rikuzentakata, Hanamaki, Iwaizumi, Kamaishi

Return to the regional travel overview: Iwate Prefecture.