Miyagi Prefecture Events (Ishinomaki, Shiogama, Sendai, Matsushima)

This is a manga museum dedicated to Shotaro Ishinomori, located on a sandbar in the Kitakami River. Original artworks of Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009 are on permanent display.

Special exhibitions change every few months, so the content will be different even on a second visit.Destination for rainy dayscan also be used as.

⚠️ The entire museum is scheduled to be closed for maintenance on the 3rd floor from mid-October 2026 to early January 2027 (please check the museum's announcement for specific dates).

It's within walking distance from accommodations in Ishinomaki. The street outside the museum (Ishinomaki Manga Road) is lined with character statues, so the journey won't be boring.

For two days, autumn Sendai is filled with dancers holding naruko clappers. Venues are scattered throughout the city, and you'll find dancing happening somewhere as you walk around.

Viewing is free, and there's no set schedule, so you can drop by while taking a stroll. No language is needed.

This is an autumn market where wholesalers in Sendai's wholesale district, Oroshimachi, open their stores and sell food and daily necessities at special prices. It's an event with a local feel, where residents come to stock up.

This is the one day a year when Ishinomaki's fish market, boasting one of Japan's largest catches, is open to the public. There are tuna filleting shows and fresh fish auctions, allowing you to experience the morning atmosphere of the port town of Ishinomaki firsthand.

The morning is key, so go early. The market floor can be wet, so wear comfortable shoes.

This is an illumination event that lights up the autumn foliage garden at Tenshukaku Shizen Koen in Akiu Onsen at night. The autumn leaves reflected in the pond are a highlight.

Rairaikyo in Akiu also has illuminations, so you can visit both on an evening stay in Akiu Onsen.

This is an autumn foliage illumination that lights up a promenade of approximately 220m along the unique rock formations of "Rairaikyo" in Akiu Onsen. The gorge's rock faces and colored trees are reflected beautifully on the water, and there's a footbath at the end of the path.

A night destination for those extending their stay to Akiu Onsen, Sendai's inner parlor. The period varies by year (late October to mid-November in 2026), so please check the official website.

This is a night illumination at Entsuin Temple in Matsushima, famous for the reflection of autumn leaves in the Shinji Pond. The entire garden is lit up, and the double reflection of the water and autumn leaves is a classic autumn sight in Matsushima.

The beauty is beyond words, so it's highly recommended for international visitors. It's also a great evening destination for those staying in Matsushima, or extending their trip from Shiogama or Higashimatsushima. Please check the official website for lighting times before visiting.

This is an annual market festival where Shiogama's fish market, known for its tuna landings, is opened to the public. There will be a tuna filleting show and tekka-don (tuna rice bowls) unique to the market.

On the same weekend, there will also be a food event called "Shiogama no Daigomi" at Marine Gate Shiogama in the port, where you can enjoy eating and walking around the port town. Since the event runs from morning to early afternoon, it's best to go early.

This is an autumn chrysanthemum exhibition where the grounds of Shiogama Shrine are filled with carefully cultivated chrysanthemum pots. You can take your time to look around while visiting the shrine.

There is also a venue at Marine Gate Shiogama in the port (shorter exhibition period).

This is a special autumn night visit to Zuiganji Temple, a National Treasure associated with Date Masamune, where you can explore the temple grounds at night with light art by the creative team NAKED. You can experience the temple grounds in a completely different way than during the day.

Entsuin Temple, right next door, also lights up its autumn leaves during the same period, so you can visit both in one evening. It's an experience that transcends language, making it easy to recommend to international visitors.

This is an autumn festival at Jomon Village, located near the Satohama Shell Mounds, a National Historic Site. There will be Jomon experiences such as fire-starting, and events related to Okumatsushima oysters.

For families with children. Please check the city's announcements for the dates.

This is Sendai's Christmas Market, featuring wooden stalls imported from Germany. You can enjoy a relaxing winter evening with hot wine and sausages.

The "SENDAI Pageant of Starlight" on Jozenji-dori is also held during the same period, so you can enjoy both winter nights in the city. The venue is Nishikicho Park (it has moved from the previous Kotodai Park).

This is a winter tradition in Sendai. Hundreds of thousands of light bulbs illuminate the zelkova trees along Jozenji-dori, turning the entire street into a tunnel of light throughout December.

Just walking through is enough; no admission fee or reservations are required. It's cold, so wear a thick coat.

The period and lighting times vary each year. Please check the official website before you go.

This event involves burning New Year's decorations and praying for good health throughout the year. It is the largest of its kind in Miyagi Prefecture, attracting around 100,000 visitors.

Highlights includeHadaka Mairi (Naked Pilgrimage). Pilgrims wrapped in loincloths walk towards the fire, their white breath visible in the cold. Some nights in Sendai in January can be below freezing.

Since it is a shrine with a National Treasure main hall, it is worth visiting even during the day.

This is an oyster-filled festival, a winter tradition of Matsushima. It features taste tests of steamed, grilled, and fried oysters, free samples, and even a warming footbath.

You can enjoy the bounty of the Sanriku sea right there, so it's a good target if you're staying in Matsushima in winter. The date is usually the first Sunday of February, but please check the Matsushima Tourism Association's announcement for the confirmed date as the event approaches.

