Japan 2026 ✈ Part 8: Sendai • Ginzan Onsen • Matsushima

6 weeks. Countless train rides. Thousands of kilometers. One unforgettable journey across Japan. It has been hubby's bucket list to slow-travel all around Japan, and we are glad to finally make this a reality. From vibrant cities to quiet countryside, snow-covered mountains to coastal towns, ancient temples to modern skylines — we are grateful for the opportunity to experience and see so many different parts of this country. We were also fortunate to experience the cherry blossom season this time around. Arigato gozaimasu, Japan, for the wonderful experiences and memories, and for showing us again what a unique country you are, with amazing culture and people.

6-Weeks Around Japan
24 Feb - 2 Mar 2026: Tokyo
2-3 Mar 2026: Hakone
3-5 Mar 2026: Nagoya, Nakasendo Trail
5-8 Mar 2026: Kyoto, Uji
8-12 Mar 2026: Osaka
12-17 Mar 2026: Sapporo, Niseko, Hakodate
17-18 Mar 2026: Akita
18-22 Mar 2026: Sendai, Ginzan Onsen
22-25 Mar 2026: Kanazawa, Shirakawago
25- 29 Mar 2026: Hiroshima
29 Mar - 4 Apr 2026: Kokura, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki
4-6 Apr 2026: Beppu
6-7 Apr 2026: Fukuoka

18 Mar 2026 (Wed): Akita - Sendai

After 1 night in Akita, it was time to continue to our journey to Sendai. We took the 12.13pm Akita Shinkansen to Sendai. This ride was also included in our JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass. 

The 2.5 hours Shinkansen ride was pretty uneventful. We were heading south leaving the snowy sceneries.

Arrived Sendai station at 2.30pm and walked about 10 minutes to our hotel.

Made it to our hotel - ANA Holiday Inn Sendai at 2.45pm. Booked this 4-nights stay in Sendai for 37,000 IHG points using the 4th night free benefit. The hotel felt dated and it was pretty dark in the room but we were glad to get a corner room with view of the Shinkansen and railway tracks. This hotel was conveniently located within a 10 min walk from the train station and 2 min walk from the supermarket. I chose the complimentary breakfast for my HG Diamond welcome amenity and received 8 breakfast vouchers. Japan really like using papers. 

Japanese bathrooms are small but very practical and functional. The non-fog mirrors, double toilet paper holder (in case of big emergency), Toto washlets, and easy to figure out showers.

Hubby ventured out by himself in the afternoon for video game shopping while I enjoyed train watching from our room. Took way too many train videos from this room. Took too many same same but different videos with this view from our hotel room...lol!

Walked to the supermarket close by at 7.40pm to get some discounted bentos for dinner. There was a microwave at the 2nd floor which we fully utilized during our stay.

19 Mar 2026 (Thurs): Ginzan Onsen

Started our day early to travel 3.5 hours to Ginzan Onsen. The hotel breakfast didn't start till 7am so the hotel prepared a bento box for us to pick up earlier at 6.15am when we informed the staff that we had to leave early. Sendai station was empty and quiet when we arrived at 7am.

3.5 hours of travel on 2 trains and a bus. We were able to use our JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass for the 2 train rides.

Our train ride was so quiet and 'mystical' passing through the mountains into the snowy region. 

 Arrived Ooishida station at 9.30am and hopped on the bus to Ginzan Onsen at 9.40am. Had to pay 1,000 yen/pax ($6.40) in cash for this bus ride. This bus doesn't run very often so we had to time our transportation strategically.

Arrived Ginzan Onsen at 10.30am and it started drizzling. The bus drop off area was a quick 3 min downhill walk to the famous hot springs town. 

The area was actually very small with Taisho-era wooden inns lining on both sides of the rivers. This place is widely believed to have inspired scenes in Studio Ghibli's movie Spirited Away. 

I'm sure a lot of us have seen the beautiful photos of Ginzan Onsen lit up at night and covered in snow, but this is how it looks like during the day. Instagram vs reality check. 

Most people will either spend a night here or visit in the evening to to see the lights but not for us. Thankfully the town was pretty quiet and empty when we visited, which we liked. 

Our original plan was to spend about 3 hours here (because of the infrequent bus schedule) but after seeing how small the town is and the fact that it was raining, we decided to wrap up our visit within 30 min to catch the 11am bus. Yes we were crazy enough to travel 3.5 hours each way just to visit Ginzan Onsen for 30 min.

We managed to catch the 11am bus to head back to Oishida station, and were the only 2 passengers on the bus.

Came out from the washroom at Oishida station and saw this gaijin being "interviewed' by 2 local high school students. Hubby was the only white person at the station at that time so he was an easy target for the students to practice English. It was nice to see their English teacher bringing them out of the classroom to the train station to talk to foreigner visitors and practice English. They needed the teacher to help clarify their questions and were quite shy, but l applaud their courage and effort to learn and speak a foreign language.

3 hours train ride back to Sendai.

Went to Yodobashi mall at Sendai station to shop at 3coins and Uniqlo before heading back to the hotel. 

Uniqlo haul for me. :) Went to Coop supermarket again to buy discounted bento for dinner.

