The sea breeze feels so good! Cruising Kesennuma Bay

Hello, I'm Miki, a citizen writer. This time, I would like to introduce Kesennuma Bay Cruise.

Kesennuma Bay Cruise operates 11 to 1 times a day on weekends and holidays until November, cruising around Kesennuma Bay. There are courses departing from Kesennuma and courses departing from Oshima, so you can choose the one that best suits your travel plans.

First, buy a ticket at the sightseeing boat ticket counter and board the sightseeing boat at the departure and arrival point.

▲For courses departing and arriving at Kesennuma, the counter is on the first floor of PIER7, located in the inner bay.

Cruising, set sail!

When the time comes, the sound of a drum rings out and we set sail! The black-tailed gulls surround the boat.Not a seagull, but a black-tailed gullWhat is it?
On your left is Ukimido, a vermilion promenade built over the sea.
After going further, you can see many fishing boats moored at the shore, a sight unique to Kesennuma, a town by the sea.
You can also experience the atmosphere of the TV drama "Okaeri Mone," which is set in Kesennuma.

The staff on the boat will give you various guided tours, so be sure to listen carefully.

After passing the fish market, you will see a large white cable-stayed bridge approaching. This is the Kesennuma Bay Crossing Bridge (commonly known as Kanae Ohashi) on the Sanriku Coastal Road, which opened in March 2021. With a total length of 3 meters, it is the largest cable-stayed bridge in the Tohoku region.

As you pass under the Kesennuma Bay Crossing Bridge, look up at the bottom of the bridge.
There are three flag-like designs painted on the bridge, which are international signal flags, a worldwide signal used by ships at sea to communicate using a combination of flags. The combination of these three flags apparently means "We welcome your ship back to port." They send a message from Kesennuma saying "Welcome back!" to passengers passing under the bridge and entering the port.

▲This is the “welcome” signal.

By the way, when the boat makes a U-turn and heads back, if you look up under the crossing bridge, you will see two different flags painted on it. These flags are said to mean "prayers for your safe voyage." These are a sign of hospitality unique to Kesennuma, where many fishing boats come and go.

A unique experience of passing under a bridge by boat!

As you pass under the Kesennuma Bay Crossing Bridge, you will see a shipyard on your right. This shipyard was established after the disaster by five shipyards and two affiliated companies in the city, proposing a new approach to shipbuilding with an eye to the future of Kesennuma, Miyagi and Sanriku 100 years from now, for the development of the region and the prosperity of the shipbuilding and fishing industries. This is one example of Kesennuma joining hands and moving forward into the future after the disaster.

As you go further, you will see the white arch bridge, Kesennuma Oshima Bridge (commonly known as the Tsurukame Bridge), on your left. This bridge also opened in April 2019 as a dream bridge connecting the mainland of Kesennuma with the remote island of Oshima, allowing you to easily travel between the mainland and Oshima by car. Now, with the Kesennuma Bay Crossing Bridge also open, it has become even more convenient together with the Sanriku Coastal Road!
It also appeared in the NHK morning drama "Okaeri Mone," and in the movie "Sunset Sunrise" starring Masaki Suda, which was released in January 2025, there was a scene where Momoka Sekino, played by Mao Inoue, drives over this bridge.

It's a pity that the regular ferry service, which was filled with so many memories, is no longer in operation, but being able to look up at the bridge from the sea on a sightseeing boat like this has become a new tourist attraction. And as you pass under Kesennuma Oshima Bridge, you'll see lots of oyster rafts... This is a familiar scene that also appears in the TV drama "Okaeri Mone." Sometimes the fishermen working on the oyster rafts will wave to you, making for a really lovely sight.

During the cruise, you may pass by sightseeing boats departing from and arriving at Oshima, and passengers may even wave back and forth between them - a unique experience only a travel destination can offer!

It's a 50-minute cruise on Kesennuma Bay, and you can see the scenery of Kesennuma, the setting for the TV drama "Okaeri Mone" and the movie "Sunset Sunrise," and the recovery from the earthquake disaster. Please enjoy the ocean cruising with the black-tailed gulls while feeling the sea breeze! It feels so good!!

* Kesennuma Bay CruiseOshima Kisen's websiteYou can also check it out on our website.

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Person who wrote this article

Miki

I'm Miki, a citizen writer. I was originally an employee of Meguro Ward, Tokyo, which is a sister city of Kesennuma. I became involved with Kesennuma through work, and after the earthquake, I was sent there for short and long-term assignments, before moving to Kesennuma in 2018. In Kesennuma, I was able to meet many different people from both inside and outside the city, and my world has expanded more than when I was in Tokyo. Every day, I post about my beloved Kesennuma on social media from an outsider's perspective, and I hope to convey the charm of Kesennuma to as many people as possible, so please follow me! [Facebook] @mikino.itsubo[X] https://x.com/mikino29

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