Sendai

Understand

Sendai is divided into five districts: Aoba-ku (青葉区), Izumi-ku (泉区), Miyagino-ku (宮城野区), Taihaku-ku (太白区) and Wakabayashi-ku (若林区). Sendai is a comfortable and pleasant city — it's a nice place to live. It's very green — in fact they call it 杜の都 (Mori no Miyako, "The City of Trees"). The main avenues around the city are wide and tree-lined, giving the city an almost European feel. The main shopping street, Chūō-dōri (中央通り), is pedestrian and covered, so it feels like a mall. Several large universities are located in Sendai, attracting young adults from throughout the Tohoku area. In general, the city enjoys a high standard of education, and this is reflected in the quality of English spoken on this street, which is far higher than in other cities in the region.

History Although there is evidence of settlements in the Sendai region dating back over 20,000 years, it was not until the local feudal ruler, Date Masamune, moved his capital here in 1600 that the city began to take on any significance. He established a fine castle on Aobayama (green leaf mountain) and the town that was built below the castle near the Hirose River was built according to the traditional street grid pattern. The original name of the area was also Sendai, but the Chinese characters at the time were different (千代). They used to refer to a temple on Aobayama that housed a thousand Buddha statues. Later, Date Masamune changed the Chinese characters to mean 'hermit on a platform,' (仙台) which referred to a mythical palace in the mountains in China. It is this latter name that is used by the present-day city.

Climate

There are two ways of looking at the weather here. One is the way most Japanese people seem to look at it: it's not too cold in the winter and not too hot in the summer, compared to other Japanese cities to the south. Others find it chilly year round. The sun is up from 04:15 to 19:00 in June, and from 06:45 to 16:30 in the winter. Winter minima average around zero Celsius, but snow, though frequent in winter, melts quickly. Winter weather is very rainy, yielding to variable weather in spring. There is a long rainy season, marked by consistently cool and cloudy weather, which typically coincides with the month of June, but has been known to set in right after the cherry-blossom blooms in April and to continue through July, and even August. When (and if) the rainy season ends, summer weather is warm and humid. The average August daytime temperature is around 27 °C (81 °F) to 29 °C (84 °F), with an average nighttime low around 22 °C (72 °F). More warmer days can see tem

Getting there

Sendai is 360 km (220 miles) from Tokyo, so it is often viewed as out of the way and difficult to access. However, it is a 90-minute shinkansen (bullet train) ride, or one hour flight then less than a 30-minute transfer to the city center. In fact, Sendai is 100 km closer to Tokyo than the very popular Kyoto, and boasts its own unique history, plenty of temples and shrines, and is far less crowded with tourists (with Sendai almost exclusively marketed to domestic and intra-Asian tourism).

By plane Sendai Airport (SDJ) is the largest airport in Tohoku, with regional services to South Korea, Taiwan, China and Bangkok, as well as domestic flights from Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Okinawa and Kanazawa (Komatsu). The airport is linked to the city with the Sendai Airport Access railway, which takes 17–25 minutes from JR Sendai Station and costs ¥650. There are services every 20-30 minutes. The airport also has direct long-distance buses to Yamagata and Tsuruoka, and in ski season only, services to major ski resorts including Zao Onsen and Appi Kogen.

By train Sendai is a major station on the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) line, some two hours from Tokyo. The line continues north to Morioka, Aomori and beyond to Hokkaido Shinkansen services to Hakodate The most frequent ride from Tokyo is on the all-reserved Hayabusa (はやぶさ), which makes only a few stops and runs to Sendai in 1½ hours (¥11,200). The Komachi (こまち) service bound for Akita is coupled to the Hayabusa train, but bear in mind that Komachi cars are slightly narrower, and therefore, so is seating. If you have a little more time on your hands, or if any of the above trains are sold out, the more frequent Yamabiko (やまびこ) services are a good alternative. The fare is slightly cheaper for reserved seating (¥10,890), but the Yamabiko trains also offer a few cars of unreserved seating which are cheaper still (¥10370). The Yamabiko serves more stations — and in some cases, all stations — so the expected travel time will be about 30–40 minutes longer than the Hayabusa and Komachi. A few all-reserved Hayate (はやて) services remain on the route, and these are another alternative. The Hayate trains are only slightly slower than the Hayabusa and Komachi, but cost the same as the Yamabiko. The Japan Rail Pass and JR East Rail Pass is valid for Ordinary and Green Cars on all of the bullet trains mentioned above. On the other hand, rail passes will only cover the basic fare if you are willing to try out the premium first class seating on the Hayabusa called "GranClass". To use "GranClass" the limit