20 Mar 2026 (Fri): Matsushima Island

Complimentary buffet breakfast at 9am.

 Even though the food options were not as much as Hilton or Crowne Plaza, they had a separate section for Sendai/Miyagi specialties such as green soy beans and simmered Sanma in sweetened soy sauce.

After a leisurely morning, we took the 10.30am train and traveled an hour from Sendai to Matsushima.

It was the start of a 3 day weekend for Vernal Equinox Day (National Holiday in Japan) so a lot of Japanese were traveling.

Matsushima is famous for its bay, which is dotted by pine-covered islands and has been ranked one of Japan's three most scenic views. It is famous for ancient temples, island-hopping cruises, and fresh oysters.

Thought about having the matcha tea set at Karantei Tea House while enjoying the views but decided to skip it.

Quick photo stop at Godaido of Zuiganji Temple.

Thought about visiting the Zuiganji temple but weren't interested in visiting another temple for 700 yen/pax so we just people-watched and flower-watched.

Spent about 1.5 hours randomly strolling around Matsushima. 

It was nice strolling around in this early spring weather.

Visited some shops but didn't buy anything. Japanese souvenirs are always so nicely packaged which make them super tempting. I need that t-shirt "I go for a trip. Please do not look for me"...lol!

Left Matsushima at 12.50pm to head back to Sendai. Since this was the last day to use our JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass, we decided to fully utilize it by taking a detour to Mitsui Outlet Park before heading back to Sendai.

Ended up buying 2 sneakers and a hoodie at Nike. More stuffs to lug around for the rest of our trip...lol!

Went to Coop again to buy discounted bentos for dinner. I like that Japanese supermarkets have a separate area for people to bag their stuffs (slowly) without holding up the cashier lines. This supermarket even had a photocopy machine.

21 Mar 2026 (Sat): Sendai

Our final full day in Sendai was a pretty chillaxing day. Had breakfast at 9.15am and didn't leave the hotel until 11.30am.

We decided to get more steps in and walked 30 min to Zuihöden - Grave of Date Masamune. It was a windy and chilly day. My new Uniqlo Pufftech jacket came in handy.

Spent about 30 min taking some photos around Zuihōden - Grave of Date Masamune. We didn't bother paying to enter coz it didn't look interesting.

Walked back to Sendai station to check out some stores. We noticed that bookstores in Japan are very much alive and they are everywhere. Japanese still loves physical stuffs in this digital era. The best part, they take good care of things so you can find good quality used items here.

One last discounted bentos run at Coop for dinner before we leave Sendai tomorrow.

22 Mar 2026 (Sun): Sendai - Kanazawa

After spending 4 nights in Sendai, it was time to move on to our next destination...Kanazawa. Had breakfast at 7.30am before checking out at 8.30am to walk to Sendai station. Time for hubby's farmer's carry of his precious games. The stuffs he bought was getting too heavy for the duffle bag we brought so we bought a transparent storage bag from coins to put all his games.

Japan 2026 ✈ Part 7: Akita • Sea of Japan Coast

6 weeks. Countless train rides. Thousands of kilometers. One unforgettable journey across Japan. It has been hubby's bucket list to slow-travel all around Japan, and we are glad to finally make this a reality. From vibrant cities to quiet countryside, snow-covered mountains to coastal towns, ancient temples to modern skylines — we are grateful for the opportunity to experience and see so many different parts of this country. We were also fortunate to experience the cherry blossom season this time around. Arigato gozaimasu, Japan, for the wonderful experiences and memories, and for showing us again what a unique country you are, with amazing culture and people.

6-Weeks Around Japan
24 Feb - 2 Mar 2026: Tokyo
2-3 Mar 2026: Hakone
3-5 Mar 2026: Nagoya, Nakasendo Trail
5-8 Mar 2026: Kyoto, Uji
8-12 Mar 2026: Osaka
12-17 Mar 2026: Sapporo, Niseko, Hakodate
17-18 Mar 2026: Akita
18-22 Mar 2026: Sendai, Ginzan Onsen
22-25 Mar 2026: Kanazawa, Shirakawago
25- 29 Mar 2026: Hiroshima
29 Mar - 4 Apr 2026: Kokura, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki
4-6 Apr 2026: Beppu
6-7 Apr 2026: Fukuoka

17 Mar 2026 (Tues): Hakodate - Akita

We are traveling from Hakodate to Akita, which should take about 5 hours. However, we chose to take the 10.5 hours longer route on the Gono scenic line to travel along the coastline of the Sea of Japan between Akita and Aomori.

We got to the station so early at 6.35am that there weren't anybody at the station yet. Train #1 was a short 20 min train ride from Hakodate station to Shin-Hakodate station.

Easu transfer at Shin-Hakodate station to the Hokkaido Shinkansen.

Train #2 was a 1-hour bullet train ride from Shin-Hakodate to Shin-Aomori station. All the trains and Shinkansen we traveled on today were included in our JR Tohoku-South Hokkaido Rail Pass. 

We were also able to select the last row seats for free which allowed us to place our bags behind our seats. This train was very empty.

