Known for its compelling black and gold architecture, Osaki Hachimangu Shrine is a national treasure. Visit the shrine on January 14 and experience the Dontosai Festival where you can see “hadaka-mairi” (the naked pilgrimage), an event where locals from the city march through the night in loincloths and pray to the shrine. Visitors can also participate by giving their respects at the temple, joining the bonfire ritual, and enjoying the food and games offered by locals at the shrine. 
On any day, you can grab yourself a unique, blue daruma. Also known as Matsukawa Daruma, these dolls are painted with the landscape of Sendai. The vivid blue color represents the unity between the ocean and the sky. The shrine shows its support and pride when it comes to their sports teams and figure skating fans from across Japan visit the shrine as there is a special spot for Sendai’s figure skating Olympic champion, Yuzuru Hanyu.

Known for its compelling black and gold architecture, Osaki Hachimangu Shrine is a national treasure and the site of the “hadaka mairi” (naked pilgrimage). 

Osaki Hachimangu Shrine Food Experiences & Restaurants | byFood

Osaki Hachimangu Shrine

In the Tohoku region, Miyagi Prefecture occupies a large part of the eastern side of Japan on the Pacific Coast. Cradled between scenic coastlines and mountainous landscapes, Miyagi is famous for its seafood. A luxurious harakomeshi is a classic Miyagi dish of rice with the belly meat of fatty salmon, sprinkled with salmon roe marinated in soy sauce. Miyagi Prefecture also offers fantastic skiing in the winter and stunning coastal scenery, namely the celebrated Matsushima Bay. Considered one of Japan’s three most beautiful views, Matsushima sees pine trees clustered over more than 200 rocky islets, starkly mingling across clear ocean waters. Nourish the body soaking in the healing waters of Naruko Onsen, while the flaming fall foliage around Naruko Gorge proves unbelievably beautiful. Meanwhile, the mountains and forests of the Zao region in southwest Miyagi are symbolized by the Okama Crater beside the summit of Mount Zao. 

The Hirose River wiggles its way through the city of Sendai, Miyagi’s capital that’s best explored by bike. Richly flavored and soft in texture, Sendai is lovingly associated with its quality gyutan (beef tongue), the representative dish of Miyagi Prefecture. Aged and thinly sliced before hitting the grill, beef tongue is succulent and soft, typically served with a side of beef tail soup. Built in 1600, Aoba Castle (Aoba-jo) overlooks the city and resides by the colorful mausoleum, Zuihoden, enshrining the powerful daimyo Masamune Date. Each year in the fall, family and friends enjoy stewing Sendai imoni hot pots around riverbanks alfresco-style, a long-lived tradition flavored with miso, root vegetables, konnyaku, and pork. Bright green zundamochi is a Miyagi Prefecture signature sweet, while the local fish cake in the shape of a bamboo grass leaf is known as sasa kamaboko. Miyagi is abundant with glorious mountainscapes and natural parks, featuring tasty local cuisine and quality seafood.

Browse cooking classes, tastings, dining experiences, and food tours in Miyagi, a prefecture of Japan that’s famous for seafood, beef tongue, hot pot, and fish cakes

Discover Miyagi byFood | Restaurants, Experiences, Travel Tips

Miyagi

What to Eat in MIyagi

Best Sendai Food Tours

Things to Do in Sendai

Seafood and beef tongue are regional specialties of the Miyagi Prefecture, whose diverse natural landscape offers scenic views across glorious mountains and coastlines.

Established under the feudal lord Date Masamune, Osaki Hachimangu offers a peaceful ambiance where tourists and locals can relax and take a nice walk, away from the bustling city of Sendai.

With 1 drink

Often referred to as the “City of Trees,” Sendai might be the largest city in the Tohoku region, but it’s also a very lush city. Just a short walk from the city center, you’ll find yourself immersed in nature, surrounded by parks, rivers, forests, and mountains. Who knew 1 million people lived in a place so surrounded by nature? Make the most of a morning in Sendai and join this Green Sendai Market Tour for a healthy dose of mother nature followed by a local morning market brunch in the city.

Start your day off right surrounded by nature; this Green Sendai Morning Market Tour will take you on a light hike through the forests of Mount Aobayama. Seemingly tucked away from the city, it’s actually just 10 minutes away on the subway from the downtown area! Your guide will take you through the forest, exploring among the beech trees, following mountain streams, and listening out for the call of local wildlife. Once you’ve well and truly worked up an appetite, you’ll head back towards the city center to visit the Sendai Morning Market for some brunch! Whether it be fresh seafood or a bowl of hearty ramen, it’s up to you at “Sendai’s Kitchen,” also called Asaichi Morning Market. Explore what’s on offer in this local market, and see what delicious foods catch your eye. There’s also the option of hitting up a local cafe if you feel like a more classic style of brunch, which can be recommended to you by your friendly local guide.

