The Sanriku Fukko National Park was created in May 2013 to help the Sanriku area recover from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

This national park is about 250 kilometers long from north to south. The northern part has splendid, huge cliffs known as the “Alps of the Sea.” The southern part continues with a series of intricate landforms: elegant ria coastline. Along the coast are breeding grounds for seabirds including Black-tailed Gulls and Streaked Shearwaters. A variety of coastal plants adapted to the seashore also grow in this area, and visitors can observe various wildlife up close. Eelgrass beds and seaweed beds have formed in the shallows of the sea, supporting marine biodiversity.

Fishing ports including Hachinohe, Miyako, Kamaishi, Ofunato and Kesennuma boast some of the top catches in Japan, so enjoying fresh seafood is another highlight. This is the first national park of its kind in Japan, because one of the purposes of this park is to help the area recover from a natural disaster. People wanting to learn more about disaster education visit this area from throughout the country.
(Source: Ministry of the Environment Website http://www.env.go.jp/park/sanriku/index.html)