Northern defender Ominato

The Ominato district of Mutsu City has undergone rapid transition and development as a key port since the opening of the former navy's Ominato Mines in 1902. After the end of the war, the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Ominato District Unit was established, and the area has become the keystone of defense in the north. Naval facilities from the Meiji era are scattered around Suigen Pond Park and the JMSDF Ominato District Unit, retaining the vestiges of those days. The city has developed this whole area as “Ominato, the Northern Defender of the North.　This area is about a 10-minute drive from JR Ominato Station. Volunteer guides are available to show visitors around the area (Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays from mid-April to the end of November. Please inquire for other dates). ) They will guide you through the history of Ominato and the nature of the four seasons.
Old Ominato Water Source Water Supply Facility　This stone structure was built in Suigen-ike Park, which is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot in Mutsu City and is visited by many people from within and outside of the prefecture, as well as local citizens. It was designated as a National Important Cultural Property in December 2009. In particular, the gravity-arch stone weir, “Chinsumiike Weir,” is extremely rare among those still in existence.
■Hokuyokan (North Sea Pavilion)　Built in 1916 as the Suikosha (a social gathering place for naval officers) of the former Navy's Ominato Yoho Department, it is now a museum for the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Ominato District Unit. The museum exhibits valuable materials from the opening of the navy's Ominato torpedo squadron in 1902 to the present.
■Nibankan (No. 2 Building)　This building was constructed in 1914 as an officer's residence of the former navy's Ominato Port Department. Currently designated as a tangible cultural property of the city, it is a facility for cultural activities and exchanges.
Ando Kan　The interior and exterior of this facility, which was designed to resemble the actual building of the former Ominato Port Department of the Navy, evoke the Meiji and Taisho Periods. The building has a sales area for original goods and other items, as well as a multi-purpose social hall (fee required).
Umiboukan　From the 55-meter-high observatory, visitors can see Mutsu Bay, the Hakkoda Mountains, and the Shiriyazaki area below, as well as the beautiful natural beauty of Ashizaki (sand spit) and the Maritime Self-Defense Force's naval vessels anchored in Ashizaki Bay.
■Local gourmet foods　1) Ominato Navy Croquettes: It is said that the “Navy croquettes” based on a Navy recipe originated in Ominato. These naval croquettes were prepared based on the “Reference Book of Naval Kappou Technique,” which was supplemented and revised in 1908, and the restaurants in the city follow the recipe from this reference book, using beef fat called het.
　(2) Ominato Maritime Self-Defense Force Curry: The Maritime Self-Defense Force has a custom of eating curry and rice every Friday, as the outside scenery rarely changes during voyages, which can lead to a loss of sense of the days of the week. In Mutsu City, visitors can taste the curry selected by each unit based on their own unique secret recipe, such as ships belonging to the Ominato Maritime Self-Defense Force Base.