September Itinerary Idea Day 1 (Miyagi Prefecture Day 1)

Table of contents

Introduction

1.Zuihoden

2.Sendai Castle Ruins

3.Osaki Hachimangu

4.Walk around Jozenjidori

5.Sendai Toshogu

6.Mutsu-Kokubunji Yakushido

Introduction

There are three national treasures in Miyagi prefecture (Osaki Hachimangu Shrine, the main hall of Zuiganji Temple, the back of the warehouse, and the corridor). However, Miyagi Prefecture has no World Heritage Sites. The first day is a sightseeing route centered around Osaki Hachimangu, a national treasure.

Start at noon

Lunch

First is lunch. We will eat local cuisine “Harako-meshi” (we can also Gyutan-yaki (grill beef tongue) of “local dishes loved by the nation”) and dessert “Zunda mochi”.

Afternoon sightseeing

From Sendai Station West Exit Bus Terminal No. 16, take the city circulation bus “Loople Sendai” for sightseeing. If we take “Loople Sendai”, we can efficiently visit most of the sightseeing spots in Sendai city, and the one-day pass is Yen 630, which is a bargain. The service is every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends and holidays. It takes about 70 minutes to go around in one direction.

The sightseeing spots that we can visit in “Loople Sendai” are listed in order from Sendai Station. Please start Sendai Station around 13:00 and arrive at Sendai Station around 15:30.

https://loople-sendai.jp/en/

All buses of “Loople Sendai” will be suspended from August 30th (Monday) to September 12th (Sunday), 2021.

If the suspension of “Loople Sendai” continues, an alternative plan such as using a rental cycle will be required.

https://docomo-cycle.jp/sendai/en/

With Docomo Bike Share “Date Bike”, you can buy a one-day pass (charge Yen1,048) at a convenience store. It is an electrically assisted bicycle.

1. Zuihoden

(13 minutes from Sendai Station by “Loople Sendai”, get off at Zuihodenmae)

It is a mausoleum of Date Masamune, the founder of the Sendai domain.

https://www.zuihoden.com/en/

2. Sendai Castle Ruins

(10 minutes from Zuihoden by “Loople Sendai”, get off at Sendai Castle Ruins)

Sendai Castle does not have a castle tower, but it has been selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Castles by the Japan Castle Association.

https://www.sentabi.jp/guidebook/attractions/78/

3. Osaki Hachimangu

(20 minutes from Sendai Castle Ruins by “Loople Sendai”, get off at Osaki Hachimangu)

Osaki Hachimangu is designated as a national treasure building as the only remains in Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

https://www.oosaki-hachiman.or.jp/pop/

4. Walk around Jozenjidori

(12 minutes from Osaki Hachimangu Shrine, “Loople Sendai”, get off at Jozenjidori City Hall)

We can return to Sendai Station by bus from Jozenji-dori, but it’s about a 15-minute walk (a little over 1km), so why not come back while taking a walk?

5. Sendai Toshogu

(9 minutes walk from JR Toshogu Station)

Outbound to Sendai Toshogu

Return trip to Sendai station

There is about one Senzan Line every 15-20 minutes.

The deity of the Sendai Toshogu Shrine is Ieyasu Tokugawa. It is a national important cultural property.

http://s-toshogu.jp/en/

6. Mutsu-Kokubunji Yakushido

(4 minutes walk from Yakushido Station)

Outbound to Mutsu-Kokubunji Yakushido

Return trip to Sendai station

The Tozai Line runs once every 6 minutes.

Mutsu-Kokubunji Yakushido was rebuilt in 1607 by Date Masamune. It is a national important cultural property.

Dinner

We eat bonito, sardine, salmon, pacific saury, tuna, and abalone, which are seasonal seafood in September, at Japanese restaurants, sushi restaurants, small restaurants, and izakaya.

The brand of bigeye tuna is “Sanriku Shiogama Higashimono” (season is September-December). “Kinka bonito” (seasonal May-September), “Kinka mackerel” (seasonal September-January), and scallop (seasonal September-May) landed at Ishinomaki fishing port are also in season. If you find it in, please try it.

(Note: The departure / arrival times and fares for transportation listed in the text are as of the time of writing the BLOG. They may change in the future, so please check for yourself when you go on a trip.)