This mountain road extends from Togatta Onsen in Miyagi Prefecture to Botaira Highland in Yamagata Prefecture, running 26 kilometers through the Zao Mountain Range. The road is closed from early November through late April for snow, but when it opens the snowy walls of winter remain, until they give way to the green of summer, then the lovely leaves of Autumn, letting you enjoy the year-round beauty of Zao on your drive.

Matsushima Shimameguri Kankosen cruises offer scheduled trips on large ships, setting out from the Matsushima Coast, for 50-minute cruises in which passengers can enjoy viewing the Matsushima Islands, which have traditionally been ranked as one of the “Three Views of Japan.” For an additional charge, passengers can relax and enjoy the views from the luxury seats on the ship’s upper deck. Other island cruises using medium-sized and small-boats (for groups of at least 15 passengers and at least 12 passengers respectively) are also available; because these boats have a shallower draught than the larger Nio-maru, they are able to follow different routes, giving passengers a closer look at the Matsushima Islands.

Numbered among Japan’s three most famous waterfalls, Akiu Great Falls is an impressive waterfall six meters across and 55 meters high. A pedestrian path along the river brings visitors close to the falls, where they can hear the roar of the water and feel the white mist produced as they view the impressive sight of powerful torrents falling from the cliff. In autumn, the Akiu Great Falls forms a beautiful scenery with the background of colored maple leaves, which attracts many visitors as well.

Opened in 2001, the Ishinomori Mangattan Museum has eagerly adopted and employed the “Manga Declaration”, which represents the creative ideals of Shotaro Ishinomori regarding the expressive potential of manga (comics) as a media. In addition to entertaining and animated displays, standard exhibits, special exhibition rooms, and an original animation theater, this museum even offers you the opportunity to try animation for yourself. The plentiful content is overwhelming. About 10 minutes by car via Ishinomaki Kanan Interchange on the Sanriku Expressway.

Ths temple is known for the hauntingly beautiful “Candle Festival” that takes place on August 15. It is said to have been founded by Taira no Sadayoshi, who protected a statue of Amitabha bequeathed to him by Taira no Shigemori and escaped the purge of the Minamoto Clan. In 1706, Hayasaka Genbei, a subordinate’s descendant, became a monk by the name of Kanrensha Ryonen and established the temple. It’s about a 45-minute drive from the Sendai-Miyagi Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway.

Zuihoden, the mausoleum of Date Masamune who died in 1636 at the age of 70, was built at his request. It consists of the main shrine, hall of worship, place of mercy, and Nirvana gate, conveying to the present the characteristics of luxurious and elegant Momoyama culture. Although it was designated as a National Treasure in 1937, it was destroyed by fire during the war in 1945. It was rebuilt in 1979, and large renovation works were carried out in 2001, and the beautiful colors were restored.

Sendai Anpanman Children’s Museum & Mall is an interactive participatory facility where visitors can have fun seeing, touching, and experiencing. Visitors can have fun meeting and interacting with friends from Anpanman, and there are also goods and food shops, a restaurant salon. The facility has a sense of security for parents with its place for strollers, coin lockers, and a spacious baby room. It is approximately 15 minutes by car from Sendai-Miyagi Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway.

This is a shrine created in 1607 by the feudal lord Masamune Date. The shaden, comprised of the honden (or inner sanctuary), ainoma (which is also called ishinoma-zukuri) passageway, and haiden (or hall of worship) was designated as a National Treasure in 1952 for being the only remaining structure of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Worshippers deeply believe that the deity enshrined here wards off evil and calamities and invites good luck, as well as helps to gain victory or have easy childbirth. It is known for its Matsutaki Matsuri festival, the largest New Year’s event in all of Japan. New Year’s decorations and amulets are burned and the event is also called Dondo-yaki because of the intensity of the fire. The shrine is also famous for its “Hadaka Mairi” when half-naked worshippers form a procession to the shrine in the winter. Visitors can access the shrine by taking a bus that leaves from in front of Sendai Station, getting off at the Osaki Hachimangu-Mae stop and walking for five minutes.

