What to do in Sendai?
Samurai shrines, Japan's scenic bay, a street of a million lights

Picture this: you climb stone steps through a towering cedar forest, and then a mausoleum explodes into view — deep vermillion lacquer, gilded carvings covering every surface, interlocking patterns that took master craftsmen years to produce. That's Zuihoden, the burial site of Date Masamune, the most powerful lord in Tohoku's history. The original 17th-century structure was destroyed in World War Two and fully reconstructed in 1979 with the same Momoyama-era techniques used at Nikko Toshogu — though far quieter and less crowded. The small museum inside uses archaeological finds from the original excavation to tell Masamune's story. Don't skip it.

There are shrines in Japan that greet you with bright orange torii and a cheerful atmosphere. And then there are shrines like Osaki Hachimangu — where the main hall's deep black lacquer and the sudden flash of gold carvings makes you stop walking mid-step. Commissioned by Date Masamune in 1607, it holds the distinction of being Japan's oldest surviving example of Gongen-zukuri architecture (a style where a worship hall and inner shrine are connected under a shared roof). The contrast of sober black against vivid decorative detail is intentional and striking. The cedar-lined approach, the red torii, the silent grounds — it all feels earned. Free to enter, easy to linger.

Japan has an unofficial canon of its three most beautiful views — Amanohashidate in Kyoto, Miyajima in Hiroshima, and Matsushima right here. A sheltered bay scattered with over 260 islands, each covered in wind-bent pines that have been growing for centuries. Edo-period poet Matsuo Basho famously arrived here and was so moved he struggled to write about it. You can see the bay for free from the shoreline promenade, but the 50-minute sightseeing cruise (¥1,500) weaves between the islands and gives you the view that earned the reputation. Combine it with Zuiganji Temple directly next door, and fresh oysters from the stalls by the pier in season (October–March).

Walk five minutes from the Matsushima pier and you reach the cedar-lined approach to Zuiganji — one of those temple entrances that looks better in real life than in any photograph. Founded in the 9th century, it was extensively renovated by Date Masamune in 1609 and remains one of the finest Zen temples in Tohoku. The main hall is a National Treasure. What makes Zuiganji unusual are the caves carved into the rock face along the approach: monks hollowed them out over centuries and lined the walls with Buddhist carvings and stone lanterns. The combination of forest light, carved rock and cedar silence makes this one of the calmest 30 minutes you can spend in the Sendai area.

The actual castle is long gone — most of it burned down centuries ago and was never fully rebuilt. What remains is the stone foundation, the watchtower reconstruction, and — standing watch over it all — a bronze statue of Date Masamune on horseback, eyes fixed on the city he built from this hill. The view is genuinely worth the trip: Sendai spreads below in every direction, and on a clear day Mount Zao's snow-capped peak is visible to the southwest. The Aoba Castle Museum on the grounds (¥700) walks you through the history with good English signage. The hilltop grounds are free to walk any hour.

The reason Sendai earned the nickname "City of Trees" is this 700-metre boulevard with four parallel rows of zelkova (keyaki) trees forming a canopy over the median. In summer, walking under it feels like entering a cool green tunnel. In autumn the leaves turn gold and rust. And in December, every tree along the avenue is wrapped in 600,000 LED lights for the SENDAI Pageant of Starlight — the effect is genuinely dreamlike, and locals bring their families here every year as if it is a ritual. The Sendai Mediatheque building partway along the avenue is worth a look too: designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Toyo Ito, the ground floor hosts free exhibitions year-round.

If you have any flexibility in your Japan itinerary and can be in Sendai on August 6–8, go. The Sendai Tanabata Matsuri is the largest Tanabata celebration in Japan — the shopping arcades along Ichibancho and Chuo-dori are completely transformed by enormous streamers called fukinagashi, some stretching five to eight metres, in every colour imaginable, each made by hand. Stalls spill into the streets, the yukata-clad crowds are thick but cheerful, and every arcade entrance has its own decorating competition. On the evening of August 5, the Sendai Fireworks Festival lights up the Hirose River a few kilometres away. Book your hotel two to three months out if you want this window.

If you like Japanese gardens but find Kyoto's most famous ones exhausting — Rinnoji is the antidote. The Date clan's Buddhist temple sits on a wooded hillside north of the city centre, surrounded by a garden with a reflective pond, maple trees, stone lanterns and a wooden footbridge over the stream. In late October and early November, the maples turn deep red and orange against the temple's dark eaves, and the garden becomes one of Sendai's best foliage spots without any of the queuing that characterises Kyoto at the same time of year. Quiet on weekdays year-round; busier but still manageable on autumn weekends.

Akiu is the rare hot spring resort that actually feels remote while being less than 30 minutes from a major city. The valley follows the Natori River into forested hills; the Akiu Otaki waterfall drops 55 metres down a sheer rock face that turns golden in autumn. Most of the ryokan here offer day-use onsen (called higaeri nyuyoku) for around ¥1,000–2,500 per person — you can arrive, hike to the falls, soak in an outdoor hot spring, eat a kaiseki lunch, and be back in Sendai by early evening. A genuinely restorative half-day that doesn't require packing an overnight bag.

Two experiences that Sendai residents are most likely to mention when they describe why they love their city. The SENDAI Pageant of Starlight fills Jozenji-dori with 600,000 LED lights every December — every zelkova tree along the 700-metre avenue is wrapped from root to crown, and standing underneath the glowing canopy is one of those moments that photographs can only suggest. The actual experience is better. The Godaido Pavilion (五大堂) at Matsushima is a small wooden hall built by Date Masamune in 1604, connected to the shore by a narrow bridge. It's free, takes ten minutes to visit, and delivers one of the most photographed views at Matsushima: an ancient wooden structure balanced above the bay with pine islands behind it.

Every zelkova tree along the 700-metre avenue is covered from trunk to canopy in warm white LED lights for the entire month of December. Walking through the tunnel after dark is one of Sendai's defining experiences — locals treat it as an annual pilgrimage.

Japan's biggest Tanabata celebration fills every shopping arcade with massive handmade paper streamers. The Hirose River fireworks on August 5 add an extra evening highlight. Accommodation books out early — plan two to three months ahead for this window.