Where the Abukuma River Meets the Sea — Harako-meshi Season Begins in Watari

The Abukuma River flows past our door here in Kakuda. Its waters drift gently eastward until they reach the sea at Arahama, in the town of Watari — and Arahama is held to be the birthplace of harako-meshi, Miyagi's signature autumn dish.

Harako-meshi is rice cooked in the broth used to simmer salmon, topped with rich slices of that salmon and a generous layer of glistening salmon roe (harako, or ikura). Tradition has it that the dish was first offered to the feudal lord Date Masamune by the fishermen of Arahama when he came to inspect work on the Teizan Canal. In the Edo period, salmon from the Abukuma River was prized enough to be sent to the Shogun himself.

From early September, sushi bars, diners and inns across Watari begin serving harako-meshi one after another. Ask a local which place is best, and the answer is always the same: “ours.” Every restaurant, and every household, seasons it a little differently — and that is the real charm of this dish.

Arahama is about a 35-minute drive from MARUKI Saifuku — a pleasant run downstream along the river to the coast. It makes an ideal lunch outing on the day after your stay.