Sendai Motions

Cherry Blossoms in MIYAGI

Cherry Blossoms in MIYAGI

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10 Secrets of Sendai Station

10 Secrets of Sendai Station

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Sendai Experience Tours

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Discovering Sendai’s Forgotten Coast

Discovering Sendai’s Forgotten Coast

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Explore Historic Sendai on a Bike Tour Through the City

Explore Historic Sendai on a Bike Tour Through the City

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Sendai Motions Gazette Vol.4

2025 SPRING

Cherry Blossoms in MIYAGI

"Sendai Motions Gazette" is an English-language publication created for residents and visitors of Sendai.
It is produced by Press Art, the team behind the popular magazines Kappo and S-Style.

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Fall light-up at Entsuin every night until Nov. 19

Fall light-up at Entsuin every night until Nov. 19!

The leaves are starting to change in Matsushima. Enjoy a magical atmosphere at Entsuin Temple with fall colors, lighting installations, and live music at this popular annual event!

The beautiful gardens, temple, and mausoleum of Entsuin, which is dedicated to Date Masamune's grandson, Date Mitsumune, are lit up every evening until Nov. 19, showcasing breathtaking fall colors. In addition, there are live musical performances of classical Japanese and western instruments every night, creating a truly magical atmosphere.

Not surprisingly, this is a popular event! We recommend planning ahead if visiting on the weekend. It's worth it!

Dates: Oct. 28 - Nov. 19
Time: 17:30 - 21:00 (ticket sales close at 20:45)
Location: Entsuin Temple, Matsushima
Admission: Entsuin only ¥1300 / Entsuin and Zuiganji Temple ¥2000 / elementary school age and younger: free
Access: JR Matsushima Kaigan Station

Enjoy an early taste of Christmas this weekend at

Enjoy an early taste of Christmas this weekend at the "Jozenji Living Street Marché: Welcome to Christmas," taking place across from the Sendai Mediatheque Nov. 11 and 12.

This market, organized by Miyagi Gakuin Women's University 3rd year Urban Design Seminar students, will have some special vendors, selling

Local honey
Baked goods
Coffee
Handmade accessories
Glass accessories
Kokeshi goods
and more!

Dates: Nov. 11 & 12
Time: 11:00 - 16:00
Place: across from the Sendai Mediatheque

Why not give local and handmade this Christmas? This market is a great place to start!

Miyako Bus brings us their "Koyogo" service again

Miyako Bus brings us their "Koyogo" service again this year, so you can get to Miyagi's must-see fall foliage spot, Naruko Gorge, more easily! Bus service begins this weekend, Oct. 14 - Nov. 5.

The bus route goes around the Naruko Onsen area, making it easy to see the gorge, visit kokeshi shops, and hit up Naruko's famous onsen even without a car.

Oct. 14 &15: It's the All-Japan Gyoza Festival!

Oct. 14 &15: It's the All-Japan Gyoza Festival! A mouth-watering smorgasbord of famous gyoza from all over the country, all here in Sendai! Don’t miss your chance to try Japan’s regional specialty gyoza:

Miyazaki Gyoza (Miyazaki)

Tsu Gyoza (Mie)

Hamamatsu Gyoza (Shizuoka)

Susonogi Gyoza (Shizuoka)

Ina Gyoza (Nagano)

Kawasaki Gyoza (Kanagawa)

Utsunomiya Gyoza (Tochigi)

Fukushima Gyoza (Fukushima)

and of course, Sendai Aoba Gyoza.

With the festival taking place over two days, you'll have time (and room) to try them all. Can't eat that many gyoza? There will be a variety of other food and drink stalls, too, to stoke your appetite.

Hours: 10:00–18:00 (17:00 on the last day)
Entry Fee: None
Location: Kotodai Koen area

Oct. 7 & 8, watch over 100 passionate dance teams

Oct. 7 & 8, watch over 100 passionate dance teams from around Japan perform yosakaoi - a dance style that combines the traditional and the modern!

Sendai’s Michinoku Yosakoi Festival is the 3rd-largest in Japan, with teams from all around the country performing energetic and powerful dances.

Not only does it showcase Tohoku’s modern identity, but also the regional spirit of people from all around Japan.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to see performers fuse their local dances, costumes, and folk songs with modern dance and music. Plus, there will be food and drink stalls selling Tohoku local specialties and festival food favorites, so you can enjoy performing arts culture and food culture all at once!

