Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, Sendai’s coastal area has made a steady recovery—and today, set amid abundant nature, it keeps discovering new ways to welcome visitors. Explore memorial facilities that pass on the lessons of the disaster and the history of the local community, activities that delight adults and kids alike, and dining spots and hot springs serving the very best of Tohoku.

On this page, we introduce the area’s must-see spots, along with a recommended model course that makes the most of a seasonal sightseeing loop bus.

Top Spots in the Coastal Area

1. Mitsui Outlet Park Sendai Port

The largest outlet mall in the Tohoku region, home to around 120 shops from well-known Japanese and international makers and popular brands. Beyond fashion and lifestyle goods, you’ll find plenty of restaurants and shops offering local food and souvenirs from Sendai and across Tohoku—so it’s easy to spend a whole day here with family or friends.

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2. Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium

Meet a fascinating variety of sea creatures at this aquarium, highlighted by a breathtaking giant tank that recreates the Sanriku Sea along Tohoku’s Pacific coast. Exhibits also share efforts to revive the local seas since the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011.

With hands-on encounters with marine animals, a shop full of original merchandise, and much more, there’s something to captivate visitors of every age. The dolphin performance is also a crowd favorite.

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3. Kanezaki Sasakama-kan

A popular spot to experience sasakamaboko—Sendai’s signature fish cake shaped like a bamboo leaf—with all five senses, from shopping to a make-your-own sasakamaboko experience. The on-site Tanabata Museum lets you see, up close and all year round, the dazzling decorations actually displayed at the Sendai Tanabata Festival, one of the city’s most celebrated events. It’s a perfect backdrop for travel photos, too.

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4. Sendai 3.11 Memorial Community Center

Located inside Arai Station on the Subway Tozai Line—the gateway to the coastal area—this memorial facility passes on the lessons of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the memories of the affected communities to future generations. Learn about the force of the disaster, the path to recovery, and the history and culture of the coastal communities that were lost. Be sure to stop by when you visit the coastal area.

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5. Sendai City Agriculture & Horticulture Center “Midori-no-Mori”

This photogenic horticultural park offers beautiful blooms all year round—plum blossoms peaking around March, roses in late May and again around October, and sunflowers in summer. The on-site restaurant serves pasta brimming with fresh, seasonal, locally grown vegetables, and a farm stand sells just-picked vegetables and fruit, so you can savor the bounty of Sendai’s farmland.

Seasonal cherry tomato picking is also popular.

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6. Ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake: Sendai Arahama Elementary School

On the day of the Great East Japan Earthquake, as the tsunami surged up to the second floor, 320 students, school staff, and local residents took refuge in this school building and survived. Today, the building is preserved and open to the public as a disaster memorial. Through the tsunami damage still visible throughout the building, along with footage and photographs from the immediate aftermath, visitors can learn about the terrifying power of tsunamis and the importance of everyday disaster preparedness. The site also carries forward the memories of the people who lived in Arahama, a close-knit seaside community.

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7. JR Fruit Park Sendai Arahama

Built in the Arahama district, which was struck by the tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake, this hands-on fruit farm lets you pick seasonal fruit all year round, including strawberries, apples, and grapes. Its on-site marché sells freshly harvested fruit from the park and seasonal vegetables grown by nearby farmers—perfect for taking home as souvenirs.

*Following expansion work, the park is scheduled to reopen in summer 2027 as one of Japan’s largest hands-on agritourism farms, complete with a disaster memorial facility and indoor play areas.

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8. LaLa café at Fukanuma Umi-no-Hiroba

Set in Fukanuma Umi-no-Hiroba, a seaside park where you can enjoy the refreshing ocean breeze, this bright, airy café has a laid-back tropical vibe. Its original menu showcases Sendai specialties such as grilled beef tongue and the triangular fried tofu famous in the Jogi area, making it ideal for lunch or a break while you explore. Fans won’t want to miss the life-size cutout and handwritten message from figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, Sendai’s tourism ambassador.

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9. AQUAIGNIS SENDAI / Lapras Park in Sendai

A multi-use complex where you can spend your time just the way you like: soak in Fujitsuka-no-Yu, a natural hot spring drawn from 1,000 meters underground; browse a marché of hand-picked delicacies from Sendai and across Tohoku; or relax at a café serving high-quality coffee.