Getting around

By subway Sendai has two subway lines. Traveling on a north-south axis, the Namboku Line connects major shopping districts with the train station. Key stations include Sendai for the train station and the AER building, Nagamachi-minami for the Mall (large American-style shopping mall including multi-screen cinema), Hirose-dori and Kotodai-koen for access to Ichibancho (covered shopping arcade), and Izumi-chuo for the soccer stadium. The second line, the Tozai Line, travels on an east-west axis.

By bus

Sendai is covered by a bus network, whose routes and timetables are available through Google Maps and other services. However, in some places buses are infrequent, with waiting times up to half an hour, and they tend to get very crowded in the rush hour. Fortunately for tourists there is a "Loople Sendai" bus that makes a wide loop around to various Sendai attractions for ¥630 for a whole day, or ¥260 for one ride. Normal route buses have fares based on the distance travelled and usually cost from ¥170 (the basic fare) to ¥300 for some longest journeys. Note that the Loople buses are small, and can get very crowded on weekends and the summer. The loop also only runs in one direction and service ends by 17:00. You can buy a day ticket, Sendai Area Pass or pay as you go through an IC card.

Travelcards (commonly called "bus cards" both in English and Japanese, although they could be also used on subway) are available, offering slight discount: a ¥5,000 card has ¥5,850-worth of fare on it. There are two major bus companies, but for all practical intents and purposes they are indistinguishable.

By bicycle

Bicycles can be rented for ¥1,000 a day or ¥500 from 14:00, they are called Date Bike, you will need Internet access to rent one. A few interesting cycling itineraries can be found on the Date Bike website. The explanations are in Japanese but the maps are understandable.

On foot The city center is compact and can easily be traversed on foot, especially by using the covered shopping arcades. There are many shops and arcades around Sendai station and therefore people could walk around on their own. Other parts of the city are quite hilly (even the center has some significant slopes) and while they still could be traversed on foot, this might be physically demanding. Residential parts are also very spread-out, and walking such large distances becomes impractical.

See

Although one of Japan's most pleasant and livable cities, Sendai is not generally high on the tourist circuit as it was flattened in the war and has few historical sights remaining. However, for those interested in touring the city, the.Gozain Sendai Volunteer English Interpreter and Tour Guide Group offer free guided tours (no charge for the guides)

1 Miyagi Museum of Art (宮城県美術館), 34-1 Kawauchi-Motohasekura, Aoba-ku. A reasonable collection of modern art. Special room for Juryo Sato, a local (but nationally famous) sculptor. Beautiful garden and a nice view of the river. The museum has been closed for renovations since June 2023. (updated Jan 2024)

2 Ōsaki Hachiman Shrine (大崎八幡宮). Completed in 1607, and is designated a national treasure. The metal ornaments and colorful designs displayed against the black lacquer woodwork is an especially attractive feature. (updated Jan 2024) 3 Statue of Kannon (the Bodhisattva of Compassion) (仙台大観音, Sendai Daikannon), Izumi-ku. At the time of its construction, the 100-m-high statue was the tallest in the world. It is ranked 5th as of 2021. For a small fee, visitors can enter the statue and make offerings to the Buddhist statues and artifacts that are displayed throughout the 12 storeys. As Kannon is the Buddhist representation of compassion, the statue was built facing the city of Sendai with the aim of bringing peace and harmony to the city. From Sendai Station, take buses 815 or 825 (bound for Nishi-Nakayama) or X910 (bound for Shie Bus-Sanezawa-Eigyoshomae) and alight at 'Sendai-Daikonnon-mae'. (updated May 2021) 4 Sendai Mediatheque (せんだいメディアテーク), Aoba-ku. This building was designed by Toyo Ito and is an important piece of contemporary architecture. Take a look at the outstanding structure while enjoying the design shop on the ground level. On the 5th and 6th floor there are free art galleries and studio spaces with temporary exhibitions, as well as photos of the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. (updated Feb 2024) 5 Rinno-ji (輪王寺), 1-14-1 Kitayama, Aoba-ku (by bus, take the Kitayama-Shiheimachi line and get off at Rinno-ji mae), ☏ +81 22 234-5327. An historic temple with ponds and a large traditional garden, which is especially attractive when the azaleas are in bloom. 6 SS30 Building Observation Lounge, Aoba-ku, Chūō, 4 Chome (at the intersection of Higashi Nibancho Street and Kitamenmachi Street). This office tower has an observation deck on the 29th and 30th floors, which is open and free to the public. 7 Sendai City Museum (仙台市博物館), Kawauchi 26 (get off the train at JR Sendai station; take city bu

