As the capital of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in northeastern Japan, Sendai is an ideal base for exploring Tohoku. The compact city centre provides easy access to shops and restaurants, and its well-preserved historical sites and architectural treasures testify to its history linked to samurai culture.
Ruins of the castle
The vast ruins of the castle built by Date Masamune, evokes a distant era with the statue of Date Masamune and its horse that overlooks the view from the castle, the restored side tower and the north wall of the main building which demonstrates sophisticated techniques of stacking rocks. See you here for the night scenery and sunrise on Sendai.
Zuihoden
The Zuihoden was built in 1637 to consecrate Date Masamune, the founder of the Sendai clan, and is surrounded by beautiful landscapes, with cherry blossoms in spring, hortensias during the rainy season, colorful autumn foliage and snowy landscapes in winter. It is particularly stunning during the Tanabata festival when traditional decorations and about 1,200 bamboo lanterns are installed to create a fantastic atmosphere.
The Zuihoden Hall was destroyed by fire during an air raid, but was rebuilt in 1979 and restored to its original delicate and colourful appearance in 2001. The Kansenden Hall, the mausoleum of the second feudal lord Tadamune, and the Zennoden Hall, the mausoleum of the third feudal lord Tsunamune, are located on the scene. In the museum you can see precious objects such as funeral accessories.
There are also numerous annual events, such as Mini Ohinasama with Lord Masamune (Hina dolls exhibition in late February and early March), Fantasy Light Night: Zuihoden Tanabata Night (lighting event during the Sendai Tanabata Festival) and Autumn Noh Play (by the Sendai Nohgaku Promotion Association in October).
Sendai Daikannon
On the outskirts of the city of Sendai, in Miyagi prefecture, stands the immense Sendai Daikannon (an immense statue of the goddess of Kannon), the main building of the Daikanmitsuji temple. At an impressive height of 100 meters and located at the top of a small hill, the statue can be easily seen from many places in the city.
Matsushima
Matsushima Bay, dotted with 260 islands, is one of Japan’s three most picturesque bays with Miyajima (Hiroshima) and Amanohashidate (Kyoto). The surrounding areas also offer stunning views from the Otakamori and Tamonzan Mountains and also a wharf from which you can see the islands more closely, just a seven-minute walk from the Matsushima-Kaigan railway station.
Sendai tanabata matsuri
The Sendai Tanabata Festival is a beautiful summer tradition that takes place every year from August 6-8 in Sendai, a central city in the Tohoku region of Japan. The Tanabata festival is known as one of the three main festivals in the Tohoku region, alongside the Nebuta d’Aomori festival and the Kanto d’Akita festival. Every year, local and international visitors flock to Sendai for Tanabata and the impressive fireworks.
Getting to Sendai
In Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, it takes about 1h30 to reach Sendai Station via Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa and Hayate.
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