Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Hotel Sunroute Ichinoseki ホテルサンルート一関

Stayed 12.05.2016 (Thu), 13.05.2016 (Fri)
Reserved via Jalan.net
Single room = 11,900 yen (2 nights), inclusive of breakfast

Debut stay. This is my first time staying with Hotel Sunroute テルサンルート, one of the many hotel chains you can find in Japan. As compared to Toyoko Inn which I frequently stay in during my trips to Japan, I will considered this to be on the higher end with more lavish and intricate decor. Its group of hotels has a variety of themes and settings rather than a consistent one across all. Chose to stay in its Ichinoseki branch because of its strategic location and at the same time, wanted to experience a stay in Hotel Sunroute (in fact, there is a Toyoko Inn branch just beside it).

Night. My first thing that came to my mind when I think about this hotel is its spacious lobby. Arrived at the hotel rather late (at 9 pm) and was greeted by the staff at the front desk. They were polite and tried to strike a casual conversation while going through the check-in procedure. I was assigned a room which came with a single bed and side sofa, and sufficient walking space. Apart from that, the facilities and amenities provided by the hotel are largely the same as the ones I have came across.

Morning. Breakfast was served in the restaurant attached to the hotel. My plan came with a buffet style breakast and it has a decent spread of both Japanese (tamago-yaki, tsukemono, miso soup, rice) and western style (salad, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, etc). Variety wise, I have admit that it was better than Toyoko Inn. All in all, Hotel Sunroute follows the same business model of hotel chain, with an additional touch of classiness.

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What’s nearby?

(1) Ichinoseki JR Station 一ノ関駅 and bus terminal, a minute walk away from the hotel. 

One of the perks of staying at Hotel Sunroute Ichinoseki is its close proximity to the train station and bus terminal. From here, there are buses departing for Genbikei 厳美渓 and Geibikei 猊鼻渓, two river gorges well known of its natural scenery in Ichinoseki.
Ichinoseki JR Station is served by Shinkansen. By distance wise, it is in the middle of two larger cities - Morioka 盛岡 and Sendai 仙台, and it takes about 40 minutes to commute to either city by the bullet train from Ichinoseki.

View from the hotel room.

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Hotel Sunroute Ichinoseki ホテルサンルート一関
〒021-0882 岩手県一関市上大槻街2-37
http://sunroute-ich.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By foot. Approx 1 minute walk from Ichinoseki JR Station West / Nishi Exit 一ノ関駅西口.

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Ichinoseki JR Station 一ノ関駅, Ichinoseki X Hiraizumi One Day Bus Passport 一関 X 平泉 ワンデーバスパスポート

Focal point. Ichinoseki JR Station 一ノ関駅, is located on Tohoku main line 東北本線, Ofunato line 大船渡線 and Tohoku Shinkansen line 東北新幹線. Came to this train station on two separate occasions. First transited here in 2015 to board the adorable and eye-catching Pokémon with you train (at that point of time, Pokémon Go game was not released yet) which commutes between Ichinoseki and Kesennuma. During my solo trip to Tohoku region again on the following year, I stayed in Ichinoseki for two nights and made this a focal point because of its well connectivity by bus and trains to nearby regions. During my stay in Ichinoseki, I explored Genbikei 厳美渓, the mesmerising gorge with emerald green coloured river water flowing through it; Hiraizumi 平泉, the UNESCO World Heritage site and Hanamaki 花巻, the hometown of the late poet, Miyazawa Kenji 宮沢賢治.

Shinkansen and trains serving Ichinoseki JR Station include:

(1) Hayabusa はやぶさ / Komachi こまち commutes northwards to Shin Hanamaki 新花巻駅 and Morioka 盛岡駅, via Tohoku Shinkansen line. At Morioka, Hayabusa continues its journey northwards to Aomori 青森駅 and Shin Hakodate Hokuto 新函館北斗駅, while Komachi travels westwards to Tazawa-ko田沢湖駅, Kakunodate 角館駅 and Akita 秋田駅. 

(2) Hayabusa はやぶさ / Komachi こまち commutes southwards to Sendai 仙台駅 and Tokyo 東京駅, via Tohoku Shinkansen line.

(3) Pokémon with you is a limited express themed train launched as part of recovery efforts after the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011 and commutes between Ichinoseki 一ノ関駅 and Kesennuma 気仙沼駅 (in Miyagi Prefecture) via Ofunato line. Normally in operation on weekends and public holidays, the train underwent a recent facelift in Jul 2017 and is now entirely Pikachu themed.
https://www.jreast.co.jp/railway/joyful/pokemon.html

Overlooking the train station from elevated Shinkansen platform.

