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Where to stay in Sendai

Pick how you arrive, then your trip.

WHERE TO STAY — SENDAI

Schematic map of five areas to stay in SendaiA map of central Sendai with the Hirose River, the Namboku and Tozai subway lines, the line to Sendai Airport and the shinkansen line sits underneath. A marker at the bottom edge points towards Sendai Airport, which lies south of the area shown, and a train marker shows Sendai Station, where the shinkansen arrives; whichever arrival point is selected above is drawn darker. The same five areas are listed below the map with their travel times.SDJ ↓Shinkansen1Sendai Station2Ichibancho3Kokubuncho4Jozenji-dori5Sendai Station East
LINESSubway Namboku LineSubway Tozai LineSendai Airport Line / JRShinkansen
TRAVEL TIME0–30 min30–40 min40+ min

Tap a pin or a row to see who that area suits — and who it does not.

Pick by trip type

Where to stay depends on how you arrive and what kind of trip it is. Choose your airport, then find your trip.

First visit · Sendai-focused tripStay inIchibancho

Ichibancho

Ichibancho is the shopping centre of Sendai, with Kokubuncho next door for the evening. From the airport it is the access line to Sendai Station and one change to the Tozai subway line.

Sendai plus the shinkansenStay inSendai Station

Sendai Station

If you move on by shinkansen, stay by Sendai Station. The access line runs from the airport to the station with no change, and on the morning you leave the platform is a short walk away.

Early-morning arrivalStay inSendai Station

Sendai Station

Check-in is hours away when you land in the morning. The access line takes you to Sendai Station in about 25 minutes with no change, so you can leave your bags at a hotel by the station and start the day.

Late-night arrivalStay inSendai Station

Sendai Station

Landing late, keep the last leg simple: the access line runs from the airport to Sendai Station with no change, so a hotel by the station means no further transfers.

Travelling with childrenStay inSendai Station

Sendai Station

With children and luggage, the fewer changes the better. The access line runs from the airport to Sendai Station with no change, and the station is the hub for every other train you will take.

On a budget · Long stayStay inSendai Station East

Sendai Station East

The east side of Sendai Station keeps room prices down for a longer stay. From the airport it is the access line to Sendai Station and one change to the Tozai subway line.

Couples · A quieter stayStay inJozenji-dori

Jozenji-dori

For calm evenings, stay along the tree-lined Jozenji-dori avenue. It is the longest run from the airport here, with one change to the Namboku subway line, but the quieter streets are the point.

What about Akiu Onsen or Matsushima?

Akiu Onsen and Matsushima are the names many people think of when they plan a night near Sendai.

If a hot-spring inn at Akiu or a night by Matsushima Bay is the point of the trip, one night there is worth it.

As a base for seeing Sendai, though, the centre wins: both are outside the city centre, so every day out starts and ends with that journey.

Ask whether the inn is the trip or a stop on it. If it is the trip, book that night there; otherwise stay in one of the areas above and visit for the day.

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