Start off the morning right in Sendai! Enjoy a light hike through the green forest of Mount Aobayama followed by a local brunch from the Sendai Morning Market.

Green Sendai Morning Market Tour | byFood

Green Sendai Morning Market Tour

Family-friendly

With transport

With dinner

Do you enjoy the feeling of bringing home the bacon (or crab meat), literally? How about some fishing action in Miyagi Prefecture? Come on board and join this hands-on local fishing experience!

Whether you are a seasoned fishing expert or an outdoor activity lover, this fishing experience will meet your needs, thanks to the careful attention you’ll receive from your guide and local fisherman. Come on a fun adventure, chit chat with your traveling companions while gliding across the water on a boat, and learn drive-in net fishing, trying your luck out at sea.

In the evening, the much anticipated outdoor BBQ caps off a fulfilling afternoon of fishing. Taking over one of Matsushima Bay’s myriad of tiny deserted islands, you can relish a well-deserved ocean feast with the freshest of seafood (your own personal catch), crunchy veggies, and some succulent meat sizzling on the griddle!

Bask in the sunset from your peaceful spot, take a couple of swigs from your beer or sip regional sake, and munch away the evening, carefree. Your guide will then take you back to the local guesthouse run by his family where you can round up an authentic Japan experience. It features a long restorative bath, a tatami floored room, soft futons, and sweet dreams. During dinner, make sure to leave some room for the hearty Japanese-style breakfast that waits for you the next morning!

Led by a local fisherman, go drive-in net fishing for Japanese blue crab, then enjoy a seafood feast with a view of the glimmering sea from a deserted island.

Fishing Adventure & BBQ on Deserted Island | byFood

Matsushima Bay Fishing Adventure & BBQ on Deserted Island

Tea experience

This food tour in Miyagi will secure you an amazing afternoon stuffed with cultural insights about regional history and lip-smacking local delicacies. Starting from green tea and moving forward to sake, you will get a comprehensive grasp of Matsushima’s local beverages and beyond.

With scenic views of the area's natural landscape, you’ll head to your first stop: a tea tasting at a renowned tea store. This refined tasting experience includes some high-quality tea varieties served at luxurious ryokan inns and high-end hotels. Don’t miss out on the specialty cocktail, a sake-based green tea drink. 

Moving on to beverages of higher alcoholic content, your guide will lead you to a local sake brewery. You will learn a ton about this nationally famous brewery, its history, brewing methods, and brewed types of sake. A few of such varieties are offered during the must-try sake tasting.

It’s now lunchtime and your stomach is growling for some hearty food. This all-round private tour can meet your needs and satisfy your cravings. In fact, there are several options you can choose from, from sushi to shojin ryori, oysters or izakaya food, and more! Your guide will take you to the restaurant that most suits your fancy.

To fully restore your energy there is a tea ceremony waiting for you at stunning Kanrantei teahouse. The establishment is one of Miyagi Prefecture’s cultural properties and participants to the tour can enjoy the exceptional view of Goza-no-ma room, usually closed to the public to preserve historical paintings. Attend a tea ceremony to the view of islands-studded Matsushima Bay.

To wrap up this tour, your guide will show you around Matsushima City, visiting numerous historical buildings and teaching you about the culture of the ancient Date clan. The day, packed with fun activities and steeped with culture, ends at Matsushima-Kaigan Station.

Join the Matsushima Food Tour and discover fine tea and local sake. Includes tea ceremony, lunch, and Shinkansen (bullet train) ticket from Tokyo to Sendai. 

Matsushima Food Tour: From Tea to Sake | byFood

Matsushima Food Tour: From Tea to Sake

Free drinks

Regional food

With sake

Sendai nightlife is squeezed in Kokubuncho district, a melting pot of narrow hallways, gastropubs, slot machines, and neon lights galore. Navigating the abuzz streets full of Japanese people and foreigners thrilled for the night ahead is not easy. But, your English speaking guide has you covered. Leading you through the area, he will spill some tricks and tips and empower you with the necessary information for making the most out of your night time in Sendai.

Kick-off your night out with casual chats at a cool izakaya. Your first stop is a standing bar carrying on a 125-year running business. Breathe in the vibe of this picturesque establishment, as you bite into old-fashioned izakaya snacks. You won’t get your average booze here, as you can choose among a premium selection of regional sake. 

