Ai Nishimura
Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.
First day
- From Sendai Station towards Teikyo Mountain
- Savoring Mount Teikyo's specialty, "Triangle Teikyo Fried Tofu"
- "Jogi Nyorai Saihoji Temple" with a hexagonal hall
- Day trip hot spring at Iwamatsu Ryokan, the oldest inn in Sakunami Onsen
- The soft serve ice cream kokeshi dolls are cute, and you can visit the Hiraga Kokeshi doll workshop
Second day
- Soto Zen sect Kongohozan Rinno-ji temple with its soothing garden and ties to the Date clan
- "Kumagaya" - Sendai Dagashi, a sweet maker that has been handed down in the castle town since the Edo period
- A fusion of tradition and food! Lunch at Sendai Tansu's mini kaiseki restaurant "Shokeikaku"
- The Paleolithic forest is right before your eyes! "Underground Forest Museum"
9:00 Rinno-ji Temple: Relax in the gardens of this temple associated with the Date clan
In the Kitayama area of Sendai city, there is a temple with a beautiful garden called Rinno-ji Temple. This is a historic temple with ties to the Date clan, having been founded at the request of Ran'tei Myogyoku Zenni, the wife of Date Masamune, the ninth head of the Date clan.
I visited Rinno-ji Temple in the morning in a light rain. The approach to the temple from the Niomon Gate was like a green tunnel, with the trees reflected on the rain-soaked cobblestones, making it possible to feel the energy of nature. There are thirteen Buddha statues on the side of the approach, and it seems that even just walking along the path will bring you good fortune.
The impressive Japanese garden is well-maintained and tasteful. It is spacious and you can walk around it, and the three-story pagoda and seasonal flowers visible across the pond are refreshing and cleansing to the soul. I felt as if nature was speaking to me about the Zen teachings of being grateful for everyday life.
With so much greenery, you'll forget you're in the center of the city, making this a truly famous temple in Sendai.
Rinno-ji Temple is a temple with a beautiful garden and is associated with the Date clan. I visited in the morning.
Even though it was pouring rain, the approach to the shrine was filled with a brilliant green color.
Thirteen Buddha statues with bold faces are placed along this approach to the shrine. The moss-covered stone statues give a sense of the passage of time.
The area around the main hall is also surrounded by greenery. If you go further in, you will find a garden.
Unfortunately, it was raining when we walked, but the garden was well-maintained and beautiful. The lotus flowers were just starting to bloom that day, and the rain looked great on the ground.
You can stroll around the pond in this stroll-style garden. The scenery of the seasonal flowers and trees, and their reflections in the pond, change depending on the angle you look at them from, and the harmony with the three-story pagoda is also wonderful.
Unfortunately, the rain started to get stronger, so we were able to shorten our stay. If we take a leisurely stroll, we can discover many different plants and scenery. There are many maple trees, so we can expect beautiful scenery in the autumn when the leaves change color.
| Soto Zen sect Kongohozan Rinnoji Temple | ||
|---|---|---|
| address | ： | 1-14-1 Kitayama, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture |
| web | ： | http://rinno-ji.or.jp/ |
10:00 Kumagayaya, a shop selling Sendai Dagashi sweets that has been passed down in the castle town since the Edo period
Sendai dagashi (cheese sweets) have been popular among the common people since the Edo period. They are a traditional sweet that continues to this day as a long-selling masterpiece. There are still Japanese confectionery stores in Sendai that sell dagashi, and the display cases in front of the stores are lined with cute, round, bite-sized sweets.
One of the characteristics of Sendai's dagashi is the wide variety. There are so many varieties that they would not all fit on a plate. Perhaps the spirit of Date Masamune, who was known for his love of flashiness, spread to the common people in this way.
In the Edo period, Sendai, a rice-producing city, produced first-class "hoshii" (rice cakes). Hoshii was highly valued as a preserved food and as a carry-on item during wars, and the hoshii produced by the Sendai domain in particular was so famous that it made its name known throughout the country. Of the large amounts of hoshii produced, mid-range and lower-grade hoshii were used as ingredients for cheap sweets and other items. This is why there are still many cheap sweets made from rice today.
