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Cover photo: Rinnó-ji gardens in Sendai
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Sendai is the capital city of Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region (northeast Japan), with over a million inhabitants. The city is also known by the nickname “City of Trees” and was founded in 1600 by Date Masamune - a famous Japanese daimyo (a high-ranking noble who governed a certain territory). Masamune wore a helmet adorned with a crescent moon, and this symbol was often seen during our wanderings around the city and its surroundings. On March 11, 2011, Sendai and much of Miyagi Prefecture were struck by a powerful earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.
Sendai struck me as a pleasant city - just the right size, with fewer people and tourists than in Kyoto, Tokyo, or Nagoya. There were hardly any visible traces of the 2011 earthquake, and everything functioned as it should. We also didn’t experience any earthquakes during our stay. We were accommodated practically right next to the main station in a hotel from the APA Hotels chain. You do pay for the location and the hotel’s standard - a double room cost about €42 (which was the most expensive accommodation of our trip). However, the room was tiny, suitable really only for two Japanese people, not Westerners. We spent three nights in Sendai, and our two main tourist destinations in the region were Matsushima and Yamadera.
Matsushima (translated to “pine islands”) is a group of about 260 small and large islands near the city of Sendai. Matsushima is considered one of the Three Famous Views of Japan; the other two are Miyajima near Hiroshima (which we visited in November 2016) and Amanohashidate, which we hope to visit in the future 😊.
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| Crossing the bridge to Godaidó temple on a small island |
Matsushima welcomed us with quite pleasant weather, and the islands are fascinating. Every tree is labeled and monitored for its growth. Some of the small islands also have shrines on them. The first place we visited was Oshima Island, which features various monuments carved into the rocks and picturesque views. The island is close to the mainland and is connected by a typical red bridge. In the past, the caves on the island were used by monks for meditation. At the harbor, we bought tickets for a boat tour around the islands - and it turned out to be a pretty fun ride. Some of the islands have truly fascinating, even bizarre rock formations that looked like they were sculpted by nature's own imagination.
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| Zen garden of Zuigan-ji temple |
After the boat cruise, we visited one of the most famous Zen temples in the Tōhoku region - Zuigan-ji. The temple was used by Date Masamune starting in 1609. In front of the temple, there are tall cedar (pine) trees as well as stone-carved monuments and Buddhist statues. The temple complex also includes a museum where we viewed artifacts from the time of Date Masamune.
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| Vending machines welcome you to Matsushima |
One of the largest islands in the bay, accessible via a 252-meter-long red bridge, is Fukuurajima. On the island, there is a botanical garden, a small temple, a teahouse with ice cream, and more beautiful viewpoints.
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| Anyone up for some oyster ice cream? (they even had pizza) |
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| Daruma - wooden figurines for wish fulfillment |
After picking up a few souvenirs to remember our visit by, we made our way back to Sendai..
Japanese gardens
The next day, our destination was Yamadera, a mountain temple complex west of Sendai. But before that, we stopped at the Japanese garden of Rinnō-ji Temple.
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| Sendai tranquility |
The temple was founded in 1441 and served, as expected, the Date family clan. We actually didn’t go inside the temple itself (I’m not sure if it’s open to the public), but the main attraction here is its beautiful gardens. And I must say, these are definitely the most beautiful Japanese gardens I’ve ever visited.
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| Three-story pagoda at Rinnó-ji temple |
It was Sunday morning, the weather was beautifully sunny, and we were practically alone as we strolled through the gardens. A pond with koi carp and water lilies, stone pathways, beautifully maintained flowers, shrubs and trees, stone lanterns, little bridges with a pagoda in the background - wouldn’t you want such an oasis of peace at home? Anyone visiting Sendai should not miss this enchanting place.
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| 100-meter high statue of goddess Kannon protects Sendai |
Yama-dera (translated as "Mountain Temple") is a complex of shrines and temples founded in the year 860, accessible by climbing 1,000 steps. I have to admit, I was quite apprehensive about those steps at first, but the overall climb wasn’t as demanding as, for example, the hike to the summit of Fushimi Inari in Kyoto.
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| Yama-dera and me |
Since the weather was great, the climb was fairly easy and offered beautiful opportunities for photos and videos. The path up is lined with towering cedar trees, stone lanterns, fascinating rocky formations, and various moss-covered memorials and statues. From the lookout at the top, there’s a stunning view of the entire valley.
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| A bit scary looking shrine of Vinnie the Pooh, dedicated to children I assume |
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| Risshaku-ji gate Niómon |
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| Statues of Jizō, guardian of children |
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| A hand-drawn map of Yamadera in front of the train station, with descriptions of all the points of interest, local shops and restaurants. In both English and Japanese. Hats off. |
Summary: I definitely recommend visiting Sendai and its surrounding areas to anyone planning a trip to Japan. You can get there from Tokyo by Shinkansen in an hour and a half. From Sendai, it’s just a 30-minute trip to Matsushima and about an hour to Yamadera. In Sendai, the Rinnō-ji gardens are top-notch, and the city also offers plenty of options for shopping, entertainment, and dining. By the way, I recommend the view of the city from the terrace of the AER building right next to the station - the entry is free (you just have to find it first☺).
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