Sendai

Sendai (仙台) is the largest city, with around 1 million people, in the Tohoku region of Japan's Honshu island and the capital of Miyagi prefecture. As everyone here will tell you, "Sendai is not too big and not too small, it's very convenient and it's close to both the sea and the mountains."

Sakunami hot springs area of the city has a separate article.

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. The city is the most educated in the region - you can expect better English support than other cities.

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.

Winter temperatures rarely dip below zero Celsius, and 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, (average high in August is 28 °C (82 °F) until September, which brings typhoon season. Most of the typhoons do little damage, having dissipated somewhat on their travel north, but fall on Sendai as very heavy rainstorms, following one another in close succession.

For those who prefer dry sunny weather, autumn is the most reliable time for pleasant conditions in Sendai. In October, the weather becomes clear, dry and sunny, though cool, usually throughout the month and sometimes well into November. Daytime temperatures hover around 18 °C, with cooler nights. Rice harvesting is done at this time, while the fields found just outside the city are golden.

Tourist information site

Get in

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) mainly functions as a domestic airport with regular flights from Sapporo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Okinawa and Kanazawa(komatsu). However, there are also a few international flights from neighboring countries, such as South Korea, Taiwan and China.

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.

JR East also maintains an airport limousine bus between JR Sendai Expressway station (East Exit Stop 71, West Exit Stop 63-1) and Sendai Airport No.2 bus stop. From JR Sendai Station East Exit (add 10 minutes for West Exit), it operates at 10:20am, 1:20pm and 4:20pm on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, taking about 47 minutes and costs ¥800 (¥8400 for children). It is primarily aimed at travelers carrying significant amounts of luggage. From Sendai Airport, the airport limousine bus operates at 9:05am, 11:45am, 3:25pm, and 6pm, on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, taking about 45 minutes to Sendai Station West Exist and costs ¥1000 (¥500 for children). Additionally, the bus departing from Sendai airport makes a stop at the Sendai Prefecture Office City Hall, whereas the inverse is not true.

In 2016 Sendai Airport was the first airport in Japan to be privatized. Thus, the number of low cost carrier (LCC) flights and number of destinations are expected to increase.

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 and Aomori.

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 the 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 limited express and GranClass fare has to be paid (¥13,990 from Tokyo). Without a rail pass, "GranClass" costs ¥19,930 between Tokyo and Sendai.

The Joban Line runs between Sendai and Tokyo, and was fully repaired after the 2011 earthquake in March 2020. Some services of the limited express Hitachi (ひたち) terminates at Sendai, though as a non-high speed service, the entire journey takes about 4.5 hours from Tokyo to Sendai.

By bus

Many highway buses run to Sendai from various locations in the Tohoku region.

JR Bus Tohoku and Tohoku Kyuko bus operate highway bus service to Sendai from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. There are five daytime trips and one overnight trip. Each run takes 5½ hours at a cost of ¥6,210.

Same companies also run a line to Niigata across the mountains. There are five or six daytime buses that run for 4 hours and cost ¥4,500.

An overnight bus service also runs directly from Yokohama and Shinagawa, costing ¥6,500 from Yokohama (6½ hours) and ¥6,200 from Shinagawa (5¾ hours).

Kintetsu runs an overnight bus service, the Forest, from Osaka and Kyoto to Sendai. The one-way ride costs approximately ¥12,000 and takes 12¼hours from Osaka and 10¾ hours from Kyoto.

Willer Express is a company with nightly bus services to Sendai from Tokyo. With English online booking service.

Meitetsu runs an over night bus service from Sendai to Nagoya. Departure time is 21:30 and arrival in Nagoya is 07:00.

By boat

Taiheiyo Ferry (太平洋フェリー) (Japanese) +81-22-259-0211. Offers overnight car ferries to Nagoya (21 hr 40 min) and Tomakomai (in southern Hokkaido) (15 hr 20 min) on the SS Ishikari and SS Kitakami.

Getting there: Ferry terminal is a ten-minute taxi ride away from Nakanosakae Station (中野栄駅) on the JR Senseki line (仙石線). The terminal is also not far from the Sendai-ko kita (仙台港北) interchange on the Sendai Tobu Highway (仙台東部道路). For further details, check out the ferry website.

