Looking for some fresh, hand-tossed pizza before your ferry ride to Matsushima? Look no further than Pizza La Grita, conveniently located across the street from Marine Gate Shiogama. This small independently run restaurant was inspired by the coastal Italian city of Naples and features a great selection of Italian wine in addition to fresh oven-cooked pizzas with ingredients that will make your mouth water. There is the tame but tasty pizza margherita, featuring fresh tomato and basil. For those who love fish, seafood pizza options are fantastic, making great use of the closeness of the sea to put the freshest and most delicious options on the plate.
It is not a big chain restaurant and might not offer as many topping options, but what they do offer is scrumptious. Taking advantage of the midday lunch specials means you can have it all without breaking the bank, though even their evening prices are reasonable.
If you're a sucker for fresh food from a local shop with authentic flavor, this is the place for you.
2016年11月26日土曜日
Shiogama Shrine in Shiogama
Shiogama Shrine stands atop a massive staircase, towering 202 steps above the city below. Along this staircase is a small forest, so beautiful and natural that it is hard to believe you were stepping on city pavement a few seconds earlier. Atop the staircase is one of the symbols of this little coastal town, the main gate to Shiogama Shrine. Within the shrine area itself you'll find four separate prayer areas in three separate shrine sections with several locations where you can buy charms, fortunes, and even postcards. As you explore the grounds around the shrine, you'll also fine one of the best views of Shiogama overlooking the shrine garden, which is beautiful in its own right. Further from the shrine and behind a big harpoon gun, a white building houses a small maritime museum. A little further down and to the left, you'll find a field of cherry trees, perfect for hanami season. Many of the trees are of the species Shiogama-Zakura, a special sakura tree made famous by the 10 petal double blossoms that appear on its branches. Because of these fantastic trees being planted all over the grounds, spring is a big time for tourists to Shiogama shrine, but the grounds are gorgeous any time of the year. If you're a fan of Japanese shrines or gardens, you should definitely make a point of seeing Shiogama Shrine.
2016年11月4日金曜日
Fruits Laboratory in Shiogama
Gelato may not be the first thing you associate with a small coastal town like Shiogama, but with one visit to Fruits Laboratory, you'll see why you should. Fresh fruit and other seasonal flavors abound inside the small cheerily lemon-colored store front. If there isn't much of a crowd, you can even sit right there in the shop and enjoy your delicious treat while making small talk with the congenial owner. If there are too many people on the sparse furniture inside the shop, take a short walk outside and sit instead near the tiny but peaceful shrine, Okama, just across the street from the little yellow store front.
The flavors are always changing as they are based on fresh supply. I personally recommend the chocolate and hazelnut flavors, preferably together in a cone. You can also choose from the latest options, like watermelon in summer and pumpkin closer to fall. It is hard to go wrong with fresh gelato. Whatever your selections, 2 flavors in one cone will run around 500 yen and are well worth it.
The flavors are always changing as they are based on fresh supply. I personally recommend the chocolate and hazelnut flavors, preferably together in a cone. You can also choose from the latest options, like watermelon in summer and pumpkin closer to fall. It is hard to go wrong with fresh gelato. Whatever your selections, 2 flavors in one cone will run around 500 yen and are well worth it.
Pizza La Grita
Looking for some fresh, hand-tossed pizza before your ferry ride to Matsushima? Look no further than Pizza La Grita, conveniently located across the street from Marine Gate Shiogama. This small independently run restaurant was inspired by the coastal Italian city of Naples and features a great selection of Italian wine in addition to fresh oven-cooked pizzas with ingredients that will make your mouth water. There is the tame but tasty pizza margherita, featuring fresh tomato and basil. For those who love fish, seafood pizza options are fantastic, making great use of the closeness of the sea to put the freshest and most delicious options on the plate.
It is not a big chain restaurant and might not offer as many topping options, but what they do offer is scrumptious. Taking advantage of the midday lunch specials means you can have it all without breaking the bank, though even their evening prices are reasonable.
If you're a sucker for fresh food from a local shop with authentic flavor, this is the place for you.
It is not a big chain restaurant and might not offer as many topping options, but what they do offer is scrumptious. Taking advantage of the midday lunch specials means you can have it all without breaking the bank, though even their evening prices are reasonable.
If you're a sucker for fresh food from a local shop with authentic flavor, this is the place for you.
Shiogama Shrine in Shiogama
Shiogama Shrine stands atop a massive staircase, towering 202 steps above the city below. Along this staircase is a small forest, so beautiful and natural that it is hard to believe you were stepping on city pavement a few seconds earlier. Atop the staircase is one of the symbols of this little coastal town, the main gate to Shiogama Shrine.