Warmed up and ready for your next stop? Leave the hustle and bustle and take a seat in front of windows overlooking tree-lined Jozen-ji avenue, one of the streets running along Kokubuncho district. With dozens of sake varieties on offer (both local and from around Japan) and a skilled, creative owner, this elevated gastropub is fully equipped to bring your tastebuds over the moon. We are all on board when it comes to shiny and velvety sake sips and whether you want to choose by yourself or rely on the advice of your host and sake expert, you are sure to get your fix here. As for food, you can try fresh sashimi and fried fish and vegetables supplied from local producers, tender beef-tongue, pureed edamame beans, unique miso-infused cream cheese, airy and fluffy matcha pound cake, and more! Fill your belly, your eyes and all of your senses with this tantalizing tasting menu packed with Miyagi prefecture’s flavors. 

When the tour is over, equipped with suggestions and tips from the local tour guide, you can continue wandering through Kokubuncho, enjoying the atmosphere, or brave a new izakaya to try brand new regional tastes!

Explore Kokubuncho district, Sendai's buzzing center, enjoy a special menu featuring local products, and make a toast with exquisite Japanese sake! Book now.

Kokubuncho Tour with Sake & Miyagi Delicacies | byFood

Kokubuncho Evening Tour with Sake & Local Miyagi Delicacies

With 3 drinks

Miyagi Prefecture in the Tohoku region is not only home to lush and gorgeous landscapes, but it also preserves regional traditions and culture. Aoba Matsuri is one of such traditions, originated to homage Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of the legendary historical figures that unified Japan in the 17th century. The festival involves foodie action aplenty, with food stalls serving all sorts of Japanese street food, such as succulent skewers, piping hot yakisoba and more.

Like many matsuri, Aoba festival features a parade. This includes armored soldiers representing the historical clan members that have protected the area in the past, and a cheerful group of dancers. Waving their fans to the beat of the drums, they proceed with a combination of flowy and undulating movements resulting in a captivating performance. 

During this immersive dining experience with a twist, you’ll get in-depth insights about Suzume Odori (the sparrow dance) and its origins, as well as delicious regional cuisine, for an adventure that is on a different level. Your Suzume Odori English-speaking teacher is a veteran dancer, no less! Under her careful guidance, you can learn some basic steps and fan moves to gain an insider perspective into Aoba Matsuri.

After a one-hour-long lesson, you can restore your energy with a well-deserved izakaya-style dinner. In addition to the traditional dance class, we’ll provide you with a tasting set of three sake varieties paired with three equally delicious local dishes. Buckle up and enjoy the party at this refined Japanese-style gastropub!

Learn to spread your wings to the strains of Hayashi music, then celebrate your new dance skills with a tasting of 3 regional sakes paired with 3 local dishes. 

Suzume Odori Dance Class and Local Izakaya Dinner | byFood

Suzume Odori Dance Class and Local Izakaya Dinner

Has a gift

With lunch

The Tohoku region is home to some of the most beautiful natural scenery and ancient shrines, which are especially stunning in autumn and spring. Join the spring festivities and celebrate the beauty of cherry blossom trees during this Cherry Blossom Viewing and Hanami Picnic in Shiogama, your chance to enjoy the spring tradition of hanami (cherry blossom viewing parties) at a national treasure, Shiogama Jinja. Enjoy viewing the spring sakura blossoms in the serene grounds of Shiogama Shrine, a temple that’s over 1200 years old! It features its own rare double-flowering variety of cherry blossom trees called Shiogama-zakura, also considered a national Natural Monument. 

You’ll arrive at the hanami picnic with everything already set up and ready to go at a great cherry blossom viewing spot in Shiogama. Then, simply relax and enjoy your local bento box lunch beneath hundreds of beautiful, delicate cherry blossoms! Featuring elements of local cuisine and regional ingredients inspired by the season, your Instagram-worthy bento box will feature bite-sized pieces of colorful hanami picnic food. Complete with a glass of local sake or beer, you’ll be able to enjoy the scenery while hearing a shamisen performance (a traditional three-stringed Japanese instrument) by a local musician! This hanami picnic in Shiogama also includes a wonderful tea ceremony with wagashi Japanese sweets to complete the experience.

Never mind about coordinating heavy bags of food and drink, or traipsing around with a blue tarp trying to secure a picnic spot. Feel free to explore the shrine’s grounds, as there’s no need to fuss around and clean anything up. This hanami picnic is hassle-free and certifiably delicious! And at the end, you’ll also receive a local souvenir to take home with you, to remember the fleeting cherry blossoms of Shiogama.

Join a Shiogama Hanami Picnic to experience the local sakura festivities at Shiogama Shrine, and enjoy the cherry blossoms with a bento box lunch of local produce.

Cherry Blossom Viewing and Picnic in Shiogama | byFood

Cherry Blossom Viewing and Hanami Picnic in Shiogama 

Pescetarian

Nomihoudai

Discover a different side of Sendai and step into an authentic izakaya in the downtown area for a delicious local dinner! At a typical izakaya (traditional Japanese style pub), you’ll see locals sharing small food plates and drinking as they go. For an immersive izakaya experience, this Izakaya Dinner and Sushi Workshop is held in an authentic Japanese restaurant in Sendai. This restaurant aims to introduce you to a delicious selection of local and regional food from the Tohoku area.