Get around

Sendai Area Pass & Marugoto Pass

Sendai offers two unlimited local travel passes: the 1-day Sendai Area Pass (available for foreign temporary visitors) and the 2-day Sendai Marugoto Pass (available for everyone).

The passes provide unlimited travel on local JR Lines, the Sendai Airport Access Line, the Sendai City Loop Bus (Loople Sendai), Sendai City Buses, the Sendai Subway, the Miyagi Kotsu Bus between Sendai Station and the Akiu Otaki onsen town, and the Abukuma Express Line.

The Sendai Area Pass provides discounts at several attractions and museums (typically the group admission fee), whereas the Sendai Marugoto Pass provides discounts at a variety of restaurants, stores and hotels, and a small number of attractions and museums (fewer than the Sendai Area Pass).

The Sendai Area Pass can be purchased from the JR EAST Travel Service Center (The 2nd Floor of JR Sendai Station) upon presentation of a valid foreign passport and temporary visitor landing permission. The cost is ¥1,320 for adults and ¥660 for children.

The Sendai Marugoto Pass can be purchased at ticket vending machines for reserved JR seats, JR East Travel Service Centers and JR Ticket Offices across Japan and the Sendai Airport Station ticket vending machine. The cost is ¥2,720 for adults and ¥1,350 for children.

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 and opened in December 2015.

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 5pm. You can buy a day ticket, Sendai Area Pass or pay as you go through an IC card.

Travelcards (commony called "bus cards" both in English and Japanese, although they could be also used on subway) are available, offering slight discount -- ¥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 14:0/, they are called Date Bike, you will need Internet access to rent one.

A few interesting cycling itineraries can found on the Date Bike website, explanations are in Japanese but 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)

