The Miracle Pine Tree

The Miracle Pine (Kiseki no Ipponmatsu) is the only pine tree that withstood the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. The area used to be densely covered with pines for about 2 km, but roughly 70,000 trees were knocked down by the tsunami. Amid the devastation—where even buildings were bent or swept away without a trace—this single pine remained standing. Its survival became a source of emotional support for those affected and a symbol of recovery and reconstruction. It is located directly across from the road in front of the former roadside station "Takata Matsubara." Access: from JR Ofunato Line BRT "Kiseki no Ipponmatsu Station," it is about a 10-minute walk. By car, it is about 5 minutes from the Sanriku Expressway Rikuzen-Takata Nagabe IC, with parking available at Roadside Station "Takata Matsubara" (also suitable for large buses). Around the site you can find eateries such as Ipponmatsu Chaya, as well as the Iwate TSUNAMI Memorial (Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Memorial Museum). Many visitors say that simply seeing the Miracle Pine—standing firm despite overwhelming disaster—gives them courage.