*****WHAT’S UP, SENDAI?-  BY JUSTIN VELGUS*****

Weekly news, events, and recommendations from Justin Velgus, a long-term resident living in Tohoku’s largest city, in collaboration with Sendai English (https://sendaienglish.com)

Sunday June 23, 2019, Issue No. 4-

• What’s New: Hanyu fever continues, Iris Ohayama targets China e-commerce, Sendai high-schooler chosen in NBA draft
• Upcoming Events: “Hydrangea Temple” in full bloom, Rakuten Baseball Game “International Preferred Tickets”
• Eat of the Week: Sendaikko Ramen
• I Need a Drink: Zunda Shake
• Local Attraction Highlight: Rinno-ji Temple
• Connect/Network/Resource: Retire Japan
• Trivia: Why is gyutan famous across Japan?

What’s New:

1. Hanyu fever continues

Olympic gold medalist figure skater and hometown hero Yuzuru Hanyu continues to put Sendai on the map.

Recently a second monument dedicated to him was constructed next to the International Center Station. Also, two weeks ago Fujisaki Dept. Store’s short-term window display of Hanyu and Sendai Hira fabric became a mini-tourist attraction that had its own security staff to keep the crowds moving along.

Now the city decided to (was coerced to?) make a new tourism pamphlet featuring the superstar set to be distributed June 29^th downtown and around the shopping arcades.

100,000 pamphlets have been prepared but my connections tell me there is some worry that many locals will hoard them as collectibles. 1,000 of the pamphlets will be distributed in Tokyo by lottery at the Miyagi antenna shop and Tokyu Dept. Store in Shibuya.

News Source  

2. Iris Ohyama targets China e-commerce

Sendai multinational corporation Iris Ohyama continues its push into China with its 10^th manufacturing site.

It will mass produce household appliances, such as fans. The new plant is in the port city of Tianjin. The move is to take advantage of the company’s distribution network and China’s surging e-commerce market. The plant will cost approximately 5 billion yen. However, it should not take many years to pay back when completed in Dec 2021; the company forecasts up to 5 billion yen in sales for the first year of operation.

Iris Ohyama has 26 group companies with its main areas of business being household electric appliances, e-commerce, B2B and overseas operations.

One of the few other large-scale companies founded and based in Sendai is Kamei Corporation.

News Source

3. Sendai high-schooler chosen in NBA draft

For the first time in history, a Japanese athlete was chosen in the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. Rui Hachimura was selected 9th in the 1st round of the 2019 NBA draft.

Hachimura was born to a Japanese mother and Beninese father in Toyama Prefecture. In Toyama he started playing basketball seriously from junior high school.

He attended Meisei High School in Sendai where he led the team to victory in the All-Japan High School Tournament in 2013 and 2014.

It is interesting to see an athlete or celebrity that becomes famous but had moved around while growing up. The spotlight needs to be shared on both schools for fostering the athlete, but it can never be shared equally. The news article barely mentions the athlete’s Sendai career.

News Source

Some above information was also taken from the English Wikipedia article , which goes into much more depth about the already impressive career and life of the 21-year-old. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rui_Hachimura

Upcoming Events:

1. “Hydrangea Temple” in full bloom

We are now in the middle of the “tsuyu” rainy season. Sometimes it is stupidly humid, other times it is chilly to the point you need to wear a jacket. Skies are often gray, but there is one good thing happening during the mid-June to mid-July period: hydrangea flowers.

The best place to see these large, colorful, bulbous flowers in Sendai is Shifuku-ji Temple. Nicknamed “Hydrangea Temple” (“Ajisai-dera” in Japanese), the high concentration of blues, pinks, and purples create a refreshing spectacle. Other shrines and temples are located in the vicinity, such as Rinno-ji Temple (Local Attraction Highlight).

Location: Shifuku-ji Temple (MAP)
Access: Located nearly halfway between JR Kitayama Station and JR Kitasendai Station (or  you can go by subway to Kitasendai Station). From either station, walk 10-min
Admission: free

2. Rakuten Baseball Game “International Preferred Tickets” July 7^th (Sun)

Each year the Rakuten Eagles baseball team has held a special day with discounted tickets for foreign residents and visitors. Each infield ticket (good seats!) costs 1,000 yen. This year the game will be July 7^th from 13:00 (stadium opens at 11:00) against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. Visitors will also get a signboard to cheer and a “Genie Wheeler’s Piggy Bank,” aka a fun memento “banking” on the popularity of the Aladdin movie in theaters and resembling the star foreign athlete of the team, American Zelous Wheeler.

Sign up and follow the instructions at this URL:

https://form.rakuteneagles.jp/internationalfestival

*Note: From this year the forward-thinking Rakuten has decided that all transactions at the stadium are to be “cashless,” meaning that you must pay with some electronic payment system like a mobile app or credit card. As far as I know, cryptocurrency is not yet accepted.

Location: (MAP)
Access: 20 min walk from Sendai Station, 100 yen shuttle from the station, JR train
Admission: 1,000 yen with discount ticket
Website: https://www.rakuteneagles.jp/

 Eat of the Week: Sendaikko Ramen

I heard Sendai city has about a 100 ramen shops. Most are independent, and some are national chains. When I first moved to Sendai in 2013, Sendaikko Ramen was the first ramen I had.

There are about a dozen company-operated and franchised Sendaikko restaurants in and around the city.

Since 1976 they have been serving their signature salty miso ramen. The pork broth and veggie soup are cooked for hours to produce a rich flavor that is also easy to eat. The exact recipe and timing is said to have taken 8 years to master.

Despite this,they allow and even encourage each shop to do their own take on the original recipe. This results in a slightly unique experience at each location. Come here hungry as rice is free with unlimited refills.

Location: Around town. Look for the big orange sign:「らーめん堂　仙台っ子」(Ramen Hall Sendaikko)
Website: http://ramendo-sendaikko.com/

I Need a Drink: Zunda Shake

Zunda mochi is one of Sendai’s many famous foods. Zunda, crushed edamame/soybeans, is combined with super chewy rice cake, called mochi.

The box of green blobs is bought as a popular souvenir. It is not particularly kawaii and not everyone is a fan of the flavor, texture, or messy eating experience. However, the Zunda Shake has many more supporters thanks to its portability, affordable price (250-300 yen), and of course its smoother and sweeter taste courtesy of vanilla ice cream.

Anyone carrying a small cup with a green straw is shaking it up in Sendai.

Find the tasty treats at sales counters in Sendai Station, the castle site, the airport, or even a few in the shopping arcades. I used to buy one of these every time I came back from a monthly overseas trip during my previous job. I was pleased to find the shakes being sold at Haneda Airport in Tokyo as well.

Local Attraction Highlight: Rinno-ji Temple

A short stroll from the above mentioned “Hydrangea Temple” is Rinno-ji Temple, the most famous temple in Sendai. It was founded in 1441 by Date Mochimune. It would be the most famous Date clan member, Date Masamune, responsible for bringing it to Sendai in the early 1600s. The temple itself does not immediately impress like the architecture of Osaki Hachimangu Shrine does. Instead, the charm here is the inner garden with its carp-filled pond, greenery and flowers, and three-storied pagoda. Each Saturday evening there is also a free zazen meditation class.

Location: Rinno-ji Temple (MAP)
Access: Located nearly halfway between JR Kitayama Station and JR Kitasendai Station (or  you can go by subway to Kitasendai Station). From either station, walk 10-min.
Admission: free to visit the temple, 300 yen/person to enter the garden

Website:  https://rinno-ji.or.jp/

Connect/Network/Resource: Retire Japan

Retire Japan is a website devoted to personal finance for residents of Japan. Written in English and curated by Sendai resident Ben Tanaka, this site is a treasure trove of essential information that is rarely available in plain, simple English. Find resources and tips covering bank accounts and taxes, to navigating social security, retirement, and even wills. Ben also offers services such as paid consulting, but he states himself that most information needed is on the site or in the forum for free.  https://www.retirejapan.com

Weekly Trivia: Why is gyutan famous across Japan?

Grilled beef tongue started way back in 1948. Although locals tend to only dine on the dish occasionally, tourists gobble the stuff down.

Gyutan’s popularity has expanded to such that there are around 100 specialty gyutan restaurants across the city. While each prefecture in Japan has its own famous food, there are only a handful that are well-known across the country.

Every Japanese person seems to know Sendai’s soul food is gyutan. One reason is that Sendai is a “branch city.” There are very few major company headquarters here, but most major corporations have a Sendai branch office. Workers transferring in and out of the prefecture, along with people visiting for business, have spread the word of the unusual dish from Hokkaido to Okinawa.

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See past issues of “What’s Up, Sendai?” or learn more about living in and enjoying Sendai on the Sendai English website: https://sendaienglish.com