SENDAI city

Since the Edo period, when Date Masamune built Sendai Castle, the area has been known as “Sendai” and has been a center of cultural and economic development. Although it is an ordinance-designated city, it contains many traditional buildings, a rich natural environment, and historic hot springs. Various events, including the Sendai Tanabata Festival, are held here throughout the four seasons.

SHIOGAMA city

In the spring, Shiogama Sakura cherry blossoms bloom at Shiwahiko-jinja Shrine and Shiogama-jinja Shrine, a nationally designated natural monument. In the summer, the extravagantly colored gozasen boat crosses the bay with over 100 other ships. In the autumn, the leaves change color, and, in the winter, you can enjoy Sanriku Shiogama Higashimono and the abundant seafood that is offered in Shiogama, which boasts some of the biggest catches of fresh Pacific bluefin tuna in Japan. Shiogama is a seaside town that can be enjoyed all year round.

NATORI city

Natori River runs to the north of Natori; the Pacific Ocean lies to the east; Sendai Airport sits to the south; and Yuriage Harbor, which has prospered since the Edo period, is situated at the estuary of the Natori River. Natori has many historic resources—such as Tohoku’s largest keyhole-shaped burial mound, Raijinyama Kofun, and Natorikumano-sanja: three shrines that have stood since the Heian period. As a fishing harbor and the entrance to Tohoku, Natori is an area where food, history, and many enjoyable experiences await.

TAGAJYO city

Along with the Heijo Palace Remains in Nara Prefecture and the Dazaifu Remains in Fukuoka Prefecture, the Tagajo Remains comprise one of the Three Great Historic Remains of Japan. Many ruins, shrines, and temples in addition to the Tagajo Monument, which is one of Japan’s three ancient monuments, and a monument that Matsuo Basho is said to have visited in The Narrow Road to the Deep North remain here. Why not take a tour around the Tohoku region’s ancient political capital and experience the romance of history?

IWANUMA city

As a hub for traffic to the Tohoku region since ancient times, Iwanuma was a post town on the old highway, and it flourished as the town around the Takekoma Inari Shrine and the castle town of the Iwanuma clan. In the Edo period, the Abukuma River, which flows to the south of the city, developed the city as a center for water transport. Today, transport has shifted from the rivers to the skies, and Sendai International Airport fills the river’s role. As it was in the past, the city of Iwanuma continues to be a place where people gather, come, and go.

HIGASHI MATSUSHIMA city

Higashi-matsushima includes the largest island in Matsushima Bay, Miyato Island. If this is your first visit, try climbing Mt. Otakamori, which is in the middle of the island, to enjoy one of the Four Great Views of Matsushima Bay. From the summit, you can see the blue of the sea and sky, and, if you are lucky, you can see the Blue Impulse aerobatic team racing through the sky. Encounter beautiful blue scenery that will leave you mesmerized.

MATSUSHIMA town

Together with Amanohashidate in Kyoto and Miyajima in Hiroshima, Matsushima is one of Japan’s Three Most Scenic Spots. With many cultural heritage sites such as Zuiganji Temple and Godaido Temple, Matsushima was once visited as a sacred ground, and, since the Edo period, it has enchanted its visitors with its picturesque scenery: the more than 260 islands, large and small, that float in Matsushima Bay and the changing nature of the four seasons. The area is also blessed with plentiful seafood, and it has been well known since long ago for its prosperous oyster cultivation.

SHICHIGAHAMA town

With the Pacific Ocean to the south and Matsushima Bay to the north and east, Shichigahama is surrounded by the sea on three sides. Jutting out as if to cradle the bay, the peninsula that the town lies on features seven beaches, from which the name of the town is derived (Shichigahama means seven beaches in Japanese). Since the Jomon era, the town has thrived alongside the sea, and more than 50 shell mounds and ruins—including the Daigigakoi Shell Mound, the largest shell mound in the Tohoku region—have been found here. Shichigahama, the smallest town in Tohoku, features beautiful scenery and a rich bounty from the sea.

RIFU town

Rifu is a town with a long history of nashi pear cultivation, and it boasts a flourishing industry of oyster, nori, and wakame seaweed farming in its two fishing ports. Blessed by its natural environment, the town is home to a variety of parks that can be enjoyed in all seasons and many famous cherry blossom spots, which crowds of tourists come to visit in the spring. Rifu also has a sports park that hosts international soccer matches and many famous artists from Japan and overseas. All kinds of events are held there throughout the year.