Leaving Hokkaido on the Hayabusa Shinkansen and traveling through Seikan Tunnel, the world's deepest railroad tunnel below sea level. The Seikan Tunnel which was completed in 1988, is one is Japan's most remarkable engineering achievements.

Arrived Shin-Aomori at 8.35am and had about 35 min to transfer to our next train. It was nice that they had enclosed waiting area coz it was still cold outside.

Train #3 was a 30-min train ride from Shin-Aomori to Hirosaki Station at 9.10am. We were able to reserve seats in the last row for this train as well. It was still snowy in this part of Japan.

43 min transfer at Hirosaki station before hopping on train #4. Had egg sandwich for early lunch.

We actually wanted to take the The Resort Shirakami, a special sightseeing train for the Gono scenic line but it wasn't operating on the day we were traveling so l had to manually map our route on the regular trains and piece them together. Our goal for the day was to make sure we do not miss any of the train else we'd be stranded coz the trains do not run frequently.

Train #4 was a 2-hour train ride from Hirosaki station to Fukaura station at 10.20am. The train was pretty empty and the other passengers were mostly older people. I think we were the only foreigners on the train. 

This JR Gono Line is a famous 147.2-km railway running along the Sea of Japan coast between Aomori and Akita. 

Renowned as one of Japan's most spectacular coastal train journeys, it provides up-close views of rugged cliffs, the Shirakami-Sanchi mountains, and Mt. Iwaki. It was cloudy so we didn't get a clear view of Mt. Iwaki but a Japanese lady who was sitting across me kindly explained to me that Mt. Iwaki is frequently referred to Tsugaru Fuji due to its striking resemblance to Mt Fuji.

This train ride was memorable not because of the scenery, but because of this very nice 80-year old Japanese obachan, Keiko-san, whom I met on the train. She was sitting across me and was taking photos of the scenery when she struck up a conversation with me...in English. 

First of all, I was very impressed with how good she looked and how mobile she was for someone who's 80. Secondly, I was impressed with her ability to speak in English. Even though she wasn't fluent and had to pause to think of the words to say, at least her English was better than my Japanese. 

She said that she lives alone in Aomori and decided to do a day trip by herself to see the coastal scenery. Coincidentally, she was traveling the same route as us. Btw, she was really just enjoying the scenery (without taking any photos). She said her husband and her had driven along this scenic coastal route for a few times before but this was her first time taking a train. She doesn't drive far anymore now that her husband had passed away. She has 2 daughters and said that I looked like one of her daughters. 

I asked how I should address her and she took out a notebook and pen from her handbag and wrote her name...Tamakuma Keiko. So cute. Yes we can plan to see all the sights and find the best photo spots for the gram, but unexpected encounter like this is what makes travel special.

Arrived Fukaura at 12.44pm. Fukaura was not a place that we had planned to visit. We were just 'stuck' here for 2 hours as this was the train's last stop. We had to switch to another train to continue along the route, and the only train for the day leaves at 2.42pm. We had done our homework beforehand and knew that this was a very small town with an old-fashioned train station. We had our backpacks with us and noticed another Japanese who just left his bag in the station (without locking), so we decided to do the same before heading out to explore the town. Yes we trust the safety in Japan.

 The town was very quiet and empty. There was a Family Mart close to the station.

 Fukaura Oiwa Rock and Ebisu shrine are also close to the station.

Climbed up Oiwa rocks for a view of the Sea of Japan and Fukaura town.

There were hardly anyone in the town we felt like we had the entire Fukaura to ourselves.

Train #5 was a 1.5 hour train ride from from Fukaura to Higashi-Noshiro station at 2.40pm. Keiko-san also hopped on the same train leaving Fukaura. It was so nice of her to give me some Japanese snacks to try.

Continued our journey along the coast to Akita.

Train #6 was a 1-hour train ride from Higashi-Noshiro Station to Akita Station at 4.20pm. We had only 3 min transit at Higashi-Noshiro station so I bid goodbye to her on the train as she was continuing on a different train back to Aomori. Since our transit was tight, she even made sure to see that we got on our train in time as she waved goodbye. So glad I got to meet such a nice and kind lady.

After traveling for 10.5 hours on 6 different trains, we finally made it to Akita at 5.22pm. Successfully completed our scenic train ride day with no delays or missed train.

Our hotel was conveniently located right next to Akita station. 

Booked this for 1 night stay at ANA Crowne Plaza Akita for 8,000 IHG points.

Walked to the supermarket next to the train station to grab dinner at 6.45pm. Good timing as the staff was putting the discounted price tags.

18 Mar 2026 (Wed): Akita - Sendai

Finally a not-so-early start for the day. Went up the hotel's restaurant at 9.30am to enjoy our complimentary buffet breakfast, which I chose as my Diamond welcome amenity. The restaurant had good views of the snowy mountains.

The buffet options were pretty good and they also served Inaniwa udon, which is a premium, thin, and flat hand-stretched udon noodle from Akita Prefecture. 

After spending 1 night in Akita, it was time to continue to our next destination. Checked out at 11am and walked to the Akita train station which was conveniently located within 4-min walk from our hotel.

Next stop...Sendai.