Sendai
仙台市38°16′ N 140°52′ ECityPop. 1,061,177Tohoku
Sendai suits anyone flying into Tohoku or breaking the trip north, with gyutan on every block and fast trains to Yamagata, Morioka and Akita. The trade-off is distance from the snow, since even Zao Onsen took nearly three hours by train and bus on the October 2026 timetable.
Photo 掬茶 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Stay in Sendai on the first or last night of a Tohoku trip, when a big station, a big choice of hotels and a gyutan dinner matter more than being near a lift.
Eat in Sendai
Sendai is Tohoku's biggest city and its main gateway. The Hayabusa reaches it from Tokyo in about an hour and a half, and the Sendai Airport Access Line links the airport with Sendai Station. From here the Tohoku Shinkansen carries on to Morioka and Aomori, the Akita Shinkansen splits off for Tazawako and Kakunodate, and the Senzan Line climbs west to Yamagata.
The dish to eat is gyutan, grilled beef tongue. The city's official guide traces it to the first owner of Taisuke, and one of the shops it recommends, Tanabe-ya near Kita-Yonbancho Station, is run by his grandson. Shops differ in the thickness of the cut, the seasoning and how far they grill it, so a second dinner here is a fair comparison. APPI's guests-only winter shuttle also runs from Sendai Airport for skiers heading north.
Worth knowing
- JR East asks for no oversized-luggage booking north of Tokyo. Each passenger may carry two items of up to 250 cm and 30 kg, and the luggage areas fill first come, first served, so board early with skis.
Quick answers about Sendaiよくある質問
How long does the shinkansen take from Tokyo to Sendai?
Hayabusa 101 left Tokyo at 07:16 and reached Sendai at 08:49 on 16 October 2026, 93 minutes, for ¥11,630 in cash.
Can you get from Sendai to Zao Onsen by public transport?
Yes. Take the JR Senzan Line to Yamagata, 87 minutes for ¥1,230, then the Yamako bus to Zao Onsen, 37 minutes for ¥1,200.
Is Sendai a good place to stay?
Stay in Sendai on the first or last night of a Tohoku trip, when a big station, a big choice of hotels and a gyutan dinner matter more than being near a lift.
Within 12 km