Shichikashuku: Soba, Bathhouse, and History

In Shichikashuku, discover a range of experiences: the history of the Shichikashuku Kaidō, a soba restaurant that processes its own buckwheat, and a bathhouse with several bathing and relaxation features. In the Seki district (関地区), the historical perspective spans the area’s former importance to east–west travel in Tōhoku and a consultation held during the Boshin War. For a taste of the local cuisine, visit そばの里 がんこ; for a bathing break, try wood & Spa や・すまっしぇ. Plan your trip around history, food, or a bathhouse visit.

A transport route and a place for consultation

After the Shichikashuku Kaidō opened, the Seki district (関地区) became an important east–west route in the Tōhoku region. At the same time, it developed into a significant central post-station town. The route and the post station reflect two aspects of the district’s role at the time: it was part of regional east–west traffic and also gained importance as a post station.

One specific episode dates to the Boshin War. Senior representatives of the Sendai, Yonezawa, and Aizu domains gathered at Seki Honjin (関本陣) for an important consultation on the course of the fighting. The district’s development as a post-station town describes its historical role; the gathering brings a single event to life. Those interested in history can explore both its longer-term importance to transport and a specific wartime consultation.

Mori soba and buckwheat processed in-house

そばの里 がんこ serves only Mori soba. For its jūwari soba, the restaurant produces all of its buckwheat flour itself, from growing the buckwheat to milling it. This gives its soba cuisine a direct connection to how the flour is made. The side dishes also have a local connection: they are prepared with vegetables grown in the area. They include a potato dish simmered in soba broth.

The menu is focused, pairing soba dishes with vegetables and a potato dish described in particular detail. If you plan to visit for a specific dish, check the menu before you go: items may change. This makes it easy to plan a meal at そばの里 がんこ without mistaking its Mori soba for a wide selection of noodle dishes.

Baths, sauna, and wooden balls

wood & Spa や・すまっしぇ has a regular bath, an artificial carbonated bath, and a sauna. The relaxation area also has a pool of wooden balls that children enjoy. The facilities therefore offer more than different bathing options: the relaxation area has its own distinctive feature in the form of the wooden-ball pool.

For those planning a visit with children, this pool is a specific feature beyond the usual baths and sauna. Visitors who want to make a bathhouse visit the focus will find a different kind of experience here than a meal of Mori soba or exploring the district’s history. These three themes offer different ways to shape a trip, so every itinerary need not have the same focus.

Plan your stay around your interests

The historical themes range from the district’s former role in transport to a meeting held during the Boshin War. The soba offering has a culinary focus, with a limited menu and local vegetables; the bathhouse combines different types of baths with a sauna and relaxation area. When looking for a vacation home, you can start by considering which of these experiences you want to shape your stay. Plan the rest of your trip around that focus, and check the menu in advance if you visit そばの里 がんこ.

Discover more destinations: Zao, Shiogama, Kami District, Taiwa, Tagajō, Kurihara, Ishinomaki, Higashimatsushima

For the main travel guide: Miyagi Prefecture.