A recommendation for a guided tour of Kesennuma

Hello! I'm Shunsuke Kumagai, a new citizen writer. I'm running a business called PASEO, which provides tourism and trekking guide services.

I'm actually quite introverted, but I love traveling so much that I decided to take a round-the-world trip while I was back in town (?).
I participated in various guided tours during my travels. Sometimes I got ripped off, sometimes I didn't, and sometimes there was that ambiguous line between being ripped off and not being ripped off...

For over a decade, I've always dreamed of one day offering guided tours (the kind that aren't overpriced) in my hometown of Kesennuma. I've been seriously working on turning that into a business since last year.

Incidentally, "PASEO" is a Spanish word meaning "to stroll" or "to sightsee on foot." We chose this name because we hoped that more people would enjoy sightseeing in this area on foot.

The logo's design is based on the complex shape of an inland bay, which is both a road and a natural harbor. There's even an anecdote about a Spanish explorer who praised the harbor's topography highly.

I only know "Hola!" in Spanish, but I'm sure he was passionately saying something like, "Wow, what a great port!" That's just my personal impression, though.

I chose the word "path" because I enjoy walking and running on uneven terrain, such as mountain trails, forest roads, and hiking paths. I'll talk more about that in another article.

A unique Kesennuma experience! A tour of the fish market.

Our flagship product is the guided tour "Let's Walk Through the Fish Market in the Morning," set in the Kesennuma City Fish Market. There are actually many surprising points about the scenery and work in the fishing industry that are taken for granted by the locals. For example, there are many things that are not widely known about how fish are caught, such as longline fishing for tuna in the deep ocean and stick-held dip net fishing for saury.

Now, have any of you ever participated in a guided tour?
Customers who participated in the tour have given us positive feedback, saying things like, "I learned things I wouldn't have known just by looking," "We were able to visit the spots efficiently," and "It made me want to eat fish (laughs)." Guided tours set in a fish market are actually very rare.

It looks like this↓

▲You can apply here.

We offer guided tours that allow you to experience the charm of Kesennuma more deeply and efficiently, so please be sure to join one when you visit.

A guided walking tour to get to know the town of Kesennuma. *Tours will be available for purchase soon.

Starting this spring, we plan to launch guided walking tours of the inner part of Kesennuma Bay, known as the "inner bay," an area that was once home to a fish market and retains a strong history of the fishing industry.

First, head to the "Kazemachi District," which retains a strong atmosphere from the early Showa period. In this area, lined with buildings designated as registered cultural properties, you can experience the history of a town that prospered from fishing and the lives of its people.

Next, we will visit the Kesennuma City Earthquake Reconstruction Memorial Park, located on a hill overlooking the sea. A local guide will carefully explain the memories of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the town's recovery and reconstruction efforts since then.

Afterward, we head to the fantastical "Ukimido" gazebo floating in the inner bay. From this spot, which appears to float on the sea, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Kesennuma's beautiful scenery. Furthermore, we will visit mystical spots such as a rare standing Ebisu statue and the geological formations of Shinmeizaki, which evoke a sense of timelessness.

And to conclude your trip, you can experience making your own original furikake (rice seasoning). You can take home the bounty of the Sanriku sea as a souvenir.

How was it?

This guided tour is perfect for those who want to learn more about Kesennuma, offering a wealth of learning and romance. From the memories of the Earth revealed in ancient geological layers, to the time when it flourished with shipping and fishing industries, and its recovery after overcoming the Great East Japan Earthquake, this is a precious journey where you can experience Kesennuma's "present" and "past." You might just find yourself even more captivated by the profound charm of Kesennuma.

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Person who wrote this article

Shunsuke Kumagai (Kuma-san)

I love traveling more than anything (and I love the local drinks too!). I'm originally from Kesennuma and moved back here from Sendai. While I was back, I took the opportunity to travel around the world as a backpacker. In Kesennuma, I worked for the Kesennuma City Tourism Convention Association (now the Kesennuma City Tourism Association) for about 15 years, guiding tourists in front of the counter and as a guide, both before and after the earthquake. In 2025, I became independent and started a guide-related business under the name "PASEO". This is unnecessary information, but I once aspired to be a comedian in my student days (I was in a trio, but the other two opposed it and I gave up). Lately, I've been hooked on trail running and I run all over Kesennuma. Combining all of this background and hobbies, I'm a self-proclaimed shy guide who wants to liven up my customers' trip to Kesennuma every day!

• PICK UP
• Inner bay
• Recommendations from a local perspective
• Citizen Writer
• Port town
• Walking around the city
• Waiting for the Wind

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