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The symbol of Minamisanriku Town’s recovery.
The Shopping street was opened as a temporary shopping place in 2012, and moved to the current permanent location in 2017. It was designed by Japan’s leading architect, Kengo Kuma. Plenty of “beauty Cedar,” Minamisanriku Cedar, is used to produce a warm, friendly space.
Overcoming the Great Quake and pandemic, 28 restaurants and fish stores in all are in business. For lunch, try the local seafood rice bowl Minamisanriku Kira Kira Donburi with generous local seafood. Of 12 restaurants serving Kira Kira Bowl, six of them are in this shopping street.
Since Minamisanriku Town was shattered by tsunami from Chile Earthquake in 1960, it has kept friendship with Chile. As a token of friendship, Moai Statue (from outside the Easter Island) had been set in the Matsubara Park in Shizugawa Area, which was destroyed by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Later, learning of the devastation of the quake, people of Easter Island sent a real Moai statue as a symbol of recovery from the Quake, which is now displayed in the shopping street.
Shopping Street in front of BRT Shizugawa Station
Lively with tourists and local shoppers
Minamisanriku Kira Kira Donburi has generous sea urchin in summer
The first Moai statue set up outside Easter Island
Plenty of local seafood
Some reviews are AI-translated.
Several years ago, I visited the Minamisanriku Sun Sun Shopping Village with a delegation. At the time, the earthquake and tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake had devastated the Tohoku region. Many families suddenly lost their homes, and some even lost beloved family members and friends forever. Faced with such a devastating blow, the local residents did not give up. Instead, they worked together to regain the rhythm of everyday life and bring attention back to Minamisanriku’s delicious food and local appeal. The Sun Sun Shopping Village was born from this effort, bringing local businesses together so people could reopen their shops, rebuild their livelihoods, and gradually emerge from the shadow of the disaster while combating the reputational damage caused by rumors about the disaster and nuclear accident.
Thinking back on that visit, I realized that the shopping village later moved to a new location. Seeing how lively and vibrant it has gradually become fills me with mixed emotions. It’s not just the growing number of shops and visitors—it feels as though the local residents’ tireless efforts over the years have slowly built up to what it is today. I’m sincerely happy for the people here to see Minamisanriku gradually coming back to life. I hope this hard-won prosperity continues for a long time. If I have the chance in the future, I definitely want to return, walk around, and personally feel the strength that keeps this shopping village moving forward.
The whole shopping street is built with Minamisanriku cedar! There are six big buildings and a total of 28 shops. 🎈
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