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04205 ／けせんぬまし

Kesennuma City

Two singing-sand beaches, 2 km apart.

Kugunarihama, Kukunakihama

Photo by Ubuhouse (CC BY-SA 3.0)

01 ／ Hexagonal Hall

Painted vermilion inside and out,with ink paintings on the board ceiling.

A Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property (building), designated in 1969. The plan is hexagonal and the roof a hexagonal pyramid of red tiles (originally shingles). A document says the house-shaped shrine on the altar was made in 1762 and repaired in 1802.

Prefectural property, 1969
Hexagonal plan, red-tiled roof
Shrine made 1762, per documents

02 ／ Enunkan Garden

A quiet, deep pond and woods contrastwith the broad view of Kesennuma Bay.

A National Place of Scenic Beauty (2018). At the former residence of the Ayukai, senior retainers of Sendai Domain, the garden is said to begin with a design in the Kanbun era (1661-73) by Dokan of the Sekishu-ryu Shimizu school. The pond is about 30 m by 20 m, with a round island about 16 m long.

National Place of Scenic Beauty, 2018
Pond about 30 m by 20 m
Island about 16 m long

03 ／ Hata no Oyamagake

It is said parent and child do not climb together;a boy of seven goes with a grandfather or relative.

An Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property (2000). A seven-year-old boy climbs Mount Hata (460 m) and, at the summit shrine, circles it clockwise three times in the Ohachimeguri before descending. The designation commentary says participants also come from the former Karakuwa and Motoyoshi towns.

Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, 2000
Mount Hata is 460 m
Three clockwise circuits of the summit shrine

Kesennuma City from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

From Kesennuma Station to City Hall, about 15 minutes on foot.

about 60,000 people

The city's guide to its main building (updated April 1, 2026) gives about 15 minutes on foot from Kesennuma Station on the JR Ofunato and Kesennuma lines. It is 3 minutes on foot from the Inner Bay Entrance BRT station and about 10 minutes by car from the Kesennuma Port interchange of the Sanriku Expressway.

People living here: 61,147people
Area: 332.44km²
Households: 24,520households
Rent (average for rentals): 35,415yen
Healthcare: 4 hospitals ／ 39 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Population from 2010 onward (municipal boundary changed).2006-03-31 に新設合併（唐桑町）。2010年調査から市域が変わっている。2009-09-01 に編入合併（本吉町）。2010年調査から市域が変わっている。

Children waiting for childcare: —10 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

Shape

Borders 4 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Kesennuma City in Japan38.908°N 141.570°E

Territory of Kesennuma City

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.Lakes: National Land Numerical Information (Lake Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari. Prepared with the approval of the Director-General of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, using its Digital Map 25000 (Spatial Data Framework) and Digital Map 25000 (Place Names and Public Facilities). (承認番号平27情使、第585号)

North to south

29.2km

Miyagi Prefecture: Minamisanriku Town, Tome City
Iwate Prefecture: Ichinoseki City, Rikuzentakata City

Travel times per leg are not published by the municipality, so they are not shown.

Kesennuma City isthis kind of town.

01Kugunarihama on Oshima in Kesennuma Bay and Kukunakihama on the opposite shore, some 2 km away, are National Natural Monuments of singing sand; the tourism site says Kugunarihama is said to be named for the "kukku" sound the dry sand makes underfoot
02Enunkan Garden, the garden of the former residence of the Ayukai, senior retainers of Sendai Domain, is a National Place of Scenic Beauty; Hata no Oyamagake, in which a seven-year-old boy climbs a mountain, is a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property; the Hexagonal Hall at a temple is a Prefectural Tangible Cultural Property
03Finds from the Tagara Shell Mound (Late Jomon; 731 items, including 539 bone, antler and tusk objects) are a National Important Cultural Property, Ogama-Hanzo on the Karakuwa Peninsula is a Prefectural Place of Scenic Beauty, and the Iwaisaki limestone fossils are a Prefectural Natural Monument

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Kesennuma City official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

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