Miyagi

Sendai:

Sendai's Kabukicho is called Kokubuncho. Here you'll find the escort bars but also some fun places to eat and drink.

getting around:

The Loople bus goes to the main tourist spots in Sendai, including the Aoba Castle site (there is no actual castle there), Date Masamune's Mausoleum, Sendai Museum, Tohoku University's Museum of Natural History, Miyagi Museum of Art. Only for the most hardened tourist. Buy a day pass rather than individual tickets.

Easy-to-understand link for Sendai City buses (Japanese):

http://www.donto.co.jp/timetable/citybus/bus_d_result.cgi?SW=51&BL=G0000000&DC=W&TG=C

You just find the destination stop, then choose the stop you're getting on at.

to stay:

Superhotel - on Jozenji Dori. Cheap business hotel with breakfast included.

eating and drinking:

Blair House - in the basement under 141 building. Does pasta relatively cheaply and well, has a sister restaurant Marine Blair in Marine Gate, Shiogama.

Chef - behind City Hall is probably the best price/quality combination in Sendai. 1000 yen for a French style set lunch with soup, bread, main course (meat or fish), dessert, and coffee!

Japanese restaurant under the Kenmin Kaikan is stunning. Waitresses in kimono, running water, old ladies doing lunch. Perfect Japanese experience for visitors. Set lunches ranging from 1000-3000 yen are very good.

Casa del Sol - great mexican place right across from the AER building. Beers are a little expensive so do a nomi-hodai.

Umai Sushi Kan - best sushi in Sendai. No english menu (may be available upon request). A chain store, but the one near Mitsukoshi is the best.

Thai Meishi Garden - ground floor of Bivi building, out the back of Sendai station. Great viking buffet and nomi-hodai deal available. NEWS FLASH - rumours abound that this restaurant has closed!! (15th February 2008) Investigations ensue!

Namaskar – Indian food. Now has two branches – main one is on Minami Machi Dori, south west of Sendai station, smaller branch is in the BiVi building out the back of Sendai station. Nice staff and Sunday lunchtime buffet specials available.

Elephant Magic – in Kokabuncho. Cheap nomihodai so long as you order some food (Izakaya style). Great atmosphere.

Osamu's Kitchen – Kokabuncho. Good for large parties. Great food.

Samba Samba (Samba X2) – Kokabuncho – also good for large parties and does a cheese fondue to die for.

(Fiore) Cow Bell – famous for Ke-ki Viking – all you can eat cake, for the uninitiated. Pay ￥1500 for about 1hour 5mins of cake stuffing and tea and coffee on tap. The cakes are top quality, but you may be best to go for the new ke-ki set - ￥1000 for coffee/ tea and 3 cakes if you don’t want to be throwing up later. The toilets (in the adjoining Gas Salon) are the fanciest in Japan. Times: 10-4 Sat and Sun only for the Viking. At the exit for Hirose-Dori subway marked Gas Salon. Gets very popular.

– vegetarian curry restaurant opposite Nishi Koen, on the way to the International Centre. Very small (about 12 seats) and just one guy working there so a reasonable wait for the food but so worth it. Food is set meal – two choices of curry, naan, rice and salad for ￥1,200. Menu is in Japanese but the guy speaks English.

Rose Garden – yakiniku on Bansui Dori opposite and a little down from the Green Shamrock. Nice party atmosphere, though extra numbers on a pre-booked party will have to pay full price.

Shaft – part owned by a British ex-ALT and a crazy Australian. In Kokabuncho, perfect place for clubbing. Frequent special party nights and early bird nomihodais available. Also shows most big sports matches, often live – e.g World Cup, Champions’ League, etc. http://www.clubshaft.com/kt/

shopping:

Yamaya – foreign food and cheap alcohol. A godsend! Lots of branches – e.g. Izumi, Taiwa, Kamisugi, Rifu. Delivery service available.

