Situated on the west side of Sendai Station are six shopping arcades, of which five are undercover. Shoppers are free to enjoy the arcades, rain, hail or shine. Herein are our recommended department stores, gourmet food vendors, and souvenir outlets.
⚫︎Fujisaki
Founded in 1819, Fujisaki Department Store is a beloved local department store in Sendai, offering a “Date Craft” corner that features traditional crafts and modern artisan goods from the Tohoku region. The food section not only includes delicious local specialties from Miyagi but also offers a wide selection of sake from almost all sake breweries in Miyagi, as well as Japanese whiskey. Additionally, it carries various brands and has a duty-free counter that also serves as a tourist information center.
⚫︎Kokeshi no Shimanuki
Located in the Vlandome Ichibancho shopping district, “Kokeshi no Shimanuki” is a long-established shop with over 150 years of history that specializes in traditional crafts. It offers a variety of traditional crafts, including kokeshi dolls, Sendai Hariko (a.k.a. Matsukawa daruma), Tamamushi lacquerware, and Sendai tansu (chest of drawers). Additionally, visitors can enjoy a kokeshi painting experience.
⚫︎Taisho-en
Taisho-en is a long-established tea shop that offers a wide variety of original tea leaves, tea cups, teapots, tea utensils, and carefully selected Japanese miscellaneous goods. In the store, you can also enjoy matcha and traditional Japanese sweets.
⚫︎Ocha no Igeta Ichibancho Main Store Kikusuian
The popular anime “Jujutsu Kaisen” features a character named Satoru Gojo who recommends a type of daifuku mochi rice cake called “Kikufuku.” This is a souvenir representative of Sendai, usually sold frozen, but can also be enjoyed fresh at the store. Kikufuku includes a version filled with zunda (sweet edamame paste) and fresh cream, as well as varieties that contain matcha or hojicha roasted green tea cream inside the red bean paste.
For detailed information about each spot, visit the official Sendai City website, Discover Sendai.