Sendai Fall Travel Guide: City Walks, Fall Foliage, and Hot Springs in the City of Trees

In September, live music can be heard throughout Sendai. During the Jozenji Streetjazz Festival, locations across the city become stages, including the zelkova-lined Jozenji-dori Avenue, parks, shopping streets, and plazas.
One of the festival’s attractions is the chance to walk from one area to another while listening to a wide variety of genres, not just jazz. Explore Sendai in early fall while enjoying both sightseeing and music.

The Sendai Michinoku YOSAKOI Festival fills the city with excitement in fall. Performance venues are set up across central Sendai, including Kotodai Park and Jozenji-dori Avenue, where teams dance with naruko clappers to routines incorporating regional folk songs.
Parade-style performances are also held on Jozenji-dori Avenue, and comparing the music, costumes, and choreography is part of the fun. Walk through the city and immerse yourself in the festival atmosphere.

As the trees change color in November, it is worth venturing beyond downtown to take in the fall scenery.
At Zuihoden, colorful architecture meets brilliant foliage, while Akiu Great Falls and Rairaikyo Gorge offer views of leaves brightening the surrounding valleys. Continue to Sakunami Onsen to soak in a hot spring while admiring the natural scenery along the upper Hirose River.
After touring the foliage, warm up at a hot spring tucked away in the mountains.

Jozenji-dori Avenue is a major thoroughfare symbolizing Sendai, the City of Trees. Four rows of zelkova trees extend for about 0.4 miles, offering seasonal scenery from fresh green leaves to fall colors.
Also located along the avenue is the glass-fronted sendai mediatheque, a center for art and visual media. Take a leisurely walk along the promenade with a cup of coffee and appreciate the greenery, which feels surprisingly close for the heart of the city.

Built by order of Date Masamune, the former site of Sendai Castle is now a park where visitors can trace the castle’s history through its stone walls, the reconstructed side turret of the Otemon Gate, and the earthen wall north of the gate.
The park is home to the equestrian statue of Date Masamune, one of Sendai’s best-known landmarks, which is illuminated at night. After exploring the castle ruins, stop by the Aoba Castle Museum to learn more about the former castle through authentic artifacts and computer-generated reconstructions.

Osaki Hachimangu Shrine, the guardian shrine of Sendai, was moved to its present location by order of Date Masamune. Its National Treasure shrine buildings, considered masterpieces of Momoyama-period architecture, are the main highlight.
Although the worship hall has a dignified exterior finished entirely in black lacquer, its roof and bracket complexes feature elaborate, colorful ornamentation. The shrine is also known for blessings of victory, and the long worship hall at the end of the approach displays votive tablets dedicated by Sendai athletes praying for success. Take time to explore the grounds while comparing the black-lacquered buildings with their ornate decorations.

Located on Jozenji-dori Avenue, sendai mediatheque is known for its striking glass-fronted exterior. This cultural complex has two basement levels and seven floors above ground, housing the Sendai City Library, event spaces, galleries, studios, a cafe, and more.
One of architect Toyo Ito’s best-known works, it also has a shop selling crafts and goods from the six prefectures of Tohoku. Stop by while exploring Jozenji-dori Avenue to experience both architecture and culture.

About a five-minute walk from Sendai Station, Sendai Asaichi Morning Market is a shopping street filled with ingredients from across Miyagi. Its origins date to an open-air market established in front of Sendai Station in 1945, and it has since grown into a major shopping area with around 60 stores.
The storefronts are lined with a broad range of foods, including vegetables, fruit, fresh fish, seafood, meat, and prepared dishes. There are also diners and coffee shops, making the market an enjoyable place for breakfast, sampling food as you walk, and discovering the seasonal flavors of Miyagi.

This Nikka Whisky production facility stands in a mountain valley surrounded by the Nikkawa and Hirose rivers. It was built in 1969 after Masataka Taketsuru, known as the father of Japanese whisky, selected the site for his second distillery after Yoichi.
Free guided tours available by reservation include visits to the distillation building and warehouses, followed by a whisky tasting. The red-brick facilities, constructed while preserving as many trees as possible, and the former malt-drying kiln tower are also memorable. Along with the tour and tasting, take time to appreciate how the red-brick architecture blends into the surrounding forest.

About a 40-minute drive from central Sendai, this hot spring resort extends along the upper reaches of the Hirose River. Visit the baths at different inns to experience a variety of settings, including open-air baths, natural rock baths, a standing bath about 4.3 feet deep, and baths made with medical stone.
Do not miss the beauty of the upper Hirose River valley, including Homei Shijuhachi Falls, or the surrounding mountains. You can also paint a traditional Sakunami kokeshi doll in the hot spring town, making it easy to combine bathing with a walk around the area.

Zuihoden is the mausoleum of Date Masamune, founder of the Sendai Domain, and the centerpiece of the Kyogamine cemetery complex containing the Date family mausoleums. The ornate decorations of the reconstructed building complement the colorful trees, offering views of historic architecture and fall foliage together.
The brilliantly colored ornamentation preserves the style of the original period and is every bit as vivid as the leaves brightening the grounds in fall. Admire the combination of the colorful mausoleum and foliage while touring the resting places associated with the Date family.