Within the shrine area itself you'll find four separate prayer areas in three separate shrine sections with several locations where you can buy charms, fortunes, and even postcards. As you explore the grounds around the shrine, you'll also fine one of the best views of Shiogama overlooking the shrine garden, which is beautiful in its own right. Further from the shrine and behind a big harpoon gun, a white building houses a small maritime museum. A little further down and to the left, you'll find a field of cherry trees, perfect for hanami season. Many of the trees are of the species Shiogama-Zakura, a special sakura tree made famous by the 10 petal double blossoms that appear on its branches.
Because of these fantastic trees being planted all over the grounds, spring is a big time for tourists to Shiogama shrine, but the grounds are gorgeous any time of the year. If you're a fan of Japanese shrines or gardens, you should definitely make a point of seeing Shiogama Shrine.
Within the shrine area itself you'll find four separate prayer areas in three separate shrine sections with several locations where you can buy charms, fortunes, and even postcards. As you explore the grounds around the shrine, you'll also fine one of the best views of Shiogama overlooking the shrine garden, which is beautiful in its own right. Further from the shrine and behind a big harpoon gun, a white building houses a small maritime museum. A little further down and to the left, you'll find a field of cherry trees, perfect for hanami season. Many of the trees are of the species Shiogama-Zakura, a special sakura tree made famous by the 10 petal double blossoms that appear on its branches.
Because of these fantastic trees being planted all over the grounds, spring is a big time for tourists to Shiogama shrine, but the grounds are gorgeous any time of the year. If you're a fan of Japanese shrines or gardens, you should definitely make a point of seeing Shiogama Shrine.
Shirahata in Shiogama (a traditional sushi restaurant)
For most foreign travelers in Japan, small coastal towns like Shiogama don't usually hold much appeal. What you can get here you could also find in better selection and for better prices in Tokyo, Osaka, or almost any other major city south of Tohoku. That is, except for sushi.
The fishing industry is huge in Shiogama, and so is sushi. While almost any coastal Japanese town has some pretty good sushi options, Shiogama is known for having the greatest density of sushi restaurants per square kilometer.
The best, most personable and delicious of these that I have found is Shirahata Sushi. Just a three-minute walk from HonShiogama station, the place is truly convenient. The sushi-bar area is not terribly large, lending much to the cozy atmosphere of the establishment. There is also a private party area upstairs and a room with a few traditional style tables and chairs to the far left downstairs.
The real selling point, other than the incredibly delicious sushi, is the personality of the chefs, who are more than happy to chat with customers, give advice about local things, and even joke around a little. They do it all while delivering some of the best sushi in the world, and for a price that would be insanely cheap in a larger city. For this small of a city, 3000 yen per plate of sushi may seem extravagant, but at this place you really do get what you pay for.
If you are in town to see the shrine or enjoy a ferry ride to Matsushima, why not come and try out your Japanese with a friendly Sushi genius while he prepares the most delicious sushi? Don't forget to try the maguro tuna, the fish for which Shiogama is quite famous!
Marine Gate in Shiogama
If you plan on taking the ferry to Matsushima or the Urato Islands, this place will come in handy as it is the ferry-port for the city of Shiogama. The four story building has a lot more to offer than just tickets and waiting spaces, though. On the first floor, the main entrance area opens into a room filled with vendors of local products and souvenirs as well as a small import shop specializing in goods from other south-east Asian countries.
Also on the first floor is a lovely soba restaurant with cafeteria-style seating, specializing in maguro tuna wantons, made from the most famous fish in Shiogama. There are more restaurants on the second floor, including Blair Marina, a fairly classy sit-down eatery specializing in Italian-style food, albeit in a Japanese way. It might not be the fanciest place in town, but it is where the locals go for a mid-range night out and it does boast a great view of the harbor.
The third floor holds a few meeting rooms inside as well as one restaurant, but the bigger draw is the outdoor viewing deck, which offers another great ocean view. If you want an even more fantastic view of the bay, head up to the fourth floor. There you'll find a viewing deck complete with long-distance view-finders that charge 100 yen for a magnified view of the outlying islands. The deck itself is free to visit and well worth a short trip up the stairs or elevator.
The third floor holds a few meeting rooms inside as well as one restaurant, but the bigger draw is the outdoor viewing deck, which offers another great ocean view. If you want an even more fantastic view of the bay, head up to the fourth floor. There you'll find a viewing deck complete with long-distance view-finders that charge 100 yen for a magnified view of the outlying islands. The deck itself is free to visit and well worth a short trip up the stairs or elevator.
Tagajo Public Library in Tagajo
Just out the exit from Tagajo station on the Senseki line, you'll find a posh-looking new building. Three-story high glass windows cover half of the building, completementing the mostly solid structure of the other half. This could be a church, a bank, or a any of a number of other private institutions. Instead, the sign to the upper left of the face of the building reads Tagajo City Library.
