Japan at Night · Sendai
A private evening with a local host through Iroha Yokocho and Bunka Yokocho, the narrow lanes of tiny bars and izakaya off Sendai's covered arcades, ending in Kokubuncho. Pick it for the doors you would never open alone: tiny counters, owners who know your host and menus with no English.
Day trips from Sendai end at the station around dinner time, and this is what to do next. Japan at Night's host, Ali, meets you at 6:30 pm outside McDonald's on Aoba-dori (opposite Moncler) and walks you into Iroha Yokocho and Bunka Yokocho, two lanes of tiny bars and eateries a few steps from the main shopping arcades. The evening ends somewhere in Kokubuncho, Sendai's nightlife district, and the host will point you back to your hotel.
Guests report five restaurants and bars in an evening, local food, sake and conversation with regulars who clearly know Ali. One vegetarian who does not drink much wrote that the whole night was built around her tastes. Another group went on 2 January, when most places close for New Year, and still ate well.
The fee covers the host only. Food and drinks are not in the price, so you pay at each stop; budget for small plates and a drink in each place. The $97 from-price is per person for the largest group, so a couple pays more each. It runs 3 to 5 hours and nobody under 20 can join.
Outside the McDonald's on Aoba-dori, across the street from Moncler.
The first stops in the lanes off the arcade: small counters, local snacks and a first drink.
More tiny bars and izakaya where the host knows the owners.
The evening ends in Kokubuncho; your host helps you find the way back.
★★★★★We had a fantastic time with our tour guide Ali in Sendai, Japan. He took us to five different restaurants and bars, each offering unique local flavors and experiences we wouldn't have found on our own. [...]
★★★★★I really was not sure what to expect on this tour and can honestly say I had the BEST time wandering the back alleys of Sendai, enjoying great food, sips & chatting with incredibly friendly and welcoming locals. [...] As a vegetarian who is not a big drinker, I was blown away and full of laughter & joy!
★★★★★I could not recommend this tour enough. One of my most memorable nights out ever. Ali was fantastic and very knowledgable of the area. [...] I would have never found these places without him.
Read next:
No. The fee covers the private host. You pay for food and drinks at each stop.
At 6:30 pm outside the McDonald's on Aoba-dori, across the street from Moncler. It ends in Kokubuncho.
Yes, 20, the legal drinking age in Japan.
Yes. A vegetarian guest wrote that the host customised every stop to her diet and tastes.
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A private evening in Sendai's back-alley izakaya and bars with a host who knows the owners.
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