Journey to Japan: Sendai Exploration
Day 4
Woke up to a surprise: my legs and feet weren’t painfully exhausted anymore. Instead, they had transitioned into that special phase called DOMS, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. My feet were mostly okay as long as I didn’t stand too long or walk too far. Unfortunately, that’s basically all you do when you’re sightseeing.
We took it slow in the morning, lingering over breakfast at the hotel before packing up. Our bags went into storage at the front desk while we headed out for a bit of light souvenir hunting. Except… there’s really not much to hunt. Around the train station and the nearby shops, postcards were basically non-existent. Magnets? A small handful. And most of them featured the same guy, Date Masamune, the first feudal lord of Sendai, recognizable by his dramatic crescent-moon helmet. Oddly, very few items even mention Sendai by name.
It’s honestly refreshing not to be buried under heaps of cheap, tacky souvenir junk like in most cities with a touch of tourism. But it’s also a bit annoying when you actually want to find some of that tacky junk. I was hoping to pick up something for the fridge to commemorate the race. A medal would’ve done the trick, but we got towels instead, and sticking a towel to the fridge just doesn’t have the same vibe.
Switching gears, we headed for some culture. First stop: the mausoleum of the Date clan, tucked away in a peaceful forest area. It was beautiful, but also, regrettably, located uphill with a generous number of stone steps. My legs were not amused. I found myself struggling to keep up with the local retirees who were powering up the path like it was just a regular Tuesday.
Next, we went to the site of the old Sendai castle. The views were nice, and I finally tried a Zunda Shake, made from sweetened mashed edamame beans. It was interesting. Tasty, but not the kind of thing I’ll be craving from halfway across the world. More of a "sure, why not" than a "can’t wait to have it again" experience.
Both of these spots had more classic tourist souvenirs, and the general quality seemed a step above what I’ve seen in other places. It’ll be interesting to compare with the mega tourist hubs of Tokyo and Osaka later in the trip.
With souvenirs secured (barely) and bellies semi-full, we picked up our bags and boarded a local train bound for Matsushima.
Getting there was easy, but once we arrived, we had to dig deep into the archives of early 2000s brain cells: we needed to use a payphone. Our hotel only accepted calls for pickup, and to dodge roaming fees, both of us had opted for international data packages instead of local SIMs. But now we actually needed to place a voice call. Kids, ask your parents: have they taught you how to use a payphone recently?
We were staying in a traditional Japanese inn in Matsushima, our little post-race splurge and recovery retreat. Matsushima itself is famous as one of Japan’s "Three Views", a bay dotted with pine-covered islands, considered so beautiful that old poets would just stop mid-verse and sigh. It’s only 30–45 minutes from Sendai by train, so most people visit on day trips.
But by the time we went for an evening walk at around 8 p.m., the place felt almost abandoned. All the restaurants were already closed. We wandered through the quiet streets as the sea breeze picked up, eventually grabbing a snack from the Family Mart.
Back at the inn, we gave the footbath a try. Then, finally, it was time to leave our comfort zones, and our clothes, and try the Japanese bathhouse experience. Our hotel in Sendai had one too, but we always found an excuse not to go. This time, we went for it. Luckily, we were both alone in our respective baths. When I entered, two guys were still there, but already toweling off and heading out. Once they were gone, I had the place to myself, hot water, tiled walls, and the quiet kind of calm that makes you forget everything but the present moment.
After that, it was time to roll out the futons and sink into a well-earned, deeply relaxing sleep.
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