Located in Kesennuma Bay in the northeastern part of Miyagi Prefecture, Kesennuma Oshima is one of the largest inhabited islands in the Tohoku region. It is a marine park that also belongs to the Sanriku Reconstruction National Park. The island features a highly indented coastline and beautiful natural scenery. Odanohama Beach on the east side of the island is rated the No. 2 beach in Japan on the Ministry of the Environment’s Top 100 Beaches list published in 2006. Mt. Kameyama, which stands at the north end of the beach, offers a panoramic view of the entire island, named the “green pearl” for its beautiful scenery.
Kesennuma Oshima had been a popular tourist destination before the disaster, which caused extensive damage, including forest fires, temporarily dividing the north-south-long island in half as it swept from both the west and east directions. In addition, because Kesennuma Oshima had no bridge connecting it to the mainland and the bay was impassable, the island remained isolated for weeks following the disaster, with little water and no electricity. The natural disaster reaffirmed the need for an overland connection and the Oshima Bridge Project was launched to symbolize the area’s reconstruction. Finally, the April 2019 opening of the Kesennuma Oshima Ohashi Bridge (nickname: Tsurukame Ohashi) marked the fulfillment of the residents’ wish for half a century. The white arched bridge is 297 meters in length (arch span), making it the longest bridge in eastern Japan, and its height takes into account the height of a potential future tsunami. In addition to improving the convenience of residents’ lives and ensuring the safety of emergency medical services, the bridge is also expected to stimulate tourism and industry. Experiential tours where visitors can enjoy marine activities are gaining popularity, and a disater lecture tour of the island is also available.