HISTORY IN CITY

Nihonbashi is a famous historical area of Tokyo. Now dominated by fancy department stores and shopping complexes, you get can a glimpse of traditional Japan through specialty stores. We grated katsuobushi (bonito flakes) at Ninben! We also made a hanko (name stamp), and staff helped us select kanji to represent our names.

The food was good! The service was fine, atmosphere was relaxed. We sat on the patio, and even though it was raining that day, sitting next to the river created an enjoyable atmosphere.

Meiji Jingu is a beautiful shrine, though not too ancient, shrine that should be on everyone's Tokyo list. Parts of the shrine were under renovation when we visited, but that didn't dampen the atmosphere at all. The construction was covered with tarps printed to look like the shrine, very cool! Loved the tree that is two but looks like one and the ema (wooden plaques) with wishes on it. We were lucky and happened to see a miko (girl working at the shrine) demonstrating how they create their elaborate hairdos.

Nezu Museum has a large, elaborate Japanese garden, the perfect place to stroll about. If you can time it to see the changing leaves or cherry blossoms, it's even more beautiful. Inside the museum, the space is beautiful and relaxing. Exhibits change periodically, but the Buddhist statues and sutras were particularly good.

The Teyandei-Omoya's vibe is cool, like a hidden restaurant. The service was fine, and food is an interesting twist on traditional izakaya fare. At the exit, they offered a choice of a fizzy bath tablet (nyuyokuzai) or candy, I chose the nyuyokuzai, so cool! Never been offered that at a restaurant before.

Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo is a modern-looking hotel with a very nice lobby. The room was clean, very nice. It's small of course, but that is normal in Japan. The bathtub was a good size though, made use of the fizzy bath tablet I picked up at Teyandei-Omoya.

The Shinkansen bullet train is fantastic, fast and clean. No cumbersome security or check-in procedures, just grab your ticket and get on board. The vibrations are like a lullaby to me, it's so comfortable that I usually fall asleep quite fast. There is plenty of leg room even for me (I'm 6'5''/195cm tall)

Zuihoden is a complex of elaborate, Buddhist-influenced building built to house the remains of the renowned and powerful lord Date Masamune who ruled Sendai and two of his descendants. It's really spectacular. The decors themselves are studies in Buddhist art. A museum on site houses historical artifacts, including Date Masamune's hair.

Gyutan is beef tongue, which is not very popular in America. But I advise giving it a try, the way they prepare it in Japan it's delicious. Gyutan offered a thick-cut beef tongue, a specialty in Sendai.

Castle is a bit of a misnomer, they have some gates and buildings, but it's mostly the ruins of Sendai Castle. Numerous statues, including a giant eagle that was knocked off it's pedestal, are great for taking pictures. The ruins site is on a hall, and the views of Sendai are spectacular. You can even see the Sendai Daikannon (the huge Kannon statue) in the edge of Sendai city.

The building design is fascinating, really worth seeing. Instead of traditional beams, its supported by “tubes” and a honeycomb steel flooring. The tubes each have a function, like hosing stairs of ventilating the building. A double glass “skin” makes for efficient heating and cooling. Sendai Mediatheque houses a library and other civic endeavors like a paper recycling project that is just getting started.

Ichibancho is the main shopping road leading to Sendai Station. You can find the usual “shotengai” favorites, like restaurants, local stores and an arcade or two.

Good food, service, sake. Really like nakaochi, it's rare to eat that. Our set course meal was a veritable feast that we couldn't quite finish. One of their signature dishes is seri nabe, a Sendai specialty featuring a parsley-like vegetable. It's a good way to eat some green vegetables!

The room was very nice, clean. Breakfast was a buffet, really good! One unique feature was a smart phone in the room that you can use to surf the net for free of charge.

Riding on a bike and touring temples was one of the best parts of this trip. Temples were beautiful, obviously we toured the best ones – Syorakuji, Koshoji, Yakushido. Foliage was beautiful also.

Taiyouro is a Chinese restaurant that is quite popular with the locals. Fans of B-kyu gourmet should try the mabo yakisoba, a dish that combines Chinese classic mabo tofu with yakisoba, Japan's ubiquitous pan-fried soba noodles.

I am a whiskey fan, and this place was so much fun. Nikka comes from the name of a local river. The founder, Masataka Taketsuru chose the spot to build a distillery because of the natural conditions (they're similar to Scotland) and access to top-quality water from that river. Accordingly, the grounds are beautiful, even saw some swans lounging by a pond. The distilling process is of course filled with Japanese craftsman-style quality and attention to details. Best part? The free samples following the tour!

Kokeshi are one of the traditional crafts in the Akiu area. We tried kokeshi painting here. Kokeshi look simple, but are actually quite difficult to paint well. The basic idea is grab the brush, take some cues from the masterpieces lining the shelves around you, and go to work.

Rairaikyo is a natural gorge that features gorgeous trees, moss-covered rocks and a stunning view down to the crystal clear river below. They even have ashiyu, a hot spring for your feet so you can warm up. I recommend bringing your own towel!

Wow really love this hotel. From the second you walk in, the design is eye-catching. A huge indoor pond teeming with carp leads to a garden in the inner courtyard. The room I had was a mix of Japanese and Western-style, featuring tatami and sliding doors. The dinner was kaiseki ryori, a wide variety of super fancy Japanese dishes, and it was great – especially the Sendai Kuroge Wagyu （Japanese black） beef.

We went to the big waterfall before the school, and also an Ashura temple. They were both beautiful, I would love to spend a day hiking near the waterfall basin.

At the Sendai 3/11 Memorial Community Center, one woman who survived the tsunami, told us her story and showed us around. She was wonderful, hearing the story first-hand was incredibly valuable. It's a sad event, I felt it was important to learn about how people survived and recovered from a major disaster.

Kaiten sushi is so much fun! Our tour guide handled the ordering from a tablet, and it was thrilling to grab our plates off the conveyor belt as they came around. Sushi was good and they had a wide variety, including some creative ones like plum/mint leaf.

Sendai Tourist Information Desk must be good for tourists, because staffed with a helpful woman that spoke English and Chinese. They offer brochures and maps that explain Sendai site and attractions in English.

This temple was unique because it's located in a shopping mall. It seems to have a devoted following, a few people showed up to bow before the Ashura while we were there.

Sake vending machine is an interesting concept. There was a line when we arrived, seems like the locals also enjoy cups of nice sake for just ¥100!
*Prices are for travelers at the time of use.

I cannot imagine to ride the Shinkansen without buying ekiben! It's basically food packed in a box that's easy to take with you and eat on the train. I had one that was half gyukalbi (beef over rice) and half unagi (eel).

Overall it was a fun tour. Getting a taste of Tokyo and digging in to Sendai was a nice balance between big city and northern Japan. I'm glad that my companion Aubrie is an experienced traveler and added the Akiu waterfall to our itinerary, it was really great. I enjoy being out in nature, so I could have stayed longer and done some hiking! I would love to do another tour.