Ever since my first cycling trip to Ishinomaki in 2009, I have fallen in love with that city. It has so much to offer. It's a coastal city not too far from Sendai at the mouth of the Kitakami River. The Kitakami River is the biggest river in Iwate and Miyagi. The city was one of the hardest hit by the big tsunami in 2011 but from what I have seen so far, it's also one of the fastest to rebuild. Manga is a very big part of the culture for the city, thanks to writer Shotaro Ishinomori.
He was actually born in Tome about 50 kilometers away but was living in Ishinomaki when he became famous for the Cyborg series in the early 1960's, he wrote many other series like Kamen Rider that went on to become huge hits. In his honor, the city built the manga museum and they also have many manga themed trains running in the city. For all manga fans, the city and museum are a must see on your list.
