The Top Things to Do Around Sendai Station

Often seen as the capital of Japan's far north, Sendai is the perfect stepping stone to the beautiful region of Tohoku. With regular bullet trains between Sendai, Tokyo and other northern cities and popular destinations, Sendai makes for a brilliant place to explore the region. As one of the largest stations in the north, there's plenty to do around Sendai Station itself.

Try the Famous Food of Sendai: Beef Tongue

Sendai is especially famous for its local delicacy of grilled beef tongue, known as gyutan in Japanese. The beef tongue here is super tender and well worth trying while you're in the city. You'll find gyutan restaurants selling Sendai's famous food all over the city, but one of the most famous is Zenjirou, which is has several restaurants including one in Sendai Station.

While beef tongue might seem a little too adventurous for most people, it's honestly just like eating a super tender cut of beef. Once you get past the idea of what it is, the delicious taste quickly converts even the most picky of eaters.

Feast on Sendai's Delicious Zunda Sweets

Made from ground up green soybeans, zunda is a paste that's used in almost anything sweet in and around Sendai. The most famous dessert is zunda mochi, sticky rice cakes flavored with the delicious green paste, however you'll also find a whole range of other popular desserts including zunda shakes, cakes and parfaits. Even if you're just transferring through Sendai Station, you'll find a number of places selling this popular snack there. Head to Zunda Saryo for their delicious zunda shakes and other desserts if you're not sure where to try this tasty sweet treat.

Go Souvenir Shopping

Like all major train stations in Japan, Sendai Station is full of shops selling all kinds of local produce and snacks wrapped in gift boxes or pretty packaging. These souvenir shops sell a range of the most popular snacks from Miyagi Prefecture, many of which feature zunda paste or flavors. You can also find famous products from other areas in North Japan such as from the neighboring prefectures of Yamagata and Iwate.

Stunning City Views at the AER Building

For those who like to scope the scenery of their destination the AER Building is located right next to Sendai Station, offering a observation deck at the 31st floor. From here you can see all over the city and surrounding area, even better, it's completely free of charge. There's also a number of shops such as bookstores and clothing shops that are worth checking out in the building.

Sendai Asaichi Morning Market

Just a short few steps from the west exit of the main station building, Sendai Asaichi Morning Market is wonderful window into local life in Sendai. Featuring produce from all around the local area, homemade foods and snacks
It's a great place to buy a few things to eat before hopping on a train to elsewhere in Tohoku. Although it's called the morning market, you'll find it often opens until much later in the day as most stalls only pack up when they've finished selling everything.