Accompanied by Pikachu on a Pokemon themed train ride, departing from Ichinoseki JR Station.

Overhead bridge for passengers to commute between Shinkansen and the local train lines within the train station.

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What's nearby?

(1) Ichinoseki Tourist Information Center 一ノ関観光案内所, the building on the left after exiting from the train station West Exit / Nishi guchi 西口.

(2) Ekimae bus terminal, located just in front of train station West Exit / Nishi guchi 西口.

Platform #7 for buses (31) departing for Geibikei 猊鼻渓.
* Look under Geibikei line げいび渓線 for bus schedule.

Platform #9 for buses (10, 11 and 12) departing for Genbikei 厳美渓.
* Look under Genbikei / Zuisen / Sukawa Onsen line 厳美渓線・瑞山線・須川温泉線 for bus schedule.
Bus schedule: http://www.iwatekenkotsu.co.jp/ichinoseki_hiraizumi.html

Waited at Platform #9 for the bus heading for Genbikei.

Red building on the left is Ichinoseki Tourist Information Center. The center building with a yellow signboard is the bus center, where One Day Bus Passport can be purchased.

Ichinoseki X Hiraizumi One Day Bus Passport 一関 X 平泉 ワンデーバスパスポート

Highly recommend this seasonal bus pass which is only available between Apr to Nov and is specially catered for tourists who intend to cover several attractions in the region within a day. Bus pass is priced at 1,000 yen and can be purchased at Iwate Ken Kotsu Bus Center 岩手県交通バスセンター located near Platform #9 and #10.

Following are some of the bus routes covered by the one day bus passport:
- Genbikei / Zuisen / Sukawa Onsen line 厳美渓線・瑞山線・須川温泉線.
Buses commute between Ichinoseki Ekimae Bus Terminal and Genbikei.
- Genbikei / Takkoku / Hirazumi line 厳美渓・達谷・平泉線.
Buses commute between Genbikei, Motsuji and Hiraizumi Ekimae.
- Hiraizumi Loop Bus Run Run 平泉巡回バス 「るんるん」.
This is a loop service operating from Hiraizumi JR Station, Motsuji, Hiraizumi Cultural Heritage Center, Chusonji, Muryoko-in ato 無量光院跡 and eventually returning to Hiraizumi Ekimae.
- Geibikei line げいび渓線.
Buses commute between Ichinoseki Ekimae Bus Terminal and Geibikei.
- Hiraizumi Geibikei line 平泉・げいび渓線.
Buses commute between Hiraizumi Ekimae and Geibikei.

For my trip, I utilised this pass to cover the following routes:
- Ichinoseki Bus Terminal to Genbikei via Genbikei line [490 yen]
- Genbikei to Motsuji via Genbikei / Takkoku / Hirazumi line 厳美渓・達谷・平泉線 [460 yen]
- Motsuji to Chusonji by Hiraizumi Loop Bus Run Run 平泉巡回バス 「るんるん」[150 yen]
- Chusonji to Hiraizumi JR Station by Hiraizumi Loop Bus Run Run 平泉巡回バス 「るんるん」[150 yen]
Total = 1,250 yen (250 yen savings) 





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Commemorative stamps:

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Ajitasuke main branch 味太助 本店

Visited 12.05.2016 (Thu)

Specialty. Prior to my first visit to Sendai in Oct 2015, I have only tasted beef tongue once while having BBQ in Taipei. Probably my amateurish cooking skills did not do justice to the beef tongue (as I had to barbecue the meat myself), I did not find it particularly delicious at that point of time. While researching on the gourmet food to savour while in Sendai, I was surprised to find out that beef tongue was top on the list. This local specialty was so popular to the point that it created a beef tongue street (gyu tongue dori 牛タン通り), located on the 3rd floor of Sendai JR Station, which is lined up with restaurants offering this dish. After reading numerous rave reviews, I decided to give it another try when I was in Sendai. Visited Beko Masamune Nakakecho branch べこ政宗 名掛丁店 (which is now permanently closed) to relish this local favorite on my first trip to Sendai. This outing changed my impression of gyu tongue completely and I became a fan since then!

