Things to do in Sendai
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Sendai
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Cherry blossom then fresh green, Aoba Matsuri in May, best all round weather.
Jazz festival in September, gorge colour late October to November, oysters begin.
Tanabata August 6 to 8 is superb but hot, humid and very crowded.
Rainy season, grey skies and cloud on the bay and at Okama, the weakest window.
Cold and clear, Pageant of Starlight in December, snow monsters January to February.
What's on
- Dontosai Festival 14 January
Bonfire of New Year decorations and pilgrim procession at Osaki Hachimangu.
- Sendai Aoba Matsuri mid May
Sparrow dancing and a warrior procession for Date Masamune, second to Tanabata.
- Sendai Tanabata Fireworks Festival 5 August
Fireworks over the Hirose River near Nishi Park on the eve of Tanabata.
- Sendai Tanabata Matsuri 6-8 August
Towering paper streamers fill the central arcades, about two million visitors.
- Jozenji Street Jazz Festival September weekend
Hundreds of free stages across the centre with Jozenji dori as the spine.
- Sendai Pageant of Starlight December
Zelkova trees on Jozenji dori lit with hundreds of thousands of lights.
Best things to do in Sendai
Zuihoden
Date Masamune mausoleum in cedar woods, rebuilt with vivid lacquer and gold, plus a grave finds museum.
Sendai Castle Ruins
Stone ramparts and the Masamune statue with the best panorama over Sendai to the Pacific.
Osaki Hachimangu Shrine
National Treasure shrine hall in Date colours set in quiet cedar woods, free to visit.
Rinnoji Temple
Date family temple whose stroll garden and pagoda shine in every season, with few crowds.
Sendai City Museum
Reopened museum of Date armour, portraits and the Hasekura embassy, in the castle third bailey.
Sendai Mediatheque
Toyo Ito glass landmark with free galleries, library floors, a design shop and a cafe.
Jozenji-dori Avenue
Zelkova lined boulevard and city front room, home to the jazz festival and winter lights.
Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium
Sanriku coast aquarium with a huge main tank, sardine spectacle and dolphin stadium.
Where to stay in Sendai
Sendai Station West / Chuo
first trip, day trips, all round base
Loople, tours, station restaurants and the most hotels within a ten minute walk.
Ichibancho / Kokubuncho / Jozenji-dori
evenings, longer stays, festivals
Arcades, Jozenji trees and Kokubuncho dining within walking home distance.
Akiu Onsen
one ryokan night, onsen focus
Gorge side grand ryokan with big baths and kaiseki, 40 minutes from the centre.
Think twice about
- Kokubuncho core bar lanes
Safe to drink in but host club touts and late noise make it a poor place to sleep directly above.
- Matsushima and Shiogama as a Sendai base
Quiet at night with early last trains, so every Sendai sight becomes a commute.
- Far suburban station areas sold as Sendai
Izumi-Chuo and beyond add a long subway ride each way for little saving.
Best restaurants in Sendai
Gyutan Ryori Kaku Vlandome Honten
The connoisseur gyutan house, thick cut charcoal tongue in a proper restaurant room.
Aji Tasuke Honten
Descendant of the 1948 house that invented Sendai gyutan, served plain and classic.
Tanya Zenjirou
Consensus gyutan pick with aged, in house cut tongue and fast, consistent grilling.
Rikyu Sendai Station
Famous Sendai gyutan chain flagship in the station, the easy first lunch off the train.
Senreizushi
Standing sushi counter in the station serving Sanriku fish at below omakase prices.
Sushi Shirahata
Long running Shiogama counter built on the port morning landings, worth the splurge.
Japanese Cuisine e.
Single course modern kaiseki with French technique, Sendai quiet special dinner.
Kotora Sendai Ekimae
Station front seafood izakaya where a mixed group can order across the Sanriku coast.
Outdoor things to do in Sendai
Matsushima Bay Cruise
Fifty minute boat loop among pine clad islets in one of Japan classic scenic bays.
Zuiganji Temple
Masamune Zen temple with painted screens and a cedar avenue by Matsushima Bay.
Risshaku-ji Temple
Mountain temple reached by 1015 stone steps to a hall hanging over the valley.
Akiu Otaki Falls
55 metre waterfall by Rairaikyo Gorge, best paired with an Akiu onsen soak.
Sakunami Onsen Ichinobo
Gorge side day onsen reached by train, with indoor and outdoor baths and a lounge.
Okama Crater
Emerald crater lake ringed by three peaks, reached by the seasonal Echo Line road.
Zao Ropeway
Ropeway up through the winter snow monster fields to the Zao summit station.
Miyagi Zao Fox Village
Wooded enclosure where over a hundred foxes range semi free along visitor paths.
Best hotels in Sendai
Hotel Metropolitan Sendai East
Station connected upmarket hotel with spacious rooms, ideal for train heavy trips.
Richmond Hotel Premier Sendai Ekimae
Business hotel that punches above its price with a guest lounge and strong breakfast.
Hotel Keihan Sendai
Clean, well located cheap bed near the station with no frills and no fuss.
The Westin Sendai
Sendai only international luxury hotel, high floors, big views, spa and full service.
Mitsui Garden Hotel Sendai
Mid tier favourite on Kokubuncho edge with a large public bath and strong breakfast.
Daiwa Roynet Hotel Sendai Ichibancho Premier
Modern Premier business hotel by Hirose dori subway in the shopping district.
Henn na Hotel Premier Sendai Kokubuncho
Robot check in hotel on the arcade with roomy, modern rooms for the price.
Smile Hotel Sendai Kokubuncho
Honest budget floor in Ichibancho, small and dated but clean and central.
Is Sendai expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ¥12,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ¥22,000 a person |
| Splurge | ¥45,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium: a few days ahead
- Sendai Tanabata Matsuri: months ahead
- Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi: a few days ahead
- Matsushima Bay Cruise: a few days ahead
- Sakunami Onsen Ichinobo: a few days ahead
- Okama Crater: a few days ahead
- Zao Ropeway: weeks ahead
- Miyagi Zao Fox Village: a few days ahead
- Book Tanabata hotels and shinkansen seats months ahead.
- Reserve Japanese Cuisine e. and Sushi Shirahata days to weeks ahead.
- Book Zao tours and Akiu ryokan early for peak weekends.
Is Sendai safe?
- Very safe centre, watch for bicycles, ice in winter and August heat.
- On the coast, follow posted tsunami evacuation routes after a strong quake.
- Check tattoo policy at each onsen house before a day bath.
Sendai travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The station gyutan row at noon has the longest queues for the same kitchens.
- Matsushima in two rushed hours is not worth it, give it a full day.
- Do not day trip Sendai from Tokyo if Matsushima or Yamadera is the goal.
Getting around Sendai: public transport and more
- Use the Loople bus for the morning Date sights and the two subway lines after dark.
- Take the Senseki Line to Matsushima-Kaigan, not Matsushima Station.
- Photograph Senzan Line return times before climbing Yamadera.
Who Sendai suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Sendai your trip
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