This shrine, located about 10 minutes by car from Iwanuma Station that worships the god of golden snakes. It has been introduced by the media as a power spot for good fortune, and has gathered faith since long ago as a god of business prosperity, good fortune with money, warding off evil and bringing luck, as well as maritime safety. In the precincts there is a historic peony garden with 1,500 bushes planted, in the season of colorful wisteria and azalea in the middle of May, the “Flower Festival” is held and the shrine is crowded with many visitors. Also, there is a soba kitchen using shrine underwater spring water to make freshly made soba noodles that visitors can enjoy in the rest area.

The Nikka Whisky Sendai Plant is second only to the Yoichi Distillery among Nikka’s distillation sites. The plant is located at the joint of Hirose and Nikkawa rivers. Founder Masataka Taketsuru, known by the nickname “Massan,” particularly praised the qualities of Nikkawa River, and it is said he made his decision to build a factory there immediately. At the distillery, visitors can see Nikka’s whisky production process, including touring the plant and distillation columns. There’s also whisky sampling in the guest hall, and soft drinks for those who cannot drink alcoholic beverages.

Shiroishi Castle is a flatland-style Japanese castle in the city of Shiroishi, just a 10-minute walk from Shiroishi Station. The castle was used by the Date clan of the Sendai Domain but then the Katakura clan were hereditary retainers of the castle for 260 years from after the battle of Sekigahara until the Meiji period. At the start of the Meiji period the castle was demolished by Ordinance for the Disposal of Castles but in remembrance of the achievements of Date Masamune’s senior retainer Katakura Kagetsuna, the three-story keep and two gates were faithfully restored in 1995. Shiroishi Castle has around 400 cherry trees (in Masuoka Park). It is a famous cherry blossom spot that attracts a lot of tourists around mid-April.

The Jyogi Tofu Shop—founded in 1890—uses soy beans and natural bittern when hand-making tofu with the traditional production techniques for each product, including firm tofu, silky tofu, and three-cornered fried tofu. The three-cornered fried tofu is particularly popular—you can watch them fry it up for you.

Inari Shrine in the center of Iwanuma City, is located about an 11 minute walk from Iwanuma Station. It is regarded as one of Japan’s three main Inari shrines, and is also known as “Takekoma Inari”. The shrine was established in 842, when Ono no Takamura was sent as the new lord of Mutsu who also wrote for the ogura hyakunin-isshu poems. It is a popular shrine with the first or second most visitors worshipping the god of food, clothing and shelter for the first prayer of the year every year. In addition, the “Hatsu Uma Festival” is held for seven days from the first Uma (horse) day (the seventh day of the twelve horary signs) of February (lunar calendar). The festival represents the first sign of spring and the shrine bustles with many visitors from both within and outside the prefecture.

Shiogama-jinja Shrine is known for its shiogama cherry tree that has been designated as a Natural Monument of Japan. The main enshrined deities are Shiotsuchinooji, Takemikazuchi-no-kami and Futsunushi-no-kami, but the details before the Edo period are not very clear. Construction of the current shaden (main building) was completed in 1704, and 14 buildings including the honden (main shrine) and haiden (hall of worship) and the stone torii gate have been designated as National Important Cultural Properties. The deities are believed to answer a variety of prayers including those for safety at sea, success in catching fish, protection and easy delivery during childbirth, traffic safety, and for protection against misfortune. The deities are revered by the locals, and regardless of the type of prayer they will make their way to this shrine.

Zuiganji Temple is a temple founded by the priest Jikaku Daishi in 828 that belongs to the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism headed by Myoushin-ji Temple. After the temple fell into decline during the mayhem of the warring states, the feudal lord Date Masamune began restoration work in 1604 and four full years later the hondo (main temple building) was renovated to conform to Momoyama-style architecture. At that time it was officially renamed as Matsushima-Seiryuzan-Zuigan-Enpuku-Zenji. Sights to see include the Kuri, the Zen kitchen where meals were prepared in the past. This so-called kitchen has been designated as a National Treasure for its beauty.

A supermarket in Akiu closely tied to the local community. Ohagi sweet rice balls and ready-to-eat side dishes alone make up half of the store's annual sales. The ready-to-eat corner is filled with the store's renowned Akiu ohagi and around 5,000 of these popular, tasty treats are sold on a given weekday. The store also boasts a record of 25,000 ohagi sold in a single day. The store sells standard anko sweet bean, kinako toasted soybean flour, and sesame seed ohagi in packages of varying number. In addition, from October to May, the store also sells unusual natto fermented soybean ohagi.