Do

Akiu Onsen is an onsen town located in the outskirts of Sendai, known to be frequented by the famous samurai Date Masamune and home to its own Akiu Kokeshi, now considered to be part of the Togatta Kokeshi-type.

One of the few and only tour companies based locally and catering to English speaking travelers in Sendai is Attract Tohoku Their unique experiences include a food parade around the city, exploring hidden alleys, bar hopping like a local, and even a Japanese style hair-and-makeup package. The biggest festival in Sendai is Tanabata (七夕). The festival starts with fireworks on Aug 5th and then the festival proper is from Aug 6th to Aug 8th. The streets are decorated with big paper decorations, there's a parade and... well, that's about it. In December, there's the Pageant of Starlight which isn't really a festival as such. The trees in two of the city's main avenues - Aoba-dōri and Jōzenji-dōri - are festooned in thousands of orange lights. The effect is very pleasant, with the orange glow casting a warmth over the otherwise cold and frosty streets. Donto-sai Festival. Held at the Osaki Hachiman Shrine on January 14 every year. Michinoku-Yosakoi Festival, Held in various parks and public areas of Sendai City. 2024 (Oct 12-13); 2025 (Oct 11-12). The Sendai Michinoku Yosakoi Festival was established in 1998 as a successor to the Kochi Yosakoi Festival. Yosakoi, which is held in over 250 cities, towns and villages across the country, is a general term for festivals that follow the rules of respecting tradition and creativity and is run by the citizens, incorporating local folk songs and dancing with Naruko drums. Today, it is held in cities, towns and villages all over Japan and participants from all over the country can not only show off their folk songs and regional characteristics, but also feel a sense of unity with faraway friends who share the same ideals. For 26 years, the motto has been "Tohoku (Michinoku) is one." 1 Benyland, Yagiyama. This is a fun little amusement park. It's not exactly Disneyland, but you can have a fun few hours on the roller coasters and other rides. Nikka Whisky Distillery Tour, Nikka 1, Aoba-ku (Sakunami) (go to Sakunami Station (on the Senzan line) and take a taxi from there). No English. 09:00-11:30, and 12:30-15:30. Tours are conducted every 15 to 20 minutes. Tours take one hour. Free whisky at the end of the tour. 2 Sankyozawa Traffic Park (三居沢交通公園, Minamikoizumi Traffic Park), 1 Sankyozawa Aramakiaza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, ☏ +81 222215059. Tu-Su 09:00-16:00. An unusual park intended for children and school grou

Buy

Sendai hira - silk tsutsumiyaki - pottery yanagi'u washi - hand made paper Sendai tsuishu - lacquerware Sakunami kokeshi - The kokeshi variety from Sakunami Onsen. Sendai tansu - wardrobe Matsukawa Daruma Tamamushi nuri - lacquerware 1 Hiraga Kokeshi Store (平賀こけし店). A shop that sells the local Sakunami Kokeshi. (updated Jun 2021)

Eat

Sendai's specialties include gyūtan (牛タン), grilled beef tongue; sasakamaboko (笹かまぼこ), a type of fish sausage; and zundamochi (ずんだ餅), sweet green soybean paste eaten with soft glutinous rice balls. Sendai-Miso (仙台味噌) has a long history. Hiyashi-Chuka (冷やし中華, cold ramen noodles) originated in Sendai.