Time: 9:30 - 20:00, with times varying by venue
Entry Fee: None (tickets available for seats in the Civic Plaza area)
Locations: Civic Plaza, Kotodai Koen, Jozenji Dori, Sendai Station, Asuto Nagamachi Mori no Hiroba Koen

Bigger than last year, this year's Yanagimachi Sum

Bigger than last year, this year's Yanagimachi Summer Festival is happening on July 19 (Weds) and 20 (Thurs)!

This local festival takes place in Ichibancho 1-chome near Dainichi Nyorai Temple, an area historically known as Yanagimachi.

This year the festival is bringing back 2 popular activities from @tazen1596 and @communa_inc , a karumera-yaki workshop where you can make old-fashioned sweets in a copper ladle, and a copper embossing workshop where you can make your own copper bookmark.

Plus new events! Sake tasting with Sendai copperware from @moritami_sabo and @tazen1596 (amazake, which is non-alcoholic also available), and with Bon dancing also happening this year, this is sure to be a great weeknight event you won't regret stopping by!

July 19 & 20 Schedule:

8:30 - 16:00 : Service at Dainichi Nyorai Temple
10:00 — : Food/ game stalls, karumera-yaki & copper embossing workshops
13:00 : Children's mikoshi carry (Weds 19 only)
14:40 : Games tournament
18:00 : Bon dancing (join in!)
19:30 : Children's hanabi (sparklers)

#sendaifestival #sendaievents #summerfestival #craftworkshop #tazenworkshop #sendaisake #visitmiyagi #visitsendai

Hundreds of lanterns will float along the Hirose R

Hundreds of lanterns will float along the Hirose River and fly in the night sky on Sunday, August 20th, during the Hirose River Sky Lantern Festival. Purchase your own lantern to float or fly, enjoy live music and performances, food stalls, and the magical night atmosphere of this beautiful local festival in Kawaramachi.

The Hirose River Sky Lantern Festival, which coincides with Sendai's traditional, lunar calendar Obon, combines a floating lantern ceremony to remember those lost to tragic events such as famines, wars, and disasters, with a sky lantern ceremony where lanterns are floated up into the sky containing people's wishes, prayers, and hopes. Everyone is welcome, regardless of religious affiliation, to take part in the lantern ceremonies, and of course, to watch and enjoy the events! Be sure to get the early bird prices for lanterns by buying them online through @hirosegawatourou

Date: Sunday, August 20th
Place: Hirose riverbank, between Hirose Bridge and Miyazawa Bridge
Time: 12:00 - 20:00
Access: 3 minutes from Kawaramachi Subway Station
*This year there is no fireworks show

Cost of lanterns
Regular lanterns: ¥1800 in advance, ¥2000 on the day
Shinbon lanterns (for memorializing the deceased on the first Obon since their passing) ¥2700 in advance, ¥3000 on the day
Sky lanterns: ¥3000 in advance and on the day
Advance purchases online through @hirosegawatourou

Tanabata-making workshop series at Taishoen Teahou

Tanabata-making workshop series at Taishoen Teahouse, just a 2-minute walk from Sendai Station! Workshop dates: June 24 (Sat), July 9 (Sun), and July 23 (Sun). Participate in just one of the workshops or all 3 to make tanabata from start to finish! Here are photos from last year's workshop. Registration through @isendaistaff . Full workshop details below.

Hundreds of beautiful tanabata decorations will line the streets of Sendai during its famous Tanabata Festival August 6th - 8th. These colorful and intricate decorations made of paper are one of the most recognizable symbols of Sendai, which is famous for its impressive Tanabata Festival. Tanabata are not just beautiful to look at, but are also full of history and have stories to tell. Learn about the tradition of tanabata which has been passed down in Sendai for centuries, as well as make the decorations yourself at this hands-on workshop led by Taishoen, a historic Teahouse established in 1902, which year after year boasts some of the most impressive, handmade tanabata you'll see at the festival!

Who's ready for Sendai Tanabata this year? We have a feeling it's going to be a lively one!

Location: Taishoen 1F Teahouse Space
Duration: 2 hours
Capacity: 21
Fee: 1500 yen (per workshop)
Language: Japanese only
Registration: through @isendaistaff advance registration required by 12:00pm the day before