Events around Roopt Sendai Yakushido

As a prelude to the Sendai Tanabata Festival, approximately 16,000 fireworks are launched from the Hirose Riverbed.

The launch site is right next to the city center, so you might unexpectedly see them even while walking in town. It's a dense fireworks display, with many launched in about an hour.

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

One of Japan's three major Tanabata festivals and one of the three great festivals of Tohoku. It is held annually for three days from August 6th to 8th, with fixed dates.

The highlight is thefukinagashithat fill the shopping streets. Several-meter-long decorations made of Japanese paper and kusudama balls hang throughout the arcades. It's a festival where you walk with the flow of people, looking up, not one where you watch a stage.

You can enjoy it even if you don't understand the language, but it gets extremely crowded. It's hard to move around in the evening, 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, with stalls, Bon Odori, and taiko drums. The 16th is the main day of the Segaki-e ceremony, where lanterns are floated after sutra chanting. Both nights feature memorial fireworks for about 15 minutes.

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

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 also take to the same street corners. No tickets are required. Just walk around and stop where you like the sound.

Although it's called a jazz festival, it actually features a mix of rock, gospel, and wind ensembles.

For two days, dancers with naruko fill autumn Sendai. Venues are scattered throughout the city, and if you walk around, you'll see dancing everywhere.

Watching is free, and there are no fixed times, so you can drop by during a stroll. No language is needed.

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

Just walk around; no admission fee or reservation is 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 to pray for good health throughout the year. It's the largest of its kind in Miyagi Prefecture, attracting about 100,000 visitors.

The highlight is theHadaka Mairi (Naked Pilgrimage)where pilgrims wrapped in loincloths walk towards the fire, their breath visible in the cold air. January nights in Sendai can drop below freezing.

Since it's a shrine with a National Treasure main hall, it's also worth visiting during the day.

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 the 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 (Hotematsuri, Hanamatsuri, Minato Matsuri).

It's within walking distance from accommodations on 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 coincides with the cherry blossoms.

Shiogama Shrine itself is famous for its cherry blossoms, and the late-blooming Shiogama cherry tree is a national natural monument. Even if you don't make it for the festival, the shrine grounds are worth a visit during this season.

This is Sendai's early summer festival. The eve festival on Saturday featuresSuzume Odori, and the main festival on Sunday features Date Masamune's historical procession and yamaboko float parade.

The Suzume Odori is a dance where people leap with fans. There are times when you can spontaneously join in. Even just watching is lively enough.

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

The eve festival fireworksare launched from Shiogama Port. Since the fireworks open over the sea, they are reflected on the water's surface.

The 2026 event finished in July. The next one will be around Marine Day in 2027. Once the dates are announced, we will update them on theNearby Eventspage.