Kumagayaya, a Sendai sweets store, is a long-established store that was established in 1695 and is currently in its 10th generation. It continues to preserve the familiar flavors that are loved by Sendai citizens.
We will stop by a store selling Sendai Dagashi, a traditional sweet from Sendai.
Kumagaya-ya is a Japanese sweets shop that has been making cheap sweets since the Edo period. With over 300 years of history, the shop continues to pass on its traditions along with Sendai's "Date culture."
This is a local Japanese confectionery shop that sells not only cheap snacks but also high-quality fresh sweets and seasonal sweets.
Sendai dagashi has been loved as a snack for children and as a taste of the common people. What sets it apart from dagashi found in other parts of Japan is the wide variety of types. While maintaining an elegant style, they are characterized by the large number of items with different colors and shapes.
(Top left) Usagidama, (top right) Macaron, (bottom left) Umeboshi, (bottom right) Gobokiri. They come in a variety of textures and shapes. They are simple sweets made from rice and wheat.
There are so many varieties that it's hard to decide which one to try first. They all taste great with strong green tea.
Founded in 1695, this is a long-established store that has been in business for 10 generations. The taste and manufacturing methods of Sendai will continue to be passed down.
| Original Sendai Dagashi Honpo Kumagaya | ||
|---|---|---|
| address | ： | 2-2-57 Kimachidori, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture |
| business hours | ： | 8:30～17:30 |
| holiday | ： | Closed on Sundays |
| web | ： | https://kumagai-ya.co.jp/ |
12:30 Fusion of tradition and food! Lunch at Sendai Tansu's mini kaiseki restaurant "Shokeikaku"
"Sendai Tansu" is one of the crafts of Sendai, and is traded as a work of art and is still highly valued today. I came to "Shokeikaku" to enjoy this traditional craft along with food.
Sendai chests are like treasure chests packed with Japanese intricacy, using traditional techniques such as joinery for the base, metal fittings for decoration, and urushi-nuri for applying the lacquer. They were originally used to store swords and personal belongings, and later on were used as everyday storage for a bride's dowry. However, times have changed, and smaller sizes are preferred in modern times, and there are various arrangements of Sendai chests that are not large.
On this day, we enjoyed the "Dresser Sweets Zen," which included sweets stuffed into the drawers of a Sendai chest of drawers and even a simple meal. There were many sweets inside the drawers and doors. There was a variety of sweets that combined Japanese and Western styles, and the ingredients were also inspired by Sendai, such as "Zunda Mochi" and "Apple Compote made with Akiu Wine."
At Shokei Pavilion, you can see beautiful food, meticulously presented dishes, and the traditional craft of Sendai chests, but the highlight of the place is the breathtaking garden and the dignity of a feudal lord's mansion.
Shokeikaku is a relocated mansion of the Date clan, who were feudal lords of Sendai. In addition to the setting and design that show the authority of the Date clan, who had looked down on Sendai as feudal lords for generations, and their pride as aristocrats, the building is extremely interesting in that it was designed to be used in battle, with hidden doors and a high ceiling on the first floor so that a long sword could be swung.
Designated as a tangible cultural property of Sendai, it is well worth seeing as a historic structure that was used as the lodgings of Emperor Showa and as a resting place for the current Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita.
In addition to the original style of serving meals in a Sendai Tansu chest, it can also be enjoyed from a historical perspective, making it a rare spot in Sendai.
In search of "tansu cuisine" to be enjoyed in the former residence of the Date clan. From the entrance, you can see an appearance full of stylized beauty.
Shokeikaku was the residence of the Date Count family built in the late Meiji period and was used until after the war. It was moved to its current location and restored in 1986.
The garden is well maintained and offers a pleasant view.
The main house is a wooden one-story building with some parts being two-story, and still retains many of the original designs, creating a very nostalgic atmosphere. The wooden window frames and old hand-made glass have been preserved intact, making you feel as if you have traveled back in time.
This cultural asset preserves the daily life of the nobility. Highlights include seamless beams made from precious wood and nail covers bearing the Date family crest.