Jupiter – foreign food and loads of teas and coffees. Booze is not so cheap. On the ground floor of Sendai station. Often plays British radio while you shop.

fun:

U-Para – entertainment centre extraordinaire! Pay ￥70 per 10minutes for loads of different kinds of entertainment - videogames, bowling, massage chairs, table-tennis, darts, karaoke, gambling machines, etc, etc and even a bucking bronco! Basic food and drink (some alcohol) available. You need to join and the system is difficult – but so worth it! It is on the main road between Izumi and Yaotome subway stations. Big car park. Open 24 hours. Tel: 0120-988-883

general information:

http://www.sira.or.jp/english/foreigner/lifein/lifein.html - online version of Life in Sendai with all sorts of useful information on city gyms, recycle shops, discount ticket booths, bus passes, etc.

http://www.aliasnet.com/group-niji/ - lot of generel info for visitors and those living there.

Matsushima:

One of the three most scenic spots in Japan. Take a boat trip around the bay or visit the fantastic shrine.

http://travel.independent.co.uk/asia/article1154054.ece

Kinkasen Island:

Near Ishinomaki, a nice place for the more adventurous. There are deer and monkeys and a shrine.

Akiu:

Akiu hot springs is great for onsens, as there are many hotels and Japanese-style inns that have onsens. Some of the public onsens have the absolute hottest water as it is 100% spring water, as opposed to hotel onsens which dilute their baths down with the tap stuff. Of course the atmosphere at the hotel onsens is great and most will allow anyone to enter until sometime between 4 and 6pm. If you're squeamish about being near other naked bodies, you'll probably want to stick to the hotel type, as public onsens are usually small and intimate.

Akiu also has great falls, the Akiu Handicrafts Village where people can make their own handicrafts and a scenic walk along the fabulous deep gorge.

Easily accessible by bus from Sendai, though the falls are a few km up the road (not walkable from town centre).

Naruko:

A hot springs resort and also a great place for onsens, Naruko is famous for Kokeshi dolls, and people can buy one or even make one themselves.

Naruko Gorge is beautiful in the autumn and has a great hiking path inside the gorge - watch your step as the path becomes very narrow and there are no railings.

Fuurin - restaurant which has awesome Chinese Gyoza and Ramen that's famous all over Miyagi. The Gyoza are HUMUNGOUS!! It's along Route 47 towards Naruko. Just before downtown Naruko (coming from Furukawa), turn left after the ENEOS gas station on your left. It's on your right and there is a Pachinko place across from it. Map: http://www.mapion.co.jp/c/here?S=all&F=mapi3131903061101123501

(Furukawa is towards the right, Naruko towards the left)

Zao:

The Okama crater lake is very beautiful when it's not cloudy. Also Zao heartland, has farm animals roaming around, seems to be free unless you want to ride a horse. The best way to get there is catch the train to Shiroishi and then the bus all the way up to the crater. There's only 3 a day and it takes about an hour and a half. The road is closed from November to April/May due to the snow.

The 'Snow Monsters' at Zao are best viewed from the Yamagata side. Catch a train to Yamagata city, then a bus.

Oshima:

Great little island off Kesennuma. Famous for hosting the Miyagi-ken leavers party. Go camping on the beach in wood huts.

getting there:

http://homepage3.nifty.com/osm-kk/html/frame/frame3.htm - ferry home page with prices (Japanese but easyish to work out)

Activities:

Sendai Tanabata Festival - August 6th-8th. The largest Tanabata festival in Tohoku and one of the most famous throughout Japan. The big decorations are in the covered pedestrian shopping arcades and are different every year.

To find out about all the activities and much more in Miyagi, download from the official site: http://www.ajetmiyagi.com/pmwiki.php/ImportantInformation/WelcomeBook

Park Golf - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_golf

Hiking:

There are many great places with trails for hiking within a short distance from the city. These are compliled by Jim Dochtermann - contact him for more fuller details. jdochtermann@yahoo.com

Note: If venturing out bring at least a litre of water per person, rain gear and a map. Please let someone know where you are going.

Omoshiroyama

Cluster of small mountains just in Yamagata prefecture. 45 minute train ride from Sendai on the JR Senzan line (Omoshiroyama Kogen). Popular ski spot and also a treasure trove of nature, trails and peaks with spectacular views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Try to catch a glimpse of the volcano Gassan. There are two mountains - Kita and Minami and two spectacular river walks -one to Yamadera and the other more challenging one leads south deeper into the mountains. Easy to find, right in front of the station and up the metal staircase.

Yamadera

The ascent to the top of this mountain temple area is more of a stroll. Great destination for a day trip but not a hike by any stretch of the imagination.

