Ofunato City Distributing Accommodation Subsidies and Restaurant Coupons from Late June—From Forest Fires to Tourism Recovery
Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture will implement the "Ofunato Reconstruction Discount Project" from late June ~ November 2025 in an effort to recover from the stagnation of tourism demand caused by large-scale forest fires that occurred from February to April 2025. (Photo: Strange rock "Anadori Iso")
The project will subsidize up to 3,000 yen per night for overnight stays at accommodation facilities in the city, and will also distribute coupons worth 1,000 yen that can be used at restaurants in the city. Both accommodation subsidies and coupons will be available for 10,000 nights each, and will end as soon as the budget is reached.
The outline of this project will be available after May 23, 2025. Official website of Ofunato City Scheduled to be published in. Details of accommodation facilities eligible for the "Reconstruction Discount" will be announced in preparation for the start of business in late June. There are currently more than 20 accommodation facilities operating in the city.
In Ofunato City, a forest fire broke out on February 26, 2025, and the fire was declared extinguished on April 7. The fire, which lasted for more than a month, burned 2,900 hectares, or 9% of the city's area. Seventy-six houses were completely destroyed and more than 200 buildings were damaged.
The impact on the tourism industry has also been significant, and accommodation facilities and restaurants have canceled reservations one after another, and the momentum for travel is still greatly depressed.
Ofunato City, which faces the Pacific Ocean, is a port city spread out in Sanriku Fuko National Park. The highlight is the coastal beauty woven by strange rocks such as the "Anadori Shore" of the Goishi Coast. The area around Mori Station and along the Mori River are lined with restaurants where you can enjoy fresh seafood and local gourmets.
To get to Ofunato from Tokyo, take the JR Ofunato Line (rapid) from Ichinoseki Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen to Kesennuma Station in 70 minutes, and transfer to the JR Ofunato Line BRT to Mori Station in 80 minutes. Highway Bus " Kesen Liner You can also use the night service from Ikebukuro Station (23:00 departure) to Ofunato (6:47 arrival).