At Shokeikaku, you can eat dishes made with Sendai's traditional craft, the "Sendai chest of drawers." First up, a luxurious meal was brought out for lunch!
And on the table was placed a chest of drawers that had a strong presence. It was a Sendai chest of drawers, with a glossy lacquer finish and luxurious decorations.
Open the chest of drawers... The door to a world of sweets opens.
Every drawer and even inside the door was packed with sweets. There were many Japanese and Western mixes of sweets. It was a fun lunch where you could actually touch the crafts and even enjoy some delicious food.
| Former Residence of Count Date Shokeikaku | ||
|---|---|---|
| address | ： | Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai City, Taihaku Ward, Moniwa, Hitokitanishi 143-3 |
| web | ： | https://shoukeikaku.jp/ |
14:30 The Paleolithic forest is right before your eyes! "Underground Forest Museum"
On the way back from Shokei Pavilion, we stopped by the Underground Forest Museum, which is just a short walk from Nagamachi Minami Station.
This is a museum where you can see what the forest was like in this place during the Paleolithic period.
The term "buried forest" refers to the remains of trees that once grew there and turned into fossils, remaining buried without decaying. There are only three facilities in Japan where you can see these buried forests: Uozu in Toyama Prefecture, Sanbe in Shimane Prefecture, and the Underground Forest Museum in the Tomizawa area of Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. Of the three, Sendai Underground Forest Museum is by far the most easily accessible, being within walking distance from the station, making it a great place to stop by.
Excavations at the Tomizawa ruins, carried out prior to the construction of the elementary school, revealed that there was a forest here approximately 20,000 years ago, that the vegetation was the now extinct "Tomizawa spruce" and other species, and that animals (deer) lived there, as well as the discovery of forest insects. In particular, stone tools broken by human hands were found at this site, and it was discovered that hunting tools were made here and traces of stays (remains of campfires) remain on the ground. At first glance, the exhibit consists of inorganic tree trunks and roots lying around, but it is proof that the activities of people who acted in order to survive and eat are firmly engraved on the site. This is extremely valuable.
These are explained in detail through exhibits and videos, making them feel very real.
The Tomizawa ruins seem to bring the lives of our ancestors back to life in the present day, and to tell us many things. I spent time in the underground forest that emerged after an eternity, stimulating my imagination as to what the world was like 20,000 years ago.
We went to the "Underground Forest Museum," a museum where you can see a Paleolithic forest. Part of the "Tomizawa Ruins" is preserved inside the building.
In 1988, a forest consisting mainly of conifers that existed here 20,000 years ago was excavated. Almost the entire first basement floor is a marshland, and the forest is displayed in its original form, in a unique way.
Here in Tomizawa, a forest of now extinct coniferous trees spread out, and there were traces of deer and insects living there. Because it was a marshland, the remains were submerged under water and were excavated without decomposing.
Not only was a forest discovered at the Tomizawa Ruins, but traces of human activity were also found, such as remains of campfires and re-making stone tools to attach to spears, which are evidence that Paleolithic people were active here. How they acted at this time is explained in an easy-to-understand video based on research and speculation.
The first floor is an exhibition space for materials related to the Tomizawa ruins.
In the museum's outdoor space, there is a "glacial forest" where plants found at the Tomizawa ruins have been restored and cultivated, and you can actually walk through it. It is also worth noting that the plants planted there are from cold regions, as temperatures 20,000 years ago were 7 to 8 degrees lower than today.
| Underground Forest Museum | ||
|---|---|---|
| address | ： | 3-1, Nagamachi Minami 4-chome, Taihaku Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture |
| web | ： | http://www.sendai-c.ed.jp/~bunkazai/~chiteinomori/ |
I used the "Sendai Marugoto Pass" to get a good deal on a trip to places in Sendai that continue to preserve their traditions. I encountered many interesting "things" at the places I visited, and the inquisitiveness, hard work, pride, and desire to convey things of the "people" gushed forth like a spring.
It was a trip that allowed me to experience the crafts and culture that have continued to exist through the years and discover the deep charm of Sendai.
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