"This Shinto shrine, located next to Toshogu Station on the JR Senzan Line, is one of many Toshogu shrines dedicated to the great shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu built across the country. Established in 1654 by Date Tadamune, the second lord of the domain, the shrine is believed to grant worshippers better luck, protection from misfortune, familial tranquility, success in academic endeavors, business prosperity, and certain victory in competitions. Out of the many Toshogu shrines across the country, only the Sendai Toshogu Shrine and the Toshogu shrine in Nikko have main shrine buildings which are adorned with decorations made of the ""seven treasures"" - gold, silver, pearl, silver, agate, lapis lazuli, crystal, and coral. The main shrine building, along with several other structures on the grounds such as the Karamon gate which is only opened during the shrine's annual festival on April 17, are designated National Important Cultural Properties."

The market of Shiogama Port boasts one of the largest volumes of fresh tuna nationally, and offers an abundance of fresh seafood and produce. There are also five areas in the hall to eat and visitors can buy their favorite seafood and create their own original Kaisendon (seafood and rice bowl), or have the seafood purchased cooked at BBQs available to be used freely. It is approximately 15 minutes by car from Rifunaka Interchange on the Sanriku Expressway.

This market is located in Matsushima Fugendo, Matsushima-machi. It houses various shops selling seasonal live fish, fresh fish, frozen fish and sushi. The restaurant serves sushi, seafood rice bowls, Matsushima oyster burgers and the limited availability sharks’ fin ramen as well as other kinds of ramen and seafood skewers and so on.

10 minutes by car from the Sendai-Miyagi Interchange, this Sendai City municipal observatory is located in Nishikigaoka, Aoba Ward. It was relocated and rebuilt in the suburbs of Sendai City in 2008. It features a planetarium, 1.3 meter-diameter Hitomi telescope, and exhibits that let you observe the universe through models and videos. You can experience planetarium programs like “Kids Time” with notable children’s characters, enjoy excellent Saturday night entertainment in “Night Planetarium”, and participate in events like star-gazing or workshops.

This is a commercial facility in Wakabayashi Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. It has been opened as a “food kitchen” near Sendai City Central Wholesale Market. The inside of the store is bright and has a sophisticated atmosphere like a European market. There are 31 selective stores providing goods such as fresh fish from Sanriku and Matsushima, processed fish products, local agricultural produce, and other product goods and the center is crowded with many shoppers every day. Seasonal seafood direct from the production area is especially recommended. The center is perfect for lunch offering a seafood-on-rice bowl (kaisendon) with a large amount of fresh seafood and a restaurant where visitors can taste authentic Sendai beef tongue.

This temple is about a ten-minute drive from Kunimi Station on the JR Senzan Line. It's also known popularly as Sendai Daikannon after the 100-meter-high statue with this name. Built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Sendai municipal system and to wish for prosperity in the 21st century, its foundation reaches 21 meters underground. Daikokudo with its red torii gates is also on the grounds. It honors Aburakake Daikokuten and is known as a matchmaking spot. Every month on the 18th, Kannon Bodhisattva's festival day, they hold lectures that expound the teachings of Buddhism in an easily accessible way. Anyone interested in Buddhism can participate for free. They also hold pet memorial services.

This rest house is located at the summit of Mt. Zao in Kuraishidake kokuyurinchi-nai, Shichikashuku Town, Katta County. It features a shop, a rest area, restaurants, and other facilities. The restaurant’s specialty is its kama-katsudon set meal, which features pork cutlets served on rice in a stone pot. It also offers a number of set meals featuring the flavors of Miyagi for groups of 10 or more.

Located on Itsutsubashi-dori Avenue at the entrance to Tohoku University, Murakamiya Mochiten is a long-established mochi shop dating back to 1877. The “zunda mochi” which makes use of Tohoku’s famous “zunda” is popular. They continue a method of careful work unchanged since the founding and reduction of sugar to bring out the original sweetness of zunda (mashed boiled green soybeans). Popular items include the three-colored mochi with three flavors: sesame, chestnut, and zunda. Additionally, sweet zunda of every fashion, like daifuku, kuzu-manju, and the summer-limited shaved ice “zunda milk” are popular.