Sendai Station (Miyagi)
Sendai Station (仙台駅) is the major
railway hub of the
Tōhoku region in
Japan, serving more passengers than any station outside the
Greater Tokyo Area. It is a stop for all
Akita and
Tōhoku Shinkansen trains, the eastern terminus for the
Senzan Line, and major stop on both the
Tōhoku Main Line and
Senseki Line. It is located in
Miyagino and
Aoba Wards in
Sendai,
Miyagi.
*
JR East Akita Shinkansen Line*
JR East Tōhoku Shinkansen Line*
JR East Tōhoku Main Line*
JR East Senzan Line*
JR East Senseki Line*
JR East Jōban Line* The
Sendai City Subway Line*
Sendai Airport Line (under construction, due to open 2006)
Although the main JR train station and the subway station are physically separate, there are underground passageways connecting the two. The main Sendai Station is above-ground, and is a hub for the
East Japan Railway Company containing both the
Tōhoku and
Akita Shinkansen lines and several other local lines. The above-ground portion of Sendai Station lies in Aoba-ku, and is situated so that tracks run roughly north-south. In the station's easternmost section, underground and across the ward border in Miyagino-ku, is the platform for the east-west
Senseki Line. Until recently, this platform was also above ground; but in 2000, the line was extended to Aoba-dōri to the west, and the line was re-routed underground beneath the rest of the station.
The
subway line lies to the west, and can be accessed from the main station via underground passageways at both ends of the station. The platform for the subway at Sendai Station is actually closer to
Aoba-dōri Station than the other lines through Sendai Station. In fact, there is a transfer-only gate between the subway and Senseki Line platform at Aoba-dōri Station.
West (Main) Exit
The area outside the west exit of Sendai Station is the traditional center of activity around the station. This is because the area is closer to the central business district of Sendai, which initially developed around Sendai Castle.
The area is home to some of the largest
department stores in Sendai. The S-Pal department store and the Station are directly connected to each other. A large elevated
walkway outside the exit provides access to other departments stores, such as the Sakurano Department Store, the Jujiya Co. Sendai Store, and EBeanS. EbeanS is home to Junkudo Sendai, the largest bookstore in the Tohoku Region. The AER Building, a large office building built through recent
redevelopment, is also located in the area and is home to various offices and stores, such as Maruzen, another large bookstore.
The area around the Asaichi-dori street, next to EBeanS is known as the Sendai Asaichi (Sendai morning
Market), although stores are open all day long. The Asaichi is home to a wide variety of small stores that mainly sell
Japanese foods.
The Sendai Metropolitan Hotel can be directly accessed via the elevated walkway and is extremely convenient for visitors unfamiliar with the area. The entrance to Sendai's largest
shopping malls, such as the Clis Road Shopping District and the Ichibancho Shopping District, are located close to the exit of the elevated walkway, and a bus exchange area and taxi pool can be found under the walkway.
East Exit
The area outside the east exit of Sendai Station is the "new" side of the station. It traditionally had a smaller concentration of businesses compared to the west side. The fact that the area was not damaged by
World War II bombing also delayed development in the area.
The municipal government decided to conduct redevelopment in the area in
1960. The redevelopment project is still in progress, but the area has already been largely renovated with a new bus exchange area and taxi pool. The Yodobashi Camera Sendai Store, one of the largest electronics retailers in Sendai, is located right outside of the east exit. BiVi Sendai, a department store, is also located closeby. The east side of the station is also close to many entertainment venues, such as Beeb Sendai, Sendai Sunplaza, and Zepp Sendai.
Fullcast Stadium Miyagi is also within walking distance.