- Gyu tongue dori 牛タン通り: https://www.livit.jregroup.ne.jp/detail/435

[Oct 2015] Beef tongue teishoku at the former Beko Masamune Nakakecho branch. Set comprised of grilled beef tongue, steamed white rice with barely and oxtail soup.

[Oct 2015] Former Beko Masamune Nakakecho branch, where I had beef tongue in Sendai for the first time.

Second outing. On my second visit to Sendai in May 2016, I patronised another restaurant (Ajitasuke) to revisit the flavour of grilled gyu tongue and the dinning experience was even better than that at Beko Masamune! Ajitasuke is said to be the pioneer of beef tongue in Sendai and traces its history to more than half a century ago. In 1948, the first generation owner of Ajitasuke 味太助, which started out first as a yakitori stall, learnt about beef tongue stew from a French chef while undergoing culinary training in Tokyo. He decided to improvise the taste of beef tongue to suit Japanese liking and tested it on the grill. When Ajitasuke moved its businesses to Sendai post war, grilled beef tongue was offered on its menu and it soon became its signature dish. Its immense popularity eventually led to growing number of restaurants in Sendai mastering this dish and grilled beef tongue rose to become a trademark, almost analogous to Sendai.

Delicious. Was brought to the counter seat where I could observe the dynamics in an open kitchen. Ordered the teishoku or set meal which had three slices of grilled beef tongue. The set meal came with a side of pickled vegetables, a bowl of fragrant steamed white rice with barley (mugi-gohan) and a bowl of flavourful oxtail soup with Japanese leek. The slices of beef tongue were marinated with salt and soy sauce and left overnight before they are grilled over charcoal flames masterfully to infuse a smoky flavour and served to the guests. My picky tastebuds were blown away by the delicious beef tongue - the meat was well marinated and the texture was not chewy at all. The entire meal was extremely satisfying as I savoured each slice of beautifully grilled beef tongue carefully and slurped away the umami packed oxtail soup. This is truly one dish which I will specially return to Sendai for!



Menu:
- Teishoku A for 1 person: 3 slices of grilled beef tongue, oxtail soup and white rice with barley [1,800 yen]
- Teishoku B for 1.5 person: 4 slices of grilled beef tongue, oxtail soup and white rice with barley [2,100 yen]

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Ajitasuke main branch 味太助 本店
〒980-0811 宮城県仙台市青葉区一番町四丁目4-13
Operating hours: 1130 - 2200 hrs, closed on Tuesdays

https://www.aji-tasuke.co.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By Sendai Subway and walk.

From Sendai subway station 仙台駅 (N10), take the train on Namboku line 南北線 heading for Izumi Chuo and alight at Kotodai Koen 勾当台公園 (N08). 3 minutes walk from South Exit 2.

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Ganesh Tea Room Jozendori Branch ガネッシュ・ティールーム 定禅寺通店

Visited 12.05.2016 (Thu)





Cafe hunting. Took Loople Sendai Bus るーぷる仙台 to Jozendori 定禅寺通 after visited Site of Sendai Castle 仙台城跡. Had in mind to visit a cafe in Sendai and decided on Ganesh Tea Room ガネッシュ ティールーム since it is situated in the vicinity. Ganesh Tea Room is located on the second floor of a building (第3菊水ビル) and the cafe is easily identified by a vertical signboard with the name “Ganesh” printed on it, hanging outside the building. Took the elevator to the second floor and upon entering the cafe, I was immediately attracted to its homely and quiet atmosphere. Chose a window seat overlooking Jozendori and started browsing through their beautifully hand written and drawn menu. Wanted to have a cup of milk tea and there was a good variety to choose from - assam, rum, cinnamon, spice, mint and chamomile, and each tea flavour is accompanied by detailed description on its menu. Ordered a cup of rum milk tea and a slice of the cafe's signature black tea chiffon cake. The tea had a smooth consistency, with a subtle taste of alcohol complementing the fresh black tea flavour. On the other hand, the chiffon cake, infused with rich black tea flavour, was very fluffy and delicious. Overall, the outcome was better than expected and I was satisfied by this combination of cake and drink choice.







Quality. As Ganesh is the name of an elephant headed Hindu god, I speculated that this cafe specialises in Indian cuisine. Though it does serve Indian curries during lunch hour, I believe the name is largely attributed by the origin of tea leaves used in the cafe. Read from its menu (and from its homepage later on) that the owner of Ganesh Tea Room imports tea leaves that are secured through a tea auction in Calcutta, India. The reason being only the best tea leaves harvested during the season are sold through public auctions governed by Tea Board of India. Since its opening in 1984, Ganesh Tea Room has remained faithful to its vision of offering the best quality tea to its patrons for more than three decades, and continues to promote tea drinking culture in Japan.





