Michinoku Costal Trail Route Guide 5/50 Kuji Station(Kuji City) - Rikuchu-Noda Station(Noda Village)

Hello. I live in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
I work as a guide for the Michinoku Coastal Trail and Sanriku Geopark, also the manager of Guest House 3710 in Miyako City.

Guest House Minato, Miyako, Japan

This article is detailed route guide of the Michinoku Coastal Trail. One of the 50 sections that divide the entire route.
Very detailed and specific introduction of entire route.
Based on experience of actually walking the entire route two times, both southbound(SOBO) / northbound(NOBO).
The article is written as the southbound (SOBO) route. But, there may also be photos and explanations of the northbound (NOBO) route.

If you want to know basic information about the Michinoku Coastal Trail in general, please read the article below first (It's a free article).

Also, before actually walking, be sure to read the Michinoku Trail Club's "Alerts" before starting.
For example, the latest information on detours due to construction is posted.

Alerts | Managing the Michinoku Coastal Trail｜NPO Michinoku Trail Club

(This article is based on information as of July 2024. The information provided is for reference only. Please do your own research, make a plan, and act at your own risk. Please note that I cannot be held responsible for any trouble or accidents that may occur as a result of using this information.)

0. Overview of this area

This section covers the route from Kuji City in Iwate prefecture to Noda Village.
It is from Kuji Station to Rikuchu-Noda Station on the Sanriku Railway.
The trail route itself is about 20km long, and if you walk through Kuji City to Kuji Station, that adds another 5km or so.

It takes about 8 hours to get to Kuji Station. It is a very tough route with many ups and downs of about 100m in height. If you are not good at ups and downs, you should allow more time for the walk.

The only section of the entire route that has a "Physical strength required" sign is the route through Tanohata Village, but this section requires just as much physical strength.
Also, there are almost no escape routes that would allow you to quit along the way, so be careful about that too.

If you usually break your section hikes into small segments of a few hours each, it's safer to split the section from Kuji Station to Kosode Coast into one and the section from Kosode Coast to Rikuchu-Noda Station.

Although there are very few number, there is a Iwate Kenpoku Bus route that runs from Kuji Station to Kosode Coast to Rikuchu-Noda Station, which can be used for section hikes.

Also, there are almost no escape routes on the nature trail from Kosode Coast to Kukihama Beach.
If you escape by walking along the road from Cape Misaki on the paved road, you will reach the bus route.
Other than that, there are almost no escape routes, so you'll need to carefully allocate your time and energy.

There are a lot of ups and downs, so don't plan your route just by the kilometers. This route would probably need to be planned at less than 2km per hour.

After leaving the nature trail to the south, you can't walk to "Daito no Kura Cliff" between Kukihama Beach and Rikuchu-Noda Station during high tide or high waves.

This is one of the hardest sections throughout the entire route, but for fans of the NHK TV drama "Amachan," it includes Kosode Coast, a famous spot from the show.
This is a section that can be enjoyed in two different ways.

• Distance: Approximately 20km (If use detours, or reach to Kuji Station, it will be longer)

• Maximum elevation: Approximately 150m

• Estimated time required: 8 hours (If use detours, or reach to Kuji Station, need more)

• Route difficulty: Very hard (One of the section with the most ups and downs along the entire route)

• Access to public transportation: Difficult (The starting and finishing points are convenient, but it is difficult to escape along the way)

• Accommodations: A lot (Only around Kuji Station)

• Campsite: None (There is Trail Oasis shop available to assist you)

• Restaurants: A lot (Only Kuji City downtown area and Noda Village downtown area)

• Stores: A lot (Only Kuji City downtown area and Noda Village downtown area)

1. Kuji Station- Suwa-jinja Shrine - Kosode Coast

Let's start with Kuji Station on the Sanriku Railway.
In the NHK drama "Amachan," this station appeared as Kitasanriku Station on the Kitasanriku Railway.