Japanese

1 Rikyu (利久), Aoba-ku Chuo 1-6-1 (there's one on the corner of Ekimae-dori and Hirose-dori, across from the AER Building). A famous chain of gyūtan restaurants. Order the teishoku (set meal) - this includes meat, pickles, barley rice, leek, and a clear oxtail soup with real tail. ¥1000. 2 Ichimuan (一夢庵), Westin Hotel Sendai 37F, 1-9-1 Ichibancho, Aoba-ku, ☏ +81 22 713 8350. lunch 11:30-14:00 (last order), dinner 17:30-21:30 (last order). Ichimuan specializes in Kyoto Haute cuisine (kaiseki) while utilizing fine Sendai produce. The restaurant also has a teppanyaki grill counter seats where visitors can enjoy fine Sendai beef. The view from the 37th floor is pretty impressive. Lunch is buffet style. Reservations essential (to avoid disappointment). Lunch starts from ¥3234. Dinner courses start from ¥6930. À la carte is also available. 3 Oden Sankichi (おでん三吉), 4-10-8 Ichiban-cho, Aoba-ku, ☏ +81 22-222-3830. M-Sa 18:00-23:00, closed holidays. This restaurant specializes in oden, a Japanese fish stew of sorts with ingredients slowly simmered for hours if not days in a soy broth. Goes well with beer or sake, and especially popular in winter. ¥3600 small oden (2 servings). (updated Jan 2025) 4 Sendai Aoba-Tei (lowest floor of the railway station), ☏ +81 22 2128027. 11:00-23:00. A high quality gyūtan restaurant. Menu has pictures, though it may be not easy to guess what is gyūtan. Around noon, be prepared to queue. Plate around ¥1400. 5 Mitsukoshi Food Court. The department store food court is an excellent place to sample Sendai's specialties. 6 Kaki Toku (かき徳), 4-0-1 Ichiban-cho, Aoba-ku. M-F 11:30-14:00, 17:00-20:00; Sa 11:30-20:00; Su 11:30-21:00. Special hours on holidays. Miyagi and Hiroshima are famous for oysters, and Kaki Toku, which has been running since 1927, is one of the area's most renowned oyster restaurants. ¥3000. 7 Kameki Sushi (亀喜寿司), 6-12 Shintomi-cho, Shiogama. W-M 11:00-21:00. Some locals believe it is the best sushi restaurant in Japan. Uses exclusively locally caught fish. No credit cards. ¥5,250 for a full course. 8 Tsukasa (司). From 17:00 until sold-out. ¥2000. (updated Sep 2015) There is a "sushi road" in Sendai station where you can enjoy delicious sushi at inexpensive prices.

International Palinka, ☏ +81 22 213-765

Drink & nightlife

Coffee Rock Cafe Peter Pan, 2 Chome-6-1 Kokubuncho, Aoba-ku. Tu-Th Su 15:00-22:00, F Sa 15:00-00:00. Oldest cafe in Sendai. Great coffee. Excellent selection of rock music. Friendly and helpful service. English spoken. (updated Sep 2018) Sendai Coffee Stand, Kokubuncho 1 Chome-3-１２, Aoba-ku, ☏ +81 22-797-1015. 11:00-23:00. A cafe with a backstreet charm. Excellent coffee. Great atmosphere. (updated Sep 2018) Wadiharfu (わでぃはるふぁ), Aoba District, Omachi, 2 Chome -2-2 (from Omachi Nishi-Koen metro station, walk back towards Sendai Main Station; the cafe is a few minutes on the left), ☏ +81 22-225-5241, [email protected]. A cafe with a long history. Named after the Sudanese port of Wadi Halfa, where the owner once spent time. A warm and cosy cafe, rich with character. Excellent coffee. Sushi and light meals.

Alcohol Due to the many universities near the city center, the nightlife in Sendai is excellent for a city of its size. Several small dance clubs on or around Chuo-dori fill with incredibly energetic young people most nights of the week. Kokubunchō (国分町) is the main entertainment district. Full of restaurants, izakaya, bars, hostess bars and strip clubs.