This festival involves carrying a 1-ton portable shrine down the202 steps of the main approachof Shiogama Shrine. There are 16 bearers.

The sight of the portable shrine descending the stairs is a highlight, whether viewed from above or below. It is said to have begun in the Edo period as a prayer for fire prevention and is counted as one of the three major festivals of the Shiogama Shrine parishioners (Hote Matsuri, Hana Matsuri, Minato Matsuri).

It's within walking distance from accommodations along Shiogama Kaigan-dori.

During cherry blossom season, the portable shrine of Shiogama Shrine parades through the city. It's called "Hana Matsuri" (Flower Festival) because it's held in conjunction with the cherry blossoms.

Shiogama Shrine itself is famous for its cherry blossoms within its precincts, and the late-blooming Shiogama cherry blossoms are a national natural monument. Even if you don't coincide with the festival, the shrine grounds are worth a walk during this season.

This is a festival in early summer in Sendai. The Eve Festival on Saturday features theSuzume Odori (Sparrow Dance), and the Main Festival on Sunday features a historical procession from the era of Date Masamune and a parade of floats.

In the Suzume Odori, dancers leap and dance with fans. There are also times when you can join in. It's lively enough just to watch.

This festival is associated with the "San Juan Bautista," the ship on which Date Masamune dispatched the Keicho Embassy to Europe. Held at the San Juan Museum and Park, which houses a replica ship, it features local drum and fife bands, marching bands, traditional performing arts such as Watariha Shishi Furyu, food and merchandise stalls, and commemorative photos on board.

Admission to the museum is often free on the day of the festival, allowing you to experience history and the festival at the same time on the coast of Ishinomaki. The dates will be announced on the official website as the event approaches.

This is one of Japan's three great boat festivals. Two portable shrines from Shiwa Hiko Shrine and Shiogama Shrine board imperial boats and tour Matsushima Bay, accompanied by about 100 escort boats.

Fireworks for the Eve Festivalare launched from Shiogama Port. Since the fireworks open over the sea, they are reflected in the water.

The 2026 event concluded in July. The next will be around Marine Day in 2027. Once the dates are released,the surrounding eventspage will be updated.

This is the largest festival in Ishinomaki. It began out of gratitude to the pioneers who opened the mouth of the Kitakami River and has continued for over 100 years.

During the day, there are parades and Sonobei-bune boat races in the city center, and at night, fireworks light up the Kitakami River. After the earthquake, it also became a festival for "repose" and "reconstruction," making it a day of great significance for local people.

The fireworks reflect on the river surface, so they are clearly visible even from the opposite bank. Traffic restrictions will be in place around the venue, so accommodation within walking distance is a strong advantage.

As the eve festival for the Sendai Tanabata Festival, approximately 16,000 fireworks are launched from the Hirose River riverbed.

Since the launch site is right next to the city center, you can unexpectedly see them even while walking through the city. It's a high-density fireworks display, with everything launched in about an hour.

If you stay for the Tanabata Festival starting the next day, you can experience two different sides of Sendai on consecutive days.

One of Japan's three great Tanabata festivals and counted among the three great festivals of Tohoku. It is held for three days every year from August 6th to 8th, and the dates do not change.

The highlight is thefukinagashi (streamers)that fill the shopping streets. Several-meter-long decorations made of washi paper and kusudama (decorative balls) hang throughout the arcades. It's a festival where you walk along with the flow of people, looking up, and it's not a festival where you watch a stage.

You can enjoy it even if you don't understand the language, but it gets extremely crowded. It's difficult to move around after sunset, so the morning is the best time to go.

This is an Obon event where lanterns are floated on Matsushima Bay to send off ancestors. Lights and fireworks combine over the sea of one of Japan's three most scenic spots.

The 15th is the eve festival, with stalls, Bon Odori, and taiko drums. The 16th is the main day of the Daiseigakie, where lanterns are floated after sutra chanting. On both nights, memorial fireworks are launched for about 15 minutes.

These are not fireworks for tourism, but rather farewell fires. It is customary to watch them quietly.

This fireworks festival for memorial and reconstruction on the Naruse River has continued since the Taisho era. The highlight is the summer night scene where lanterns float on the river surface and approximately 1,000 fireworks light up the sky.

It's one of the main summer attractions for accommodations in Higashimatsushima. It's a fixed-date event held on August 16th during Obon. Details of the event will be announced on the official Higashimatsushima City website closer to the date.

This is a music festival where the entire city becomes a stage. Performances begin simultaneously at dozens of locations throughout the city, including under the zelkova trees of Jozenji-dori, in parks, and under building eaves.

Not only professionals perform. Student bands and adult bands stand on the same street corners. No tickets are required. You just walk around and stop where you like the sound.

Although it's called a jazz festival, it actually mixes rock, gospel, and wind band music.

This is an autumn night festival that illuminates the 202-step main approach and grounds of Shiogama Shrine with bamboo lanterns and LED candles. You can relax and enjoy the moon, light, and sound while gagaku music plays.

Even if you don't understand the language, you can enjoy the lights and sounds, so it's recommended for international visitors. There will also be stalls and workshops in the monzenmachi (temple town) before dusk (from 3 PM). It's a great evening destination from your accommodation in Shiogama.