  • 🌍 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. Note that the museum has been closed for renovations since June 2023. (updated Jan 2024)
  • 🌍 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)
  • 🌍 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)
  • 🌍 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)
  • 🌍 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. 
  • 🌍 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 29 and 30th floors, which is open and free to the public. 
  • 🌍 Sendai City Museum (仙台市博物館), Kawauchi 26 (get off the train at JR Sendai station; take city bus for Dobutsukoen-junkan, Aobadai, Miyakyodai (Miyagi university of education), Naritasan, (via Aoba-dori Ave.) at 9 depot of the Sendai bus terminal; it takes about 10 minutes to Museum/International center's stop; the museum is 3 minutes walk from the stop). Houses a range of items relating to the city's history. Note that it is closed for renovations until approximately April 2024. (updated Jan 2024)
  • 🌍 Yagiyama Zoo (八木山動物公園). Elephants, lions, bears, tigers! Mingle with the rabbits. Coin lockers available. ¥400, ¥100 for kids. 
  • 🌍 Bansui Sōdō (晩翠草堂), 〒980-0804 宮城県仙台市青葉区大町1-2-2, ☏ +81 22-224-3548. Tu-Sun 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. The former residence of Bansui Doi, a famous poet and scholar of English Literature in Japan, but generally unknown to non-Japanese. Best known for writing the lyrics to "Kōjō no Tsuki" (荒城の月, "The Moon over the Ruined Castle"). (updated Jan 2024)
  • 🌍 Sendai (Aoba) Castle Ruins (仙台城跡), ☏ +81 22-225-3074, fax: +81 22-225-2558. Often recommended by locals, though there isn't much to see beyond the old castle walls and a nice view over the modern city. There's a replica of a gate and a statue of the founder of the city, Date Masumune. However, the ruins of Sendai Castle is the theme of a famous poem written by Doi Bansui called 'Kojo no Tsuki' - 'The Moon over the desolate castle'. In the poem, the author touchingly invites us to reflect on the impermanence of all life, which is represented by the ruins of the once great castle caught in the light of the full moon. The poem has been put to music and is famous throughout Japan. There is a food court and a small museum on-site. (updated Jan 2024)
    • Aoba Castle Honmaru Museum (本丸会館). A small one-room museum and theatre dedicated to the Aoba Castle & Masamune Date. A 15-minute historical documentary on the castle and Masamune Date is shown every hour. The exhibition and film are exclusively in Japanese, and the museum is of little interest to non-Japanese speakers. Museum ¥700 (¥500 with Sendai Area Pass). (updated Jan 2024)
  • 🌍 The Museum of the Forest of Depths of the Earth (地底の森ミュージアム), 4-2-1 Nagamachi-Minami, Taihaku-ku, ☏ +81 22-246-9153. The museum of the stone age. In the museum, restoration exhibition of that time is carried out based on the data discovered from public presentation and there are the ruins of 20,000-year-old Saki's Old Stone Age unearthed from Tomizawa ruins (富沢遺跡). ¥400, ¥200 for students, ¥100 for kids. 
  • 🌍 Tohoku University Botanical Gardens (東北大学植物園), ☏ +81 22-795-6760. Spring Equinox Day until November 30. Botanical garden with 800+ species, with a focus on willows and alpine plants. ¥230 for adults, ¥110 for children. (updated Jan 2024)
  • 🌍 Zuihoden (瑞鳳殿), 23-2, Otamayashita, Aoba-ku (by car: approximately 20 minutes by car from Sendai Miyagi IC (parking available free of charge); by bus: take a Loople Sendai bus from the West Exit of JR Sendai Station (BusPool No.15-3) and get off at the Zuihoden-mae bus stop; or, take a city bus (BusPool No.11) or a bus of Miyagi Transportation Co. (BusPool No.12) from the West Exit of JR Sendai Station and get off at the Otamayahashi bus stop), ☏ +81 22-262-6250. 09:00-16:00 or 16:30. Mausoleum of Date Maasamune, first lord of Sendai Domain. Zuihoden was designed in the ornate style of the Momoyama Period. The original complex was destroyed during World War II, but has been rebuilt and is located in a dense forrest (which fortunately survived the war - many of the trees are over 300 years old). It features intricate woodwork and a rich variety of vivid colors. Massive cedar trees surround the paths in the area, and are meant to symbolize the long history of the Date clan. A museum beside the Zuihoden main building shows some of the personal artifacts of the Date family, and even some specimens of their bones and hair. ¥550. (updated Jan 2024)
  • 🌍 Tohoku University Museum of Natural History (東北大学総合学術博物館, Tōhoku Daigaku Sōgō Gakujutsu Hakubutsukan), ☏ +81 22-795-6767. Showcases a wide array of specimens from the university's research in earth sciences, featuring complete skeletons of a Stegosaurus, Fukuiraptor, and a Sei whale, alongside a comprehensive collection of fossils and minerals that illustrate 2 billion years of evolution and Earth's changes. Free. (updated Jan 2024)
  • 🌍 Sankyozawa Electric Centennial Museum (Sankyozawa 100 Year Electric Historical Center) (Tohokudenryoku Sankyozawa Denki Hyakunenkan, 東北電力 三居沢電気百年館), 16 aza Sankyozawa, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, ☏ +81222615935. Tu-Sun 10am-4pm. The birthplace of hydroelectric power generation in Japan and features a functioning century-old hydroelectric plant (operating in a demonstration capacity) that remains connected to the power grid. In addition to being able to view the hydroelectric turbines in operation, a small museum and children's exploration area is on-site, albeit in Japanese-only. Immediately adjacent to the hydroelectric facility is the Sankyozawa Traffic Park and a Shinto shrine. Note that the museum frequently hosts visiting engineering delegations so don't be surprised if the museum suddenly gets crowded. Free. (updated Jan 2024)

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. 
  • 🌍 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. 
  • 🌍 Sankyozawa Traffic Park (三居沢交通公園, Minamikoizumi Traffic Park), 1 Sankyozawa Aramakiaza, Aoba-ku, Sendai, ☏ +81222215059. Tu-Sun 9am to 4pm. An unusual park intended for children and school groups to learn traffic rules in Japan in a simulated city environment, complete with traffic signals and pedestrian walk signs. Free bike rentals are available for children. Free. (updated Jan 2024)

