Primarily an industrial town, Kamaishi boasts few major tourist draws. Kamaishi Dai-Kannon is located in Odaira, just south of the Kamaishi proper. Just above the Dai-Kannon is the Iron and Steel History museum, which outlines Kamaishi's history as the first center of Japan's steel industry, as well as the history of steel production in Japan.
Despite being on nestled on the Pacific Ocean, much of the coastline in the city is devoted to docks and ports. For beach seekers, the two best options are Nebama Beach in Unosumai just three train stops north of Kamaishi and Namiita Beach in Namiita-Kaigen a few more stops north from Unosumai. Nebama runs along a small bay, allowing for few - if any - large waves to make it to shore. Namiita does have large waves and is a big draw for surfers from all over Iwate. Wave size depends on the season, but surfers can be found at Namiita from April to October. A small surf shop located just behind the tree line from the beach provides rentals for surfboards, wet suits, and body boards.
Festivals include Senbutsu in late January, Hanabi Matsuri Fireworks Festival in August, and Kamaishi Matsuri in mid-October.
