Sendai
Matthew Baxter 
Sendai (仙台) is one of the biggest cities in Tohoku. It is not an essential visit, but offers cheap accommodation and many side trips. There are also some interesting things to do in the city if you have some spare time between traveling.
Budget travel tips
- Head up north to the World Heritage site of Hiraizumi.
Places of interest
Matsushima
A real cultural heritage of Japan. Matsushima is a beautiful bay with lots of little islands and temples to visit.
Sendai Castle Site
Not much of the castle remains, but there are some cool statues, castle towers and a few cheap museums.
Open: All day
Price: Free
Zuihoden
A stunning red and gold building, and the resting place of the cities founder, Date Masamune.
Open: 9:00-16:30 (Feb-Nov), 09:00-16:00 (Des-Jan)
Price: Adults 550, Children 200-400 yen
Rinno-ji Temple
A rather pretty Japanese garden with a three-story pagoda and interesting temple buildings including a Japanese tea house.
Open: 8AM to 5PM
Price: 300 yen
Jozenji Street
Trendy street with modern and old sculptures, frequent events and festivals plus lots of places to eat. It’s just north of Hirosedori station on the Sendai subway line.
Goddess of Kannon (FREE)
The sixth tallest statue in the world, with great views over the city. More info here.
How to get there
With the Japan Rail Pass
From Tokyo station, take the JR Shinkansen (JR bullet train) to Sendai station (90 mins).
Without the Japan Rail Pass
Get a bus with Willer Express (click link at the top for English).