Akiu Great Falls is a large waterfall on the upper Natori River designated as a National Place of Scenic Beauty. Measuring 20 feet wide with a drop of 180 feet, it is also included among Japan’s 100 Best Waterfalls.
In fall, colorful leaves surround the waterfall. Nearby attractions include Akiu Otaki Fudoson Temple and the Sendai City Akiu Otaki Botanical Garden. In addition to the observation platform, follow the walking trail for a close-up view of the powerful waterfall framed by fall foliage.

Located near the center of Akiu Onsen, this gorge was carved by the Natori River and extends for about 1.2 miles. Along a 0.4-mile developed walking trail, visitors can closely observe the gorge’s natural formations, including the Nozokibashi Heart, Tenono-iwa Rock, and Kimen-iwa Rock.
Fall is the best season to visit the gorge. Rich, brocade-like foliage colors the dramatic landscape, where the gorge’s untouched natural formations remain intact. Combine your visit with a trip to Akiu Onsen and walk the trail past colorful leaves and massive rocks.

This specialty restaurant centers its menu on Sendai’s famous grilled beef tongue while also serving dishes made with Miyagi seafood and seasonal vegetables. The beef tongue is prepared with careful attention to thickness, seasoning, and aging before being grilled over charcoal. Every step, from removing the skin and slicing the meat to scoring and aging it, is performed by skilled cooks.
At lunch, the menu focuses on beef tongue set meals, while evenings offer a selection of izakaya-style dishes. Visit at different times of day for a different dining experience.

Located in Sendai’s Ichibancho district, this Japanese sweets cafe is operated directly by Aoba Zunda Honpo. Order on the first floor, then head upstairs to the dining area to try classic zunda mochi, skewered dango dumplings, and three-flavor mochi.
The cafe’s zunda is made by coarsely grinding edamame to preserve its texture and distinctive flavor. There is also a wide selection of modern options, including parfaits, sandwiches, shakes, and cheesecake, allowing you to compare traditional zunda sweets with contemporary variations.

About a three-minute walk from Sendai Station, this long-established izakaya grills ingredients over a large traditional irori hearth. Its signature irori-grilled dishes include local seafood, seasonal vegetables, and thick-cut beef tongue cooked over charcoal or straw.
Seasonal ingredients such as mushrooms and ginkgo nuts appear on the menu in fall. Pair them with local sake from Miyagi and the wider Tohoku region and spend an evening in Sendai gathered around the hearth.

With a history spanning more than 90 years, this long-established Sendai sushi restaurant serves sushi and seasonal dishes made with fresh seafood. In addition to nigiri and chirashi sushi, the menu includes seared sushi, sushi rolls, and Sendai beef nigiri.
A highlight is the Sendai Zuke-don, a rice bowl topped with fresh seafood marinated in a special sauce made with Sendai miso as a subtle flavoring. Look beyond the sushi to the restaurant’s other dishes made with local ingredients and sample a broad range of Miyagi flavors.

Cafe Aoyama Bunko is a Sendai book cafe with more than 3,000 books available at any given time. In its softly lit, relaxing interior, guests can enjoy carefully prepared hand-drip coffee. The menu also includes cream soda that changes color depending on the weather and coffee soda.
The wide-ranging book collection includes paperbacks, picture books, complete literature collections, and business titles. Stop by while exploring the city, choose a book that catches your interest, and relax over a cup of coffee.

Despite its central Sendai location, this hotel offers a traditional Japanese atmosphere similar to a ryokan, along with a natural hot spring. Tatami flooring covers the guest rooms, lobby, hallways, and other areas throughout the building. Remove your shoes at the entrance and enjoy the feel of tatami as you make your way to your room.
On the top floor, the 14th floor, facilities include an indoor bath featuring an eye-catching monument inspired by Date Masamune’s helmet, a stone open-air bath, a high-temperature dry sauna, and a cold-water bath. At the end of a day spent walking around the city, unwind in the natural hot spring.

Just a three-minute walk from JR Sendai Station, this hotel makes a convenient base for sightseeing. Its extensive amenities include free Wi-Fi, air purifiers with humidifying functions, and phone chargers compatible with a variety of devices.
Guest rooms are available for one to three people, and a broad selection of amenities is provided. Breakfast includes freshly baked bread, soup, and salad, while a Japanese restaurant is located on the first basement level. This hotel is a convenient choice for efficiently exploring the city from Sendai Station.

About a 30-minute drive from Sendai Station, this resort hotel is surrounded by English-style gardens. Its guest rooms are divided between two sides with different views: Garden Side Rooms overlooking the landscaped grounds and Forest Side Rooms offering seasonal views of the mountains.
The hotel has three restaurants: all-day dining, teppanyaki, and Chinese cuisine. Activities held in the garden include morning yoga and stargazing, making it worthwhile to include time at the hotel in your itinerary.