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
  • 🌍 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
  • 🌍 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. 
  • 🌍 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. A la carte is also available. 
  • 🌍 Oden Sankichi (おでん三吉), 4-10-8 Ichiban-cho, Aoba-ku. M-Sa lunch and dinner. 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. Bowl of oden ¥500. 
  • 🌍 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. 
  • 🌍 Mitsukoshi Food Court. The department store food court is an excellent place to sample Sendai's specialties. 
  • 🌍 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. 
  • 🌍 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. 
  • 🌍 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 22 213-7654. Excellent Italian restaurant near Zuihouden (the mausoleum of Date Masamune). Lunch: 11:30 - 14:30; dinner: 18:00 - 21:00. Palinka has occasional concerts on weekends. 
  • Namaskar (ナマスカ), ☏ +81 22 257-7702. Authentic Indian restaurant with two locations. One in the BiVi building (opposite Yodabashi Camera) directly behind Sendai station, on the 4th floor. There they offer an extensive and reasonably priced buffet lunch on Sundays from 11:00-15:00. The other is on Minamimachi-dori. There they occasionally show Indian films and music videos on a large screen and carry a buffet lunch on Saturdays. 
  • Tirol (チロル). Great Italian on Clis Road, or just west of Izumi-chou Subway Station in the north. 
  • Hummingbird (ハミングバード). Italian in Hotel Universe on Ichibancho-dori. Known for its fresh pasta. 
  • Benitora Gyoza-bo (紅虎餃子房). Chinese dishes (spicy). Located to the north of the AER building by Sendai station. Cross the pedestrian bridge and look for the big red kanji (means 'red tiger'). 

Vegetarian
  • Yuki Kitchen Consultant's Biologic Restaurant Potimaron, 30-11-1 Kongosawa, Taihaku-ku, ☏ +81 22 244-6275. Vegetarian and macrobiotic. 
  • Fredrick Pantry, 3-10-1F, Kitame Machi, ☏ +81 22 715-8950. A shop and small restaurant specializing in organic and vegetarian food. 
  • O-hisamaya (おひさまや) (from Sendai station, walk towards E-beans; continue walking straight so that you pass the Monterey Hotel and until you see an underpass tunnel on your left; turn right there (a beef tongue restaurant is at the corner), ☏ +81 22 224-8540. M-F 11:30-14:30 and 17:00-19:30, Sa 11:30-14:30. Walk straight for a minute or two. The place is just after a CoCo curry shop. O-hisama restaurant has vegetables for sale out front.). Vegetarian/Organic restaurant Small place. Atmosphere is very warm and the food is awesome. 

Halal
  • Zam Zam, Aoba ku, Futsuka machi, 17-19, Dai 3 Abekatsu biru (near Tohoku University Hospital), ☏ +81 22 224-4326. Lunch: 11:30 – 15:00; dinner: 17:30 – 22:30. Reasonable lunch time buffet. 

Drink

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)

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. 
  • Ernie's Bar, 1st floor Social Building, Aoba-Ku Kokubuncho 2-1-11 (near Hotel Richfield). Tu-Su 18:00-05:00. A good bar in Kokubuncho frequented by foreigners with whom one can have a decent conversation. The owner and manager, Ernie, creates a cozy and relaxed atmosphere with his own mix of funky jazz, soul and house. 
  • 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! 

Learn

Buddhist Meditation
  • Rinno-ji Temple (輪王寺), 1-14-1 Kitayama, Aoba-ku (bus: "Kitayama - Shiheimachi line," get off at "Rinno-ji mae"), ☏ +81 22 234-5327. Zazen (meditation) meetings are held every Sa 18:30-20:00. Instruction is given in English and participation is free. Wear loose fitting clothing. 

Japanese language

Sleep

Budget

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. 
  • 🌍 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

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
Routes through Sendai
Shin-Aomori ← Ichinoseki ← Kurikoma-Kōgen ← Furukawa ←  N  S  → Shiroishi-Zaō → Fukushima → Tokyo
Morioka ← Matsushima ←  N  S  → Shiroishi → Fukushima
END ←  N  S  → Natori → Sōma
Morioka ← Ichinoseki ←  N  S  → Shiroishi → Fukushima
Ishinomaki ← Matsushima ←  N  S  → into → into → Iwaki
Yamagata ← Tendo ← Sakunami ←  W  E  → END


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