You’ll enjoy a carefully selected menu of the best local specialty foods found in Tohoku, made with both local and seasonal ingredients. With an all-you-can-drink package included (yes, you read that right!) you can pair each dish with a drink of your choice from the menu, which offers a range of Japanese beer, sake, and mixed drinks. Keep the drinks flowing between courses and marvel as a trained professional chef expertly carves tuna right in front of your eyes, skillfully making tantalizing and fresh sushi. 

Next, you’ll get involved with a sushi-making workshop, making your own sushi by hand (called nigirizushi) using the freshly carved tuna. The expert chef will guide you through the process, and will teach you to mold the perfect piece of sushi! Then you’ll get to enjoy your sushi with another drink. This Izakaya Dinner and Sushi Workshop in Sendai is a dining experience that will make you feel like a local.

Experience an authentic izakaya dinner in Downtown Sendai with unlimited drinks while watching an amazing tuna cutting show, followed by a sushi-making workshop.

Izakaya Dinner with Sushi Workshop in Sendai | byFood

Izakaya Dinner with Sushi Workshop in Sendai

miyagi

Toshiaki Okazaki, the owner of this top traditional kappo restaurant in Sendai, gained his skills working at his family’s traditional Japanese inn. Nowadays, he’s one of the city’s most successful restaurateurs, with three high-end eateries to his name. 

The kitchen at this branch is in the hands of a young disciple, who serves up seasonal Japanese dishes with the same skill and dedication as the owner himself. The specialty dishes are delicious sashimi appetizers, and claypot rice bowls with premium seasonal ingredients such as matsutake mushrooms in fall.

If you’re looking to sample Michelin-starred Japanese food in Sendai (Michelin Guide 2020), chances are you’ll cross paths with Okazaki-san at some point. This restaurant offers one of the best-priced course meals among his trinity of fine establishments.

Michelin Stars:
2020 - 1 Michelin star
2021 - none 

A restaurant run by one of the biggest names in Sendai, where you can sample seasonal dishes at a great price. Click to reserve now!

Okazaki Kasugamachi | Japanese Restaurant in Sendai | byFood

Okazaki Kasugamachi

Chef Toshiaki Okazaki owns three restaurants around the city of Sendai, each of them with a stellar reputation for providing high-quality seasonal Japanese dining. Unfortunately Okazaki-san can’t be everywhere at once, so two of his restaurants are in the hands of trusted associates.

At Okazaki Nishikoenmae, however, you’ll be cooked for by the man himself. He creates delicious omakase meals featuring seasonal ingredients from Tohoku such as wild vegetables and river-caught trout.

This place has been in the Michelin Guide since the first regional edition in 2017.

Michelin Stars:
2020 - 1 Michelin star
2021 - none 

The home base of one of Sendai’s top Michelin starred chefs, where you can try the best of the Tohoku region in seasonal dishes. Book your seat here.

Okazaki Nishikoenmae | Traditional Japanese Restaurant in Sendai | byFood

Okazaki Nishikoenmae

With such an abundance of sushi restaurants in the country, many of the restaurants blend together and seem indistinguishable, with an absence of individual spark and originality. Some, however, go the extra mile to distinguish themselves.

The humble sushi restaurant in Sendai molds the traditional craft of sushi into their very own food style. While still maintaining and preserving classic aspects of sushi art, the chef of the restaurant finds unconventional ways to present sushi. The presentation alone sets apart Mino from the rest, but the rich flavors of the dishes, including the popular sea urchin, have an edge in taste too.

The humble sushi restaurant in Sendai molds the traditional craft of sushi into their very own culinary style, finding unconventional ways to present sushi.

Mino | Sushi Restaurant in Sendai | byFood

Mino

Standing in front of this building, you might well have flashbacks to the Champs-Élysées, with this beautiful white building as the Arc de Triomphe. The exterior may be European looking, but the food is distinctly Japanese.

The owner-chef trained in Kyoto for years, and specializes in quality seafood dishes cooked in traditional styles. His efforts have made him one of the best Michelin-starred restaurants in Sendai. There’s a simplicity in the preparation of the dishes, celebrating the freshness of the ingredients and representing the stripped-back, contemplative aesthetics of Japan.

This results in excellent dishes such as sea bream simmered in dashi stock, and sea urchin with baked eggplant. Non-fish dishes like beef hotpot also feature, and the menu shifts each month to reflect the changing of the seasons.

Michelin Stars:
2020 - 1 Michelin star
2021 - none 

A gorgeous arch-style building holds one of Sendai’s best Michelin-starred restaurants (Michelin Guide 2020), with a premium, seasonal seafood focus. Click to reserve now!

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