Expect a view, not a castle, at Sendai Castle ruins

Each December the zelkova trees along Jozenji-dori are wrapped in hundreds of thousands of LED lights for the Pageant of Starlight, a Sendai winter tradition since 1986. Walk the central promenade to stand right under the lights, then warm up in the cafes nearby. Kotodai-Koen Station on the Namboku Line leaves you at…

Sendai hotels sell out months ahead for Tanabata in early August, and the September jazz festival also fills rooms. Occupancy can look soft early and then jump to over 90 percent in the final weeks, so do not wait for a drop. Book as soon as your dates are set, and check that any hotel listed as Sendai is not in an…

Every January 14 locals bring last year's New Year decorations to be burned at Dontosai, and the bonfire at Osaki Hachimangu is the best known in Miyagi. Groups in white make the silent hadaka-mairi walk to the shrine, carrying bells. Visitors can watch freely, buy a fortune and eat from the stalls. Dress very warmly…

Rinnoji has a pond garden with a three-story pagoda that shifts from azaleas and lotus to autumn color through the year. The grounds are open daily, and on the 1st and 15th of each month a seated Shakyamuni statue is shown in the pagoda. Free zazen is held on Saturday evenings, but the temple posts cancellations on…

Matsushima Bay cruises run about once an hour, so a late start can leave you waiting or missing the day's last boat. Ride the Senseki Line to Matsushimakaigan, where the boat pier is a short walk away, or go to Hon-Shiogama and cruise one way to Matsushima, then take the train home. Pick your route and a return train…

Loople Sendai loops past Zuihoden, the castle ruins, the museum and Osaki Hachimangu, and a one-day pass exists that also covers both subway lines. It pays off on a day that mixes bus-only sights with quick subway hops, for example to Kotodai Park. Buses leave every 20 minutes on weekdays, so build the day around the…

Mt. Izumigatake (1,175 m) rises on the city's northern edge and can be reached from downtown by public transport in under an hour. The Suijin route follows a stream through a forested valley and is the easiest way up, about two hours one way. In October the Kamoshika route is the one for autumn color near the Okanuma…

Zunda is Miyagi's sweet edamame paste, and the Zunda Komichi food street on the third floor of Sendai Station, by the Shinkansen central gate, is the easy place to try it. Order the zunda shake, a vanilla shake blended with the paste, to go, or sit for the mochi set served with salted kelp and tea. The cafe closes…