Yuzuru Hanyu: 2015-16 Season

[alia jackson]

Why on earth would they think that he could attract female tourist? :scratch3: Weird idea.

I'm totally not a travel writer, so I only wrote a short report on FaOI when I was in Japan last year. And then I spent weeks creating a photo book :roll9: so I didn't bother to upload much of my digital files. But since I went through some of my photos last weekend, I uploaded some shots from our short trip to Sendai, so if you care for some one-year-old pictures

Yes, please :agree:

 

[Pamigena]

Yes, please :agree:

Your fault then

We only took a short trip to Sendai at the end of our holiday. Just 1,5 days before we went back to Tokyo and then back home.

We went to Rinnō-ji, which has a really pretty little garden. The weather was kind of meh, and many of the plants looked like they were already past their prime for this season, but it was still a lovely place. We also went to Matsushima that day, and I would really recommend doing that when the weather is nice it was quite rainy and cold when we went there, and once the sun started to set, it got a bit uncomfortable. It's at the seaside, so this was kind of to be expected. Still, not a waste at all, we spent some time strolling over the islands, and that was actually fun.

From Aoba Castle you have a great view over the city. On that day the weather was a little nicer to us. Many clouds, but the blue of the sky was unreal. I spent most of my time there just checking out the view. Zuihōden Mausoleum was awesome, too. The monuments look great and the surrounding area is drop-dead gorgeous. You have to walk up like a gazillion stairs (then again, when don't you in Japan?), but the grounds are so pretty, and you are way too busy looking around to notice that you have to climb Everest. We also went to Ōsaki Hachimangū, where we went up another billion steps. Seriously, if you ever go to Japan, you better have a deep appreciation for stairs you'll need it. The good thing is that you usually get rewarded once you've made it up. (I removed the name on the Yuzu ema because I don't know if it's cool to post it otherwise. I just know that I would prefer if my name weren't on it, so )

We went to see "Tohoku University Botanical Garden" because I thought my mom might like it, with her being into flowers and plants and stuff. Well, we certainly had a blast there, even though our trip ended up being a one-hour walk through the wilderness (also called "natural forest", I believe). It wasn’t quite what we had expected, but that's what you get for making assumptions and not checking your facts upfront. And it's not every day that we spend over an hour walking through untouched nature while laughing our butts off because of the situation so I still list this as a win.

And some more random photos I took all over the place.

And on a completely shallow note (rare for me, usually I'm so serious), I stand by my theory that they have some kind of pretty-elixir in the water over there. Sendai was extra special. I needed to wash my hair that night, and then spent the next couple of hours gushing over how nice it looked. I'm not kidding, they have superstar water in that city. At home my hair never looks this pretty by itself :sad21:

It was just a really short trip, but we had a lovely time in Sendai :yes: I think it's not the worst idea to advertize it for a weekend vacation.

 

[Hanmgse]

Your fault then

We only took a short trip to Sendai at the end of our holiday. Just 1,5 days before we went back to Tokyo and then back home.

We went to Rinnō-ji, which has a really pretty little garden. The weather was kind of meh, and many of the plants looked like they were already past their prime for this season, but it was still a lovely place. We also went to Matsushima that day, and I would really recommend doing that when the weather is nice it was quite rainy and cold when we went there, and once the sun started to set, it got a bit uncomfortable. It's at the seaside, so this was kind of to be expected. Still, not a waste at all, we spent some time strolling over the islands, and that was actually fun.

From Aoba Castle you have a great view over the city. On that day the weather was a little nicer to us. Many clouds, but the blue of the sky was unreal. I spent most of my time there just checking out the view. Zuihōden Mausoleum was awesome, too. The monuments look great and the surrounding area is drop-dead gorgeous. You have to walk up like a gazillion stairs (then again, when don't you in Japan?), but the grounds are so pretty, and you are way too busy looking around to notice that you have to climb Everest. We also went to Ōsaki Hachimangū, where we went up another billion steps. Seriously, if you ever go to Japan, you better have a deep appreciation for stairs you'll need it. The good thing is that you usually get rewarded once you've made it up. (I removed the name on the Yuzu ema because I don't know if it's cool to post it otherwise. I just know that I would prefer if my name weren't on it, so )

We went to see "Tohoku University Botanical Garden" because I thought my mom might like it, with her being into flowers and plants and stuff. Well, we certainly had a blast there, even though our trip ended up being a one-hour walk through the wilderness (also called "natural forest", I believe). It wasn’t quite what we had expected, but that's what you get for making assumptions and not checking your facts upfront. And it's not every day that we spend over an hour walking through untouched nature while laughing our butts off because of the situation so I still list this as a win.

And some more random photos I took all over the place.

And on a completely shallow note (rare for me, usually I'm so serious), I stand by my theory that they have some kind of pretty-elixir in the water over there. Sendai was extra special. I needed to wash my hair that night, and then spent the next couple of hours gushing over how nice it looked. I'm not kidding, they have superstar water in that city. At home my hair never looks this pretty by itself :sad21:

It was just a really short trip, but we had a lovely time in Sendai :yes: I think it's not the worst idea to advertize it for a weekend vacation.

Everything is so green

 

[melmel]

Since it's the Yuzuru's fanfest, I'm in the mood to share rambling feelings (and getting a bit "lyrical" and cheesy XD) I have about 4 skates I had the luck to watch him having live.

First one was at last season's GPF, his SP. After quite a rollercoaster grand prix series, I wasn't even sure he was going to be there. I was torn between wanting him to be there and him not to so he could properly heal and rest. I was tensed like the chord of a bow when he stepped in during the 6 minutes warmup before the SP. He was opening the show by skating first and I was extremely worried because the last time was NHK and it was a hard competition for him two weeks earlier.

But when the warmup ended, he went to Brian, had his little ritual and then took center stage. The first second was a weird mix of tension and incredible smoothness because of his beautiful choreography and moves. When he jumped the quad toe, it felt like a victory, a moment of relief through the spins. The 3A that followed wasn't a stress because he was flying and it was perfectly timed on the music. I could feel the crowd holding their breath during the combo but no real disappointment when he got back on his feet after his fall because we knew we ahd seen something huge. It really was like watching a phoenix rise from his ashes : it would be moving, glorious and stumbling but joyful.

The FS felt the same, with him skating last and entering the ice like everything would be alright. And it was. Seeing him land so perfectly his first perfectly landed quad salchow almost felt more powerful to me at the moment than seeing him shatter records the year after. Everything was perfect, and on his fall we all had the same face that Brian had, a mix of "awww so close!" but with a smile because here again, the mountain that Yuzu had climb had a tiny stumble but it just felt like unquestionned success. Seeing him so unrestrainedly happy in the kiss and cry felt absolutely enormous. Seeing him get so excited that he couldn't contain himself, that he was jumping around, fed so much by the incredible spanish crowd (like he said "everyone's crazy for Javi and him") that when he thanked the crowd back, i don't even have word how happy I was. I remember a lady next to me who told me "you're really happy he did it!" and I wasn't even crying I was just purely beaming, and she was too because it was just infectious.

This season GPF was a bit different. Mostly because this time I went to the practices. There was no worries this time. I knew he could do as great as the prior season, and any mistake wouldn't have take away anything from his great accomplishment on the NHK two weeks earlier.

He was focused and relaxed everytime I saw him on the practices and during the warmup. When he hit the quad salhow, there was no doubt, no hesitation. He was totally focused and in control. It wasn't a phoenix birthing again, it was a quiet, elegant and adult bird who was taking a flight above the ice, with no worries in mind, just knowing exactly what was his next move and how to do it without thinking of anything else. He looked bigger, stronger, and more precise in each moves. And he knew it at the end of it. It wasn't the unrestrained surprised joy he had the year before, it was more the nice settling feeling of having done what you wanted to do like a writer who puts down the final word to his book or the painter doing the last stroke of brush and taking a step back to admire his finish work.

Seimei was exactly in the same vein. Precise is the best way to describe it. It was like Yuzu was creating the music and not just following it. Just like the character in the movie knowing each words to all of his spells, it was exactly what was it, Yuzu drawing a rink size spell on the ice. We were like Seimei's friend in the movie, who can only watch him do his thing without having any idea what it would do and just knowing it was beauty and powerful.

Rewatching it now, the scores don't even matter, they don't even feel significant. All I can say is that the complete mastery, the "I'm not following music, I'm making it" in that performance was the same Javi had at Worlds in his LP. And I know Yuzu will do it again. But either watching him being at the top of the mountain and looking around with assured eyes, or arriving at it with batted breath, some scraps on his cheeks and a delighted smile for his accomplishment, or the halt he has to take to reflect on setbacks, I cherish every step of his journey because it's a fantastic one.

 

[Interspectator]

Your fault then

We only took a short trip to Sendai at the end of our holiday. Just 1,5 days before we went back to Tokyo and then back home.

We went to Rinnō-ji, which has a really pretty little garden. The weather was kind of meh, and many of the plants looked like they were already past their prime for this season, but it was still a lovely place. We also went to Matsushima that day, and I would really recommend doing that when the weather is nice it was quite rainy and cold when we went there, and once the sun started to set, it got a bit uncomfortable. It's at the seaside, so this was kind of to be expected. Still, not a waste at all, we spent some time strolling over the islands, and that was actually fun.

From Aoba Castle you have a great view over the city. On that day the weather was a little nicer to us. Many clouds, but the blue of the sky was unreal. I spent most of my time there just checking out the view. Zuihōden Mausoleum was awesome, too. The monuments look great and