Right next door, Lapras Park in Sendai is a must-visit spot with playground equipment featuring Lapras—Miyagi Prefecture’s official support Pokémon—and other Pokémon. Don’t miss hunting for Poké Lids (Pokémon manhole covers) on the park’s evacuation hill, or the sweeping 360-degree panorama of coastline and farmland from the top.

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10. Berry Planet (inside Sendai Harvest Village)

This strawberry farm is located in Sendai Harvest Village, a commercial complex on the way from central Sendai to Sendai Airport. During strawberry-picking season (roughly late December to early June, depending on the weather), you can pick juicy, fresh strawberries yourself. The on-site café also serves a wide range of sweets made with freshly picked, fully ripened strawberries—an ideal stop on a road trip.

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🚌 Model Course: Explore the Coastal Area by Sendai Uminotesen Loop Bus

Here’s a full-day route from central Sendai that uses Arai Station on the Subway Tozai Line as its base and takes you along the coast aboard the Sendai Uminotesen Loop Bus.

Travel through a coastal area that continues to recover from the Great East Japan Earthquake. Learn about the lessons of the disaster and the region’s history and culture, while enjoying the rich natural scenery and appealing attractions you’ll only find here.

[Sendai Station] Subway Tozai Line (approx. 14 min / 6 stops)

[Arai Station] Subway Tozai Line

(1) Arai Station / Sendai 3.11 Memorial Community Center (approx. 30 min)

• Learn about the damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the path to recovery, and the history and culture of the affected areas to gain a deeper understanding of the coast.

[Transfer] Sendai Uminotesen Loop Bus (approx. 10 min; based on the 10:23 departure)
*Instead of the loop bus, you can also take a Sendai City Bus from Arai Station Stop 2 bound for “震災遺構仙台市立荒浜小学校前” (Arahama Elementary School Earthquake Ruins). If you go this way, we also recommend stopping by the Sendai City Agriculture & Horticulture Center “Midori-no-Mori.”

(2) Ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake: Sendai Arahama Elementary School (approx. 1 hr)

• At the preserved school, where traces of the tsunami that reached the second floor remain, see the threat of tsunamis firsthand and learn why everyday disaster preparedness matters.

[Transfer] Walk (approx. 10 min)

(3) LaLa café at Fukanuma Umi-no-Hiroba (approx. 45 min)

• Enjoy dishes featuring Sendai specialties such as beef tongue in a bright, open café with a tropical feel. Top picks include the roast beef “Niku-Niku Sand” served in triangular fried tofu and the Sendai Beef Tongue Curry.

• Don’t miss the life-size cutout and handwritten message from Yuzuru Hanyu, Sendai’s tourism ambassador, on display inside.

[Transfer] Walk (approx. 15 min)

(4) JR Fruit Park Sendai Arahama (approx. 1 hr)

• Savor seasonal fruit at this hands-on farm, where you can pick strawberries, grapes, apples, and more all year round.

[Transfer] Sendai Uminotesen Loop Bus (approx. 10 min; based on the 14:28 departure)

(5) AQUAIGNIS SENDAI / Lapras Park in Sendai (approx. 1 hr 20 min)

• Spend your time as you please: take a break at Sarutahiko Coffee, known for its high-quality brews, or browse marché lien for fresh ingredients and specialty foods from Sendai, Miyagi, and across Tohoku.

• To recharge, try Fujitsuka-no-Yu, a hot spring that rises from 1,000 meters underground.

• Next door, Lapras Park in Sendai is packed with Pokémon-themed playground equipment. Play on the equipment or snap photos with your favorite Pokémon.

• From the top of the evacuation hill, take in a sweeping 360-degree panorama—from the vast coastline stretching to the east to the Sendai cityscape rising beyond the farmland to the west.

[Transfer] Sendai Uminotesen Loop Bus to Arai Station (approx. 25 min; based on the 15:59 departure)
*After the last loop bus, you can take the AQUAIGNIS SENDAI shuttle bus.
Free direct shuttle to Arai Station: departs 16:30 / 17:30 / 18:30 / 19:30 / 21:00 (last bus)

[Arai Station] Arrival — end of course