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.
Hapina Nakakecho Shopping Arcade
Hapina Nakakecho Shopping Arcade is directly connected to Sendai Station by a pedestrian deck. The tea house “Taishoen”, coming up on its 100th anniversary, as well as tea, also has an array of other specialty goods. The arcade also boasts a Don Quixote store, beef tongue restaurants and bustles with sightseers.
Clis Road Shopping Arcade
Enshrined at Mitakisan-Fodoin Temple is the historic God of Fortune, “Sendai Jiro” (circa 1855-1902), and lucky charms are very popular with visitors. At Ocha-no-Igeta, customers can enjoy Zunda Shakes and Daifuku on location, and souvenirs are available for purchase. The Abe Kamaboko store that coined the name of the Sendai delicacy “Sasakamaboko”, also sells the popular B-grade gourmet food, “hyotan-age” (fish ball donuts; skewered deep-fried kamaboko in the shape of a ball).
Marble Road Omachi Shopping Arcade
If you’re after handicraft souvenirs, Kokeshi-no-Shimanuki is your first stop. There is also a variety of cafes, and at “Monsieur Masuno Arpajon”, cakes made in the motif of a bear can also be enjoyed.
Sun Mall Ichibancho Shopping Arcade
The first arcade of its kind, built in 1954, Bunka Yokocho, Iroha Yokocho, Nonaka Shrine and a Pokémon-themed manhole cover are among many places for tourists to enjoy.
Local department store “Fujisaki” connects Sun Mall and Marble Road Omachi and has a selection of handicraft souvenirs as well as a lineup of brand-name goods.
Vlandome Ichibancho Shopping Arcade
An 18m tall all-weather high-rise arcade, featured in the popular anime “Mukadeya”, boasts various gourmet and shopping outlets for visitors to enjoy.
Ichibancho Yonchome Shopping Arcade
A 377m long shopping arcade with an eclectic range of outlets such as “Toichi-Ichiba Street Market”, “the Sendai Mitsukoshi department store”, and the popular Sendai specialty “zunda” (a Japanese treat made from young soy beans) can be enjoyed at “ZUNDA ZUNDA Café”.
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⚫︎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 Marble Road Omachi 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.