Futakuchi Gorge

A stunning river gorge just beyond the Akui area. Catch a bus from Ayashi station (Senzan line). Futakuchi Onsen is just up the road of the trail head. West of the onsen a small parking area has a map. Futakuchi is the confluence of two rivers - the northern has a trail following it up far with other trails branching off to the river or to Daitodake. Bizarrely beautiful area - enormous tree root systems straddle enormous boulders in the middle of the river. Thousands of waterfalls cascade from every direction. A rewarding but physically challenging route is to just follow the river up on the bed - ideal during a dry season. The trails are connected to the area that includes Omoshiroyama and Zao.

Mt. Daitodake

Nice, well-marked trails and decent work out without being overwhelming - about five and a half hours. There's a spot to refill on pure mountain water about 1000 metres up. The summit has decent views and the autumn colors are great.

Okunnikawa

40 minute train ride from Sendai on the JR Senzan line but the service is limited. Right off the train is a campground with stores/facilities, though people camp along the gravelly riverbed. There's several river loops along the top of the gorge or closer to the water. There's lots of little trails and suspension bridges, crystal clear water and lush vegetation. Beware: the suspension bridges hold only 2 or 3 people at a time! The trees and plant life are very diverse. The trails are not difficult. A path south of the train trestle leads up a mountain via a stream trail. It becomes vague but stick to the stream bed - the banks are steep slopes. More of a workout.

Banzan and Gongenmori Mts

Two separate mountain ranges in the Ochiai / Kuryu area (NW Sendai). Close but separated by villages. Take the JR Senzan line to Rikuzen Ochiai, 20 minutes from Sendai.

Banzan Mt

A small temple on top and a nice view of Sendai. A network of trails that go up and down in several places as well as a short ridge trail that connects the Banzan peak to a higher one. The highest peak doesn't have a view, but there's a beautiful, old forest with gigantic trees. Look out for mountain goats. A good spot to see Autumn colors. The ridge trail heading east leads to a beautiful Buddhist temple (Daibaiji temple), a Zen rock garden and dozens of interesting Buddha statues.

Gongenmori Mt

Offers a network of well-kept trails, not as easily accessible as Banzan. Also has a small temple on top of one of the peaks with a view of Sendai (and the big, white Dai-Kannon statue). Exit the station to the south, walk to the main road (Rte 48) and turn left (the railroad will be parallel). Walk for about 10 mins until you see a metal foot bridge on your left. Cross the bridge and turn immediately right, then left at the top of the little hill, onto a larger road. Follow the road for 5 mins until you see the train tracks on your right and rice fields beyond. There's a stone marker with engraved kanji and a sign warning about the train tracks. A little path heads up and over that will take you to the trail head. Or walk further down, under the tracks, to a small parking area with trail signs.

Jogi-san and the mountains beyond, leading to Funegata

Take a bus to the Jogi temples. One is very old and the other is new (and big). The town is small and known for aburage (fried tofu). Get there early morning to avoid large crowds. Just beyond the temples a road leads into the mountains. Check out the map, or follow this road and connect with hiking trails along the way. During times of low water levels, walk in the river bed. There's a meeting of two rivers at one point that flows through an incredible gorge.

Mt. Funegata

A beautiful mountain with fabulous forests, best approached with a car. Several ways to hike the peak, check the map. There is a free (and beautiful) campsite (with bathroom facilities and grill houses). From that campsite, a three plus hour hike to the top. The trail is in decent shape and very well marked.

Mt. Kurikoma

A truly fantastic spot though a bit of a jaunt from Sendai. A great place to camp. Terrific scenery: extensive beech forests, rivers, waterfalls, and rare (for Japan) wetlands sporting the famed mizubasho (skunk cabbage) and other sorts of plants and flowers.

Getting around:

An old (2000) now defunct MAJET website which contains some useful information -

http://members.tripod.com/MiyagiAJET/new_page_2.htm

At school vacation times and Golden Week you can buy one day travel passes for ï¿¥1000 unlimited travel on the subway, miyagi koutsu and sendai city buses. You can buy them from subway stations and bus ticket offices. They also have discounts on local attractions, restaurants, etc from buying the pass.

Links

http://discoverjapan.ajet.net/wiki/index.php?title=Miyagi

http://www.ajetmiyagi.com