3 days/2 nights based in Akiu and Sakunami Onsen [Base! Tohoku]

Area Map 青森県 岩手県 宮城県 秋田県 山形県 福島県 新潟県

This is an area where you can enjoy an adult holiday by trying your hand at painting kokeshi dolls or touring a whiskey factory.

It is also wonderful to enjoy a "luxurious time of doing nothing" at a hot-spring hotel.

START
Day1

Nikka Whisky Sendai Brewery Miyagikyo Distillery

Irresistible for whisky lovers! Tour a distillery with a guide

Nikka Whisky Sendai Brewery Miyagikyo Distillery
There is a distillation building, Red brick cellar storehouse and guest hall inside this brewery that makes full use of the lushly green natural scenery. You can learn about the whisky making process and the history of Nikka Whisky. Of course, you  can try some whisky! (Soft drinks are available for minors and drivers.) It takes approximately 70 minutes to tour the distillery. You will need to make a reservation over the Internet or by telephone/fax. You can also use just the shop.
You cannot try the alcoholic drinks if you are driving a car, riding a motorbike/bicycle, a minor, pregnant or nursing. Please use public transportation if you wish to try the alcoholic drinks. In addition, there is a Free shuttle bus service is also available from JR Sakunami Station on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.A thematic journey in the Tohoku region:Alcoholic beverages

Akiu Great Falls

An incredible, dynamic waterfall

Akiu Great Falls
[National Designated Place of Scenic Beauty] 6 meters wide and with a 55-meter drop, this waterfall has been selected as one of the 100 best waterfalls in Japan. Walk up to the basin to feel the dynamic flow of the waterfall up close. The view is even more spectacular in early summer, with its lush greenery, and in autumn, when the autumn foliage is beautiful.
*Please check the official website for the latest information.

Sakunami Onsen

A hidden hot spring for successive Sendai feudal lords

Sakunami Onsen
Sakunami Onsen was officially founded in 1796. Legend has it that the spring waters were made popular before this time by the prominent Buddhist priest Gyoki and the famous warrior Yoritomo Minamoto during his local rule.
Neighbouring attractions include the Nikka Whisky Sendai Distillery which offers a tour including the sampling of various whiskies, the pristine Okunikkawa River and the Homei Shijuhachi-taki Falls featuring an orchestral roar of falling water. A further walk takes you to Saihoji Temple and Risshakuji Temple, the latter being a famous temple in the mountains where the great poet Basho Matsuo composed one of the most popular haiku poems in Japan.
Learn about the effects of hot spring water
Simple hot springA clear, colorless, tasteless, and odorless hot spring. Even if the temperature of the spring is 25°C, none of the ingredients are in the specified amount. It has little stimulation and various effects. Many hot springs are called "famous hot springs.
The main benefits areRelieves fatigue, neuralgia, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, etc.
Salt-containing glauber's salt springIt contains a lot of sodium and is good for hypertension. It is said to be good for arteriosclerosis, trauma, chronic arthritis, etc. when used as a bath.
The main benefits areNeuralgia, muscle pain, chronic skin disease, high blood pressure, etc.
Please check the official website for the latest information.
Day2

Rairaikyo Gorge

The beauty of the gorge was created by the Natori River.

Rairaikyo Gorge
The large rocks and oddly shaped rocks eroded by the Natori River make for a beautiful gorge.There are many places to see such as "Hachiken Iwa," "Shiguretaki," and "Ten ono Iwa.The word "Rai" refers to the presence of stones, and in 1931, the gorge was named "Lei Lei Gorge" by Toyotaka Komiya, a student of Soseki Natsume and professor emeritus at Tohoku University.
In January 2014, the heart-shaped dent in the rock at Rairaikyo Gorge was recognized as a "holy place for lovers.

Sendai Kaleidoscope Art Museum

A glittering world extends out at the point where you look into it

Sendai Kaleidoscope Art Museum
The Kaleidoscope Art Museum stands at the entrance to Akiu Onsenkyo hot spring village. You can have fun with a variety of kaleidoscopes here. These include kaleidoscopes that are rare in the world, large mechanical kaleidoscopes and kaleidoscopes of various artists. Among these, there is an unusual kaleidoscope for which your appearance becomes part of the kaleidoscope. You can actually touch and see these kaleidoscopes. This makes it an exciting art museum for children and adults alike. It has been featured on a number of television shows. It is really worth seeing!
There are exhibition rooms on the second and third floors. There are many exhibits of one-of-a-kind in the world kaleidoscopes, the kaleidoscopes that glitter most in the world and many other valuable kaleidoscopes.
The first floor is home to a museum shop and experience area. There are many kaleidoscopes in the shop - from those at a reasonable price to those of artists. Choosing is fun! You can make a wonderful original kaleidoscope without the need for a reservation in the handmade experience area. Just select the beads and put them into your favorite tube for a simple experience. You can make an amazing kaleidoscope in 5 to 10 minutes. There is even an authentic kaleidoscope plan that allows you to make one in 30 minutes, so please give it a try.

Akiu Traditional Crafts Village

Demonstration of the beauty of handwork

Akiu Traditional Crafts Village
Located in a mountain village just outside Akiu Onsen, this is a community of traditional Miyagi craftspeople. There are eight workshops, including ones for traditional kokeshi dolls, Sendai tansu (chests), and dyeing and weaving, where you can see superb craftsmanship up close and personal, or try your hand at making your own original work. For details, please inquire at each workshop.
[Activities] (Reservations required)
・Kokeshi doll painting
・Lacquering chopsticks
・Itonoko (coping saw) woodworking
There is also a walking path, and from the gazebo built at the east end of the "Kokeshi no Mori" (Kokeshi Forest), you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Akiu Onsen Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) area.
*Please check the official website for the latest information.

Akiu Onsen

A well-located hot spring close to many natural attractions

Akiu Onsen
Visit Aiku Onsen and relax and escape in an area surrounded by nature. Come and visit during the time when seasonal changes are on full display for a more special time; take an open-air bath and spend a special and luxurious time admiring the changing colors of the trees during the autumn for example.
*Please check the official website for the latest information.
Day3

Sendai Castle ruins

An impregnable and famous castle built on Mt Aoba.

Sendai Castle ruins
Sendai Castle (Aoba Castle) was the residence of Date 620,000 goku. The castle was built at an elevation of 130 m above sea level, with cliffs to the east and south. It is said that the castle did not have a castle tower to avoid the warnings of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Unfortunately, the castle is now gone, and the reconstructed side turrets are a reminder of bygone days. If you stand in front of the statue of Masamune Masamune's cavalryman, you can view the city of Sendai from the same vantage point as Masamune, who was ambitious to conquer the whole country.
At the Aoba Castle Museum and Exhibition Hall, visitors can view computer-generated images of a reconstruction of Aoba Castle. In the summer of 2003, Aoba Castle was designated as a National Historic Site.
The area around the ruins of the castle is Aobayama Park, and from the ruins of the castle's main citadel, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Sendai City and the Pacific Ocean. In front of the bronze statue of Bansui Doi, an automatic performance of "The Moon over the Deserted Castle" is played every 30 minutes from 9:00 to 18:00. From the castle tower, visitors can enjoy the night view of Sendai, a city of one million.

Sendai Domain Ancestor Date Masamunes Mausoleum Zuihoden

The resting place of Date Masamune

Sendai Domain Ancestor Date Masamunes Mausoleum Zuihoden
Zuihoden is the mausoleum of Date Masamune, the founder of Sendai and most powerful daimyo (feudal lord) of the Tohoku region. Constructed in 1637 and designated as a National Treasure in 1931, it was destroyed by a fire during the second world war; the present structure was built in 1979 and reconstructed in its original Momoyama architectural style. There is a second and third generation mausoleum on the site, as well as a museum displaying excavation materials.
*Please check the official website for the latest information.

Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium

Meet the marine life of the region and the world!

Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium
Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium houses the largest open-air stadium in Tohoku. In addition to a wide range of marine life the aquarium features performances of dolphins and sea lions at this open-air stadium. There are no barriers between the pool and the stadium seating so the audience can enjoy the live performances with a clear view of the animals!
Walking into the aquarium’s main entrance a group of sea squirts welcome visitors from overhead tanks sparkling in bright sunlight.
The gigantic tank known as “Inochi Kirameku Umi” (sparkle of life) contains a reproduction of the sea life off the local Sanriku Coast. Visitors can enjoy a spectacular projection mapping show with the school of sardines swimming around the tank!
Visitors can try their hand at colouring a fish on a sheet of paper and watch their fish swimming around the big screen at the “Amamo Umino Yurikago” (Amamo Sea Cradle).
Anyone wanting a closer look can handle starfish at the “Umino-Mori Beach” to get a feel of the actual marine life.
The aquarium also has sections introducing visitors to the seas of the world. Learn about the seas of Oceania, Europe, Africa, America and Asia and the marine life living in each.
A wide variety of experiences are available at the aquarium. Visitors can feed penguins, touch and have their photo taken with dolphins or join the aquarium’s backyard tour.
The museum shop offers an exclusive line of products and the food hall is a great place to enjoy dishes made with local produce. Enjoy a fun day out at the Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium!

Sendai City Tomizawa Site Museum

Once you enter the building, you are in a world 20,000 years old!

Sendai City Tomizawa Site Museum
Sendai City Tomizawa Site Museum is a place where you can have fun learning about the Palaeolithic Age.
As you enter via the underground entrance the first thing you see is the enormous ancient remains spreading out before you. The remnants of a bonfire created by humans and a forest from 20,000 years ago have been preserved and are open to the public. The bonfire remains are in a slightly elevated place, where hundreds of stone tools were found.
The Tomizawa remains were found at the time of a preliminary survey for the construction of an elementary school. It was a globally significant discovery, so it was decided to preserve and open it to the public in the state it was excavated, without removing it from the ground where it had lain for millennia. To achieve this method of exhibition special construction and preservation techniques have been used.
The museum comprises an indoor exhibition facility, which displays the remains of a forest and a bonfire as well as fossils, and also an outdoor facility known as the “Ice Age Forest,” which displays recreations of ice age plant life. Explanations by volunteer guides make a visit even more interesting. Enjoy your journey back in time to 20,000 years ago and the depths of the Palaeolithic Age!
GOAL
  • Nikka Whisky Sendai Brewery Miyagikyo Distillery
  • Akiu Great Falls
  • Sakunami Onsen
  • Rairaikyo Gorge
  • Sendai Kaleidoscope Art Museum
  • Akiu Traditional Crafts Village
  • Akiu Onsen
  • Sendai Castle ruins
  • Sendai Domain Ancestor Date Masamunes Mausoleum Zuihoden
  • Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium
  • Sendai City Tomizawa Site Museum

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