Club Shaft, Dai 3 Yoshiokaya Bldg, Kokubuncho 2 chome 10-11, ☏ +81 22 722-5651. 18:00-late. A DJ/live band club and sports bar pub founded by Julian from England. Great atmosphere. World food and beers. Ha'penny Bridge (Near the east exit of Sendai Station.). M-Sa 17:00-23:00. A Guinness pub. Vilevan (on Clis Road near Sendai Station.). A jazz bar. Free live jazz on Saturday nights. Wadi Halfa (わでぃはるふぁ), 2-2-2 Omachi, Aoba-ku, ☏ +81 22 225-5241. This cafe often has live performances of Indian or African music. E'z Bar, 2-12-19 daisankyoritsuBld. B1 kokubuncho-aobaku. This place is a little hard to find but worth the search. It's within 5 minutes of the big Don Quixote store in Kokubuncho, so don't go too far when you're looking for it. The owner, Hatakeyama-san, speaks perfect English as he lived in New Zealand for a year. Half the fun of ordering a cocktail at this place is watching the bartender cut a block of ice down for your drink!

Sleep

Budget Sendai-Dochuan Youth Hostel, 31 Kitayashiki, Onoda, Taihaku-ku (about 5 km from downtown.), ☏ +81 22 982-0014. Maple Sendai Youth Hostel, 1-9-3 Kashiwagi, Aoba-ku, ☏ +81 22 234-3922, fax: +81 22 234-3923. Sendai Chitose Youth Hostel, 6-3-8 Odawara, Aoba-ku, ☏ +81 22 222-6329, fax: +81 22 265-7551. Miyagi Guest House, 2-1-35 Kakyouin, Aoba-ku (15 minutes from Sendai JR station). Very simple. Convenient location. (updated Nov 2018)

Mid-range Holiday Inn Sendai, 1-4-1 Shintera, Wakabayashi-ku (6 min from Sendai Station.), ☏ +81 22 256-5111. Opened in 2001, this modern, fairly pleasant business hotel is within walking distance of Sendai station (at least if you don't have much luggage). Rooms are small but comfortable, and the breakfast buffet is a notch above the usual. Single room ¥6,500. Hotelcoms Annex Sendai, 2-8-11 Chuo, Aoba-ku, ☏ +81 22 221-8111. Room sizes are above average for a business hotel, each room are equipped with a private windows PC and LCD TV. Single room ¥5,000. 1 Hotel Monte Hermana Sendai, Aoba-ku Kakyoin 1-2-15 (close to the JR station), ☏ +81 22 721 7501. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Tidy and comfortable hotel in the vicinity of the JR station. Public spa visit in the same building included in the room price. Free Wi-Fi. Japanese and western breakfast buffet Breakfast buffet available for ¥1,300. Twin room ¥9,600. (updated Apr 2015) Value the Hotel Sendai Natori (バリューザホテル仙台名取) (on the west side of Route 4 near the border with Natori city). A hotel made out of hundreds of converted shipping containers. On the outside, this is exactly how it looks, but inside it feels like a typical new hotel with standard business hotel-sized rooms and slightly narrow hallways. Includes a very good breakfast buffet. Likely only to be considered by those travelling by car to visit Sendai as the value would be offset if needing to use a taxi, but the location is the closest within Sendai city itself to Sendai Airport. Natori city's large AEON shopping mall and surrounding stores are close. ¥5000. (updated Sep 2018)

Splurge Hotel Metropolitan Sendai (ホテルメトロポリタン仙台), 1-1-1 Chuo, Aoba-ku, ☏ +81 22 268-2525, fax: +81 22 268 2521, [email protected]. Sendai Royal Park Hotel, 6-2-1 Teraoka, Izumi-ku. 2 Westin Hotel Sendai, 1-9-1 Ichibancho, Aoba-ku, ☏ +81 22 722 1234, [email protected]. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00.

Go next

Tagajo Shiogama Matsushima, about 40 minutes away by local train (Senseki Line), is a bay full of tiny pine covered islands and is recognized as one of the three most beautiful views in Japan. Kinkasan, 60 km away at the tip of the Oshika Peninsula, offers light hiking and lots of deer. Walk up the mountain to see monkeys. Stay at the shrine on the island and participate in the morning service (06:00). Shiroishi Ishinomaki Osaki Zao Iwanuma