Inside on the first level, a Starbucks and a book store await the caffiene-starved, book-hungry patron. The open air of the lobby reveals not only the easily accessible elevator but also the business side of the second floor, Tsutaya. The national video rental chain has open a store in a prominent spot in the library, with great new titles on display and visable even from a distance.
A great place for kids, this building boasts two different child-oriented spaces, including a two-story play structure indoors, at the back of the children's book section. In addition, a short walk away, you'll find a separately carpeted area for smaller kids featuring big picture books as well as smaller books with simple vocabulary for the developing mind. The children's book section alone carries over 30,000 titles for kids to enjoy, according to the Tagajo City Library website.
The foreign books section seems to be at the back of the third floor study area, but if you have come with small children, be warned. Unless your children are especially quiet when you enter this area, the employees of the library will come to you not to provide assistance but instead insistence that you leave the purely silent room. Open from 9:30 AM to 9 PM, the Tagajo City Library is the place to read, relax or study.
Inside on the first level, a Starbucks and a book store await the caffiene-starved, book-hungry patron. The open air of the lobby reveals not only the easily accessible elevator but also the business side of the second floor, Tsutaya. The national video rental chain has open a store in a prominent spot in the library, with great new titles on display and visable even from a distance.
A great place for kids, this building boasts two different child-oriented spaces, including a two-story play structure indoors, at the back of the children's book section. In addition, a short walk away, you'll find a separately carpeted area for smaller kids featuring big picture books as well as smaller books with simple vocabulary for the developing mind. The children's book section alone carries over 30,000 titles for kids to enjoy, according to the Tagajo City Library website.
The foreign books section seems to be at the back of the third floor study area, but if you have come with small children, be warned. Unless your children are especially quiet when you enter this area, the employees of the library will come to you not to provide assistance but instead insistence that you leave the purely silent room. Open from 9:30 AM to 9 PM, the Tagajo City Library is the place to read, relax or study.
Matsushima Fall Light Up at Entsuiin Temple in Matsushima
Every fall, the folks at Entsuiin temple in Matsushima pull out all the stops and make magic happen. In this case, the magic in question is for Matsushima's annual Fall Light Up event, which also includes an event Friday and Saturday nights at the historical Kanrantei teahouse, a food truck pavillion, scenic night boat rides to see the color on the outlying islands, and even a free foot bath. Tickets for the Entsuiin portion of the event are 500 yen per adult and 200 yen for elementary and junior high school students.
For those eager to enjoy the fall colors in northern Japan but lacking the time to take a trip to the mountains, this event is perfect. The doors to Entsuiin open at 5:30 and the event runs until 9PM. If you're interested, come soon as the Light Up experience is only available until November 23rd.
Remember at the temple to slow down to take your best shots in the dark. Selfie sticks, tripods, monopods and drones are not allowed within the temple gardens, so a steady hand would be beneficial. This event does attract a small crowd, and with temperatures dropping, dress warm and come early to ensure the best possible experience.
For those eager to enjoy the fall colors in northern Japan but lacking the time to take a trip to the mountains, this event is perfect. The doors to Entsuiin open at 5:30 and the event runs until 9PM. If you're interested, come soon as the Light Up experience is only available until November 23rd.
Remember at the temple to slow down to take your best shots in the dark. Selfie sticks, tripods, monopods and drones are not allowed within the temple gardens, so a steady hand would be beneficial. This event does attract a small crowd, and with temperatures dropping, dress warm and come early to ensure the best possible experience.
Zuihoden Mausoleum in Sendai
A short, steep walk from a stop on the Loople tourist bus, you'll find Zuihoden, the mausoleum for the samurai family belonging to Date Masamune, the founder of Sendai. The surrounding area is flush with a lovely old forest featuring trees older than some first-world countries. If you're a fan of architecture, the buildings within the main area will probably be more interesting and display colorfully painted intricate carvings prominently. For just 550 yen for adults, 400 yen for students (high school or younger) you can tour the grounds at your own pace and explore the small museum. Most of the artifacts inside relate very limited English, but still can be enjoyed easily as many of them are beautiful beyond easy description.
If you're planning a trip, go early as the PLACE is only open from 9AM to 4:30PM from February to November, closing half an hour earlier the other two months of the year. Also, wear good walking shoes. The up-hill jaunt is a bit of a workout if you're not used to climbing up
If you're planning a trip, go early as the PLACE is only open from 9AM to 4:30PM from February to November, closing half an hour earlier the other two months of the year. Also, wear good walking shoes. The up-hill jaunt is a bit of a workout if you're not used to climbing up
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