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Ganesh Tea Room Jozendori Branch ガネッシュ・ティールーム 定禅寺通店
仙台市青葉区国分町3-3-3 第3菊水ビル 2F
Operating hours: 1000 - 2000 hrs
https://www.ganesh.co.jp/

How to get there?

(1) 3 minutes walk from Sendai Subway Kotodai Koen Station, Koen Exit 2 仙台地下鉄勾当台公園駅, 公園2.

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Zuihoden Mausoleum 瑞鳳殿

Visited 12.05.2016 (Thu)



Heritage tour. On my first visit to Sendai, I felt that I did not explore this capital city of Miyagi Prefecture well enough (in fact I only visited Sendai Anpanman Museum and Shopping Mall). Decided to make it up this time round and picked two heritage sites to visit during my stay in Sendai, both related to Date Masamune 伊達政宗, one of the most influential feudal lord of the Date clan in the 17th century. Hopped onto Loople Sendai るーぷる仙台 (Sendai city's sightseeing loop bus) from the bus terminal on the west exit of Sendai JR Station heading for my first destination - Zuihoden 瑞鳳殿.

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Highlights / Background:

Influential. Date Masamune (1567 - 1636) was the first feudal lord of Sendai Domain during the Edo period. Due to his missing eye and remarkable military feat, Date Masamume earned the name "Dokuganryu" (独眼竜 single eye dragon). Under his rule, he make countless contributions such as the building of Sendai Castle at the age of 35, developing plains for rice cultivation and even invested in trading with Spain.



Holy ground. Kyogamine hill 経ヶ峰 is a holy ground for Date clan since this is where the tombs of Date Masamune, the 2nd (Date Tadamune 伊達忠宗), 3rd (Date Tsunamune 伊達綱宗), 9th and 11th feudal lords and their children were erected in. From the bus stop where Loople Sendai stops, visitors will have to ascend a slop followed by stone paved stairs, lined with sturdy cedar trees which are at least 380 years old, on its sides, before arriving at the ticket counter. There are a total of three mausoleums in the entire compound: Zuihoden 瑞鳳殿 (tomb of Date Masamune), Kansenden 感仙殿 (tomb of Date Tadamune) and Zen-oden 善応殿 (tomb of Date Tsunamune). Both Zuihoden and Kansenden were designated national treasures in 1931 for its Momoyama architecture style. Unfortnately, all three mausoleums were burnt down by air raids in 1945. Reconstruction began in 1974 to reinstate the mausoleums and this was eventually completed in 1985.

Zuihoden. The tour began at Nehanmon 涅槃門, the main gate of Zuihoden. The original gate had similar fate as the mausoleum and the current one was rebuilt from Aomori Hiba trees, that were several hundred years old. The gate was also decorated with elaborate carvings identical to its original state. In the compound of Zuihoden, apart from the mausoleum which houses the tomb of Date Masamune, there is a museum which showcases precious, excavated artifacts that were buried in the original tombs and replicated figures of the three feudal lords. The mausoleum has a pyramid type roof with edges gently curved upwards. With black utilised as the base colour, the mausoleum is embellished with beaming gold paint, colourful and exquisite carvings and emblems. The strong colour contrast, immaculate architecture and finely detailed decoration gave the mausoleum a glorious and luxurious feel. Spent a longer time than expected here to admire the intricate carvings of the lion head, phoenix and deities “guarding” the mausoleum.





Kansenden and Zen-oden. Moved on to Kansenden and Zen-oden which were both located on a different site from Zuihoden, but side by side each other. Kansenden 感仙殿 is the mausoleum of Date Tadamune (1599 - 1658), the 2nd feudal lord of Sendai Domain and the second son of Date Masamune. Zen-oden 善応殿 is the mausoleum of Date Tsunamune (1640 - 1711), the 3rd feudal lord of Sendai Domain and the sixth son of Date Tadamune. Though all three mausoleums are identical in terms of architectural style, Zuihoden has the most decorated carvings out of the three. Overall, I enjoyed the process of scrutinising the fine details displayed on the mausoleums, trying to spot the difference between them while being surrounded by lush greenery and tranquility. Apart from being an impressive architectural masterpiece to marvel at, Zuihoden is a place for younger generation to pay their respect to these historical figures who have contributed to the development of Sendai city.





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Zuihoden Mausoleum 瑞鳳殿
宮城県仙台市青葉区霊屋《おたまや》下23-2
Operating hours:
- Feb to Nov: 0900 - 1630 hrs
- Dec to Jan: 0900 - 1600 hrs
Admission fee = 550 yen
* 100 yen discount with one day Loople Sendai pass るーぷる仙台一日乗車券 or one day pass for Loople Sendai and Sendai Subway るーぷる仙台・地下鉄共通一日乗車券
https://www.zuihoden.com/

How to get there?

(1) By Loople Sendai bus るーぷる仙台バス.
Board the Loople Sendai bus from Bus stop / Platform 16 at Sendai JR Station West Exit Bus Terminal and alight at Zuihoden Mausoleum mae 瑞鳳殿前. Bus ride takes approx 15 minutes.

Tohoku 2016 東北の旅 - Site of Sendai Castle 仙台城跡

Visited 12.05.2016 (Thu)
No. of castles visited to date: 10
Top 100 castles in Japan: #8



After Zuihoden mausoleum, I hopped onto Loople Sendai bus again to continue my Sendai heritage expedition. The second destination was the site at which Sendai Castle was previously located on. The castle was built by Date Masamune (1567 - 1636), the first feudal lord of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, in 1602 when he was just 35 years old.



Remains. Arrived at the entrance to the main compound (honmaru 本丸) of Sendai Castle. As Sendai Castle is built on the Mt Aoba, it is also referred to as Aoba Castle. The castle is actually made up of three compounds - the main compound was where the former Ohiroma 大広間, the largest building of Sendai Castle was situated in; the second compound was built by Date Tadamune, the second feudal lord of Sendai Domain while the third compound is where Sendai City Museum currently sits on. The buildings and watch towers of Sendai Castle were destroyed by earthquakes as well as air raids in 1945 (during WWII). One of the watch towers (Wakiyagura 脇櫓) was reconstructed in 1965 and restoration works were carried out on the stone walls along the way.

Observatory. Today, the main compound, at an altitude of 115 m, also serves as an observatory for visitors to capture an overview of Sendai city. Though the view here is broader, I feel that the elevation is not sufficiently high enough to get a breathtaking bird's eye view of the city. Personally I prefer the view from AER Observation Terrace. There are display boards here which provided some insight on how Ohiroma and its rooms, such as Jodan no ma 上段の間 (where most important ceremonies and meetings held between the feudal lord and his retainers were held) and Jojodan no ma 上々段の間 (used during visits from the Imperial Family and the Shogun's family), looked like in the past.





Best photo taking spot. The center of attraction at the main compound has got to be the statue of Date Masamune riding on horse. This iconic symbol of today's Sendai Castle and the city is a tribute to Date Masamune, a influential feudal lord who founded the modern city of Sendai. Near the entrance of the main compound, I visited the guidance facility to better understand the research and archaeological survey carried out on the site. For those who are interested to know more about the history of Sendai Castle, there is a museum (Aoba Castle Museum) situated further inside the main compound.



With that, I concluded my half day heritage expedition of Sendai city!

Do you know? In 2013, nanoblock introduced a scaled down model depicting the statue of Date Masamune on horseback, which comes under its “Sights to see” series. Bought one after I came back to Singapore as a momento for this solo trip and I have to admit this was one of the most challenging nanoblock that I have pieced together to date! 

http://www.diablock.co.jp/nanoblock/en/catalog/c_cat3/nbh_045

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Site of Sendai Castle 仙台城跡
http://www.sendaimiyagidc.jp/sight_pps/d_tourist.php?id=0000000889

Sendai Castle Guidance Facility 仙台城見聞館
Operating hours: 0900 - 1700 hrs
Free admission

Aoba Castle Museum 青葉城資料展示館
Operating hours:
Apr - Nov: 0900 - 1700 hrs (last entry at 1630 hrs)
Nov - Mar: 0900 - 1600 hrs (last entry at 1530 hrs)
Admission fee = 700 yen
https://honmarukaikan.com/tenji/



How to get there?

(1) By Loople Sendai bus るーぷる仙台バス.
Board the Loople Sendai bus from Bus stop / Platform 16 at Sendai JR Station West Exit Bus Terminal and alight at Site of Sendai Castle 仙台城跡. Bus ride takes approx 20 minutes.

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Commemorative stamp: