Destinations

Sendai

"The largest city in the Tohoku Region, Sendai has a cosmopolitan atmosphere and is full of things to see and do. Fantastic shopping and a very lively entertainment district couple with interesting sights make the city a great place to spend a couple of nights"

Alastair Donnelly - Director

The largest city in the northern part of Japan’s main island, Sendai is a pleasant and airy city with a modern face and a good deal of history. The wide downtown boulevards host a range of shops and cafes, whilst towards the edge of the city in the green hills are a number of important cultural sites. Chief amongst these is the brightly coloured mausoleum of Date Masunume, a celebrated local Shogun.

Sendai castle, or Aoba-jo as it is known, is presently being painstakingly reconstructed. It is worth visiting the site just to see how the restoration work is done. The views of the city from the outer walls and an interesting computer animated film about the castle in the exhibition hall are also highlights of a visit here. Sendai’s main sights can all be reached by the handy “Loop” bus that does a circuit of the city.

The Tanabata Matsuri is Sendai’s big annual event, held from 6 to 8 August this festival celebrates an ancient Chinese fairytale about two lovers who could only meet when the stars Vega and Altair met in the Milky Way. The dates are somewhat out of synch these days, but the city celebrates in style with street decorations and parades and fireworks. It is traditional, and nowadays very fashionable, to don a colourful yukata and take part in the street dancing.

A short train ride from Sendai is the small town of Matsushima - the island studded bay found here is one of Japan’s “official” top 3 sights and is quite impressive even if the colourful characterisations of the many rocks jutting into the sea are slightly hard to believe. There are various boat trips around the bay and the small town of Matsushima makes for a pleasant stroll.

Sendai is connected to Tokyo by the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) in just under 2 hours. This fast, ultra-modern line will eventually lead all the way to Sapporo in the north. For the meantime however you can use it to make a day trip to Hiraizumi where you will find the famous Golden Temple of the north.

Products featuring Sendai...

Small Group Tour

A Northern Soul

To the North-East of Tokyo the Tohoku region stretches out for some 700 miles, a gentler Japan than that of the western coast; one characterised by its paddy fields, ancient mountaintop monasteries, friendly rural towns and villages. A Northern Soul will connect you to a Japan few tourists visit.

14 Nights: £2650

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Self Guided Adventure

Festivals of Japan

Japan’s many festivals or 'matsuri' are always a feast for the senses, with three of the most spectacular taking place in the Tohoku region of northern Japan every August. Come and celebrate the summer!

10 Nights: £1254

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Self Guided Adventure

Northern Highlights

When the famous Haiku poet Matsuo Basho set off on his pilgrimage to the North he was to discover rural Japan, a land of lush landscapes and rich in legend. As you journey through the pilgrimage towns of Tohoku and on to remote Sado Island you’ll experience some of the same Japan as the great poet.

14 Nights: £2480

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