Ichinoseki (一関市, Ichinoseki-shi) is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. As of 1 May 2020, the city had a population of 114,476 and a population density of 91 persons per km2 in 46,375 households. It is currently the second largest city by population in the prefecture, after Morioka. The total area of the city was 1,256.42 square kilometers (485.11 sq mi).
A couple of small izakaya (Iroha, Ne-Ne-Ya, and the like) style places in front of the train station, and Uotami is close-by as well, with a ¥1,000 nomihodai. And, if you like yakitori make sure to check out the Yakitori Dojo and Ippei, both of which are fairly famous locally. After that there are a couple of good unagi restaurants within a 10 minute walk of the station. For late night eats, there are ramen shops and typical chains like Yoshinoya and Sukiya, plus a McDonald's near SATY. Last edited - 7 October 2009 (John)
Paper Moon is a bar popular with the foreign crowd, though the 'foreign crowd' is almost non-existent in Ichinoseki. The master understands English too, which is nice for visitors. Occasionally visiting German businessmen will stop in with their Japanese counterparts. The master makes great pizza. It is located on the main street, O-machi Dori (大町通り). To get there, walk straight out of the station, down and up the underground walkway, turn right at the traffic lights, and look for a sign in a walkway on your right that will say Paper Moon. (The Snoopy sign is gone.)
Donque is similar, located on the edge of the downtown. It has a vaguely "Italian" feel to it, but has a wide variety of alcohol. To get there, turn right after exiting the station and walk straight until you can see the slope that allows cars to pass under the train bridge. The second-last block has Donque on the corner. Look for wine barrels and bottles.
Abanzale is the most popular bar for the youth of Ichinoseki, due to its bi-weekly events such as hip-hop night and small dance floor. The music is usually hip hop, but on quite nights you can hear jazz. The English-speaking owner is very friendly, plus he's a DJ. To get there, walk down O-machi to Top Wellness, and turn left. Abanzale is the only bar on the street, and will have a light out front on its sign. If you are younger and want to have fun in Ichinoseki, definitely go to Abanzale, it's your best shot.
Bothy is a very nice little bar. To get there, walk straight out of the station, down and up the underground walkway and it's on your right on the second floor, up some stairs. The food is great and the alcohol selection is nice. Plus, they usually play old rock and roll and the like (think Beatles).
Sugar Bar is another great place. To get there, walk straight out of the station, down and up the underground walkway, turn right at the traffic lights, walk for 3 or 4 minutes and it's on your left, up some stairs on the second floor. They have (probably) the best alcohol selection in Ichinoseki. The master and mama are very friendly, and the mama makes some of the best pasta and pizza in the city. Plus they serve delicious raw ham cut right at the counter. The music is almost always jazz. Lastly, you can get some nice cigars here, if you are interested.
After those places there are, of course, dozens of hostess bars and snacks all around the station. If you are a visitor who doesn't understand hostess bars, don't go. If you know the score, then have at it. Sone of the more popular places are Ageha, Cruise, and Ichigo. (Oct 2009)
There are a couple of hotels right in front of the station, west (main) exit.
Take the Yamabiko Shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno station; this journey takes about 3 hours with stops at Sendai and more on the way up. From Sendai, the Shinkansen takes about half an hour, while there are also local trains and a highway bus for those on a budget.
From Sendai, there is a bus that goes to Ichinoseki on the hour. One-way is ¥1500, and round-trip is ¥2700. 80 minutes. Board in front of Sakurano department store on Aoba street, near the station's west exit.
The downtown is accessible on foot, but bicycles are available for rent at the bicycle parking lot to the left of the station's west exit. Look for the Rentakun (レン太君) sign next to the office. The station also has a taxi pool and is a hub for the city's buses. Trains on the Ofunato Line access the more rural areas of Ichinoseki.
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