Miyagi: The amazing sights from the helicopter will take your breath away! Yamagata: see views of steep cliffs forged by nature from a canoe!

Suggested Time
Suggested Time : 2 days / 1 nights
Transport Options
Transport Options : Drive
Area Map 青森県 岩手県 宮城県 秋田県 山形県 福島県 新潟県

Enjoy two amazing sights.

Experience views of Sendai and Matsushima from the sky via helicopter, something not otherwise possible, and understand the way disasters have changed the landscape. Enjoy views of steep cliffs in Yamagata from aboard a canoe.

START
Day1
Depart Sendai(10:30)

Earthquake Heritage Arahama Elementary School (11:00-11:40)

Passing on the lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the memories of the region

Earthquake Heritage Arahama Elementary School (11:00-11:40)
Arahama Elementary School, where 320 students, teachers, and residents evacuated after the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, still retains the scars of the tsunami that swept up to the second floor. The school building has been opened to the public as ruins of the disaster in order to pass on the threat and lessons of tsunami to future generations and prevent further loss of life.

Ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake: Sendai Arahama Elementary School is located in the Arahama area on the Pacific coastline approximately 10 km east of central Sendai. The Teizan Canal flows through the area, where once approximately 800 households and 2,200 people settled. The Arahama Elementary School was established in 1873, located about 700 m inland from the shoreline. The school had 91 students in attendance at the time of the disaster. The earthquake damaged the school building, but directly after the earthquake struck, 320 people, including students, school personnel and residents, evacuated to the rooftop and survived being stranded.
Because of this moving story, the school building was left in its damaged state as far as possible to convey to future generations the destructive threat and power of a tsunami, aided by an exhibition inside the school of photographs taken in the aftermath of the tsunami. Visitors will also learn about the history and culture of the Arahama area and discover remembrances of the elementary school. In the exhibition room on the 4th floor, visitors can watch a 17-minute video, “27 Hours Arahama Elementary School March 11, 2011,” which includes interviews and footage of the fire department helicopter from the time of the earthquake to the rescue of all evacuees 27 hours later.
Within walking distance of the school, visitors will find Kaigan Park Adventure Field, a place to have fun and learn more about the natural disaster, as well as the “Arahama Memorial Bell,” a monument built in memory of the victims of the natural disaster.Languages available: English, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Korean, Thai
• There are videos with both Japanese and English subtitles.
• Pamphlets are available in English, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Korean, and Thai.
*Check the official website for the latest information.

JR Fruit Park Sendai Arahama (11:45-12:30)

A tourist orchard where you can pick fruit year-round

JR Fruit Park Sendai Arahama (11:45-12:30)
[JR Fruits Park Sendai ARAHAMA: a hands-on tourist farm] 
Visitors can experience picking 150 varieties of 8 fruits, including strawberries, grapes, apples, and other fruits in season throughout the year. 
In addition, there is the “Arahama Marche," which sells vegetables produced by local farmers and fruits from the farm, and "Les Pommes," a café/restaurant where you can enjoy dishes and desserts produced by the chef of Hotel Metropolitan Sendai using a variety of seasonal ingredients from the farm and the area. 

Lunch at Kawamachi Terrace (12:40-14:00)

Kawamachi Terrace Yuriage

Lunch at Kawamachi Terrace (12:40-14:00)
With Natori River in front of you and Yuriage Port in the immediate vicinity, it is the perfect location to enjoy panoramic views of the Zao Mountain Range and Sendai City. The area is lined with restaurants and fresh fish markets, so you can enjoy meals using local ingredients like Shirasu-don (raw whitebait bowl) and Akagai (surf clam) sushi, as well as trying sweets, and shopping for local specialties. 

Helicopter trip in Miyagi (over Sendai, Matsushima, others) (14:30-15:30)

Experience the thrill of this special tour that lets you take in amazing views of Sendai and Matsushima from above!

Helicopter trip in Miyagi (over Sendai, Matsushima, others) (14:30-15:30)
Scenic flight by twin-engine helicopter.The coastal area of Sendai City, which suffered massive tsunami damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake, has undergone a major land use change with the construction of various facilities such as sports, agricultural, and nature parks, as well as facilities to hand down the legacy of the earthquake and a food and beverage complex. Sendai has been reborn as a land that creates the future of Sendai.This is a new content to learn about the recovery from the earthquake through a helicopter sightseeing flight, which will show the efforts of the public and private sectors in cooperation for the recovery from the earthquake to many people, including inbound visitors.
Akayu Hot Spring (17:10)

Stay one night at Akayu Hot Spring

Akayu Onsen has been in operation for more than 920 years and prospered as Uesugi's hot spring. There are restaurants and wineries in the area, and you can enjoy walking around town.

Stay one night at Akayu Hot Spring
Akayu Onsen” is a small hot spring town located in Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture.Unusually for Yamagata Prefecture, where many hot spring resorts are located in the mountains, there are 14 hot spring inns and 4 public bathhouses scattered throughout the town.All inns are only a 5-minute cab ride from JR Akayu Station, and convenience stores, supermarkets, and restaurants are conveniently located nearby.


Akayu Hot Spring, which boasts a history of more than 920 years since its opening, is a historic hot spring that was discovered by Minamoto no Yoshie, who was responsible for the unification of Oshu, during a battle in 1093 by his younger brother Yoshitsuna, who was accompanying him. When Yoshitsuna and other soldiers soaked their battle-wounded bodies in the hot water, their wounds were quickly healed and turned bright red with blood, which is said to be the origin of the name “Akayu Onsen. During the Yonezawa Domain period, the hot spring was protected as a “Hako-yu” (a bathhouse for the lord) and flourished as a place of entertainment authorized by the domain.


Nanyo City, where viticulture is flourishing, has six wineries, and a wine tasting at each winery is recommended. Nanyo is also a noodle town with many unique ramen restaurants as well as nationally popular ramen restaurants.
Day2
Depart inn (08:20)

Mifuchi Canyon Canoe Tour - An adventure to a secluded place of legend (09:00-12:00)

Unexplored region with precipitous cliffs A canoeing tour of the mysterious Mibuchi Valley.

Mifuchi Canyon Canoe Tour - An adventure to a secluded place of legend (09:00-12:00)
Deep in the Nagai Lake, a canoe field that fits the word "unexplored region" perfectly!From the start, it takes about one hour each way to paddle through a V-shaped canyon with mountains towering hundreds of meters above the ground.What appears before your eyes is a powerful cliff more than 50 meters high.Prayers are offered to nature and God, and as you enter the sacred area, the air inside is cool and refreshing even in mid-summer.Stretching for about 250 meters, Sanbuchi Gorge is a power spot with a legend.

Yonezawa beef from Yamagata(12:50ー14:00)

Yonezawa beef from Yamagata(12:50ー14:00)
The nationally renowned Yonezawa beef is a breed of cattle raised in the Yonezawa basin. Large temperature differences between the hot and humid summers and cold, harsh winters produce fit cattle with perfectly marbled beef. The cuts and slices of Yonezawa beef feature a melt-in-the-mouth texture and a subtly sweet flavour. Many restaurants in the city of Yonezawa offer unforgettable Yonezawa beef experiences with menu options including steak, Sukiyaki and Shabu-Shabu along with reasonably priced options.  

Toko Sake Museum tour and shopping (14:10-14:40)

Toko Sake Museum tour and shopping (14:10-14:40)
The Toko Sake Museum is one of the largest museum about sake brewing in Tohoku.The spacious and deeply tasteful interior will take you on a journey back in time to a brewery of the Meiji period, and visitors can taste Toko sake and enjoy shopping at the attached liquor store.
Yonezawa Station (14:50)
GOAL
  • Earthquake Heritage Arahama Elementary School (11:00-11:40)
  • JR Fruit Park Sendai Arahama (11:45-12:30)
  • Lunch at Kawamachi Terrace (12:40-14:00)
  • Stay one night at Akayu Hot Spring
  • Mifuchi Canyon Canoe Tour - An adventure to a secluded place of legend (09:00-12:00)

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