Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium | Review by 一個漸漸喜歡上慢旅的人

Getting from Sendai to Matsushima-Kaigan by JR is very convenient. After leaving the station, it’s just a short walk to the sightseeing cruise pier. The cruise takes about an hour and offers close-up views of the beautiful Matsushima Bay, one of Japan’s Three Great Views. The views from the boat are excellent. The many lush green islands of different sizes and shapes scattered across the water look a little like the scenery of Kujukushima in Kyushu. Flocks of seagulls also fly behind the boat, making for a truly soothing sight.

The boat also has comfortable seating and audio commentary, so you can relax in the sea breeze while learning about the features of each island. If you’re coming to Matsushima-Kaigan by train, I definitely recommend taking the sightseeing cruise to experience the coastal scenery from a different perspective.

This time, I joined a day tour and enjoyed the magnificent scenery of the Zao mountain range from the bus, with endless coniferous forests outside the window. Along the way, the guide talked about Zao’s famous snow monsters, but also pointed to patches of trees that looked somewhat withered and sighed. The guide explained that climate change and warmer winters in recent years have led to an infestation of a certain insect, causing the snow monsters of Zao to shrink in scale year after year and possibly become increasingly rare in the future.

Although I visited in June and saw lush green mountain roads and ridgelines, the guide said the mountains are covered in fall colors in autumn and turn into a dreamlike world of snow monsters in winter. But hearing about the impact of global warming on the ecosystem, I couldn’t help feeling a little heavy-hearted and reflective even as I admired the beautiful scenery.

I remember there was once a huge Black Thunder chocolate craze in Taiwan. It was often sold out, and even a single pack was hard to find. Later, on a trip to Japan, I happened to see it at a convenience store and bought one to try. Honestly, I don't really like overly sweet chocolate to begin with, and after trying it that one time, I thought it was a little too sweet, so I didn't particularly get hooked. But I've heard that this chocolate cookie has remained very popular and widely recognized in Japan.

If you've never tried it, or if you want to relive the craze from back then, you might want to pick one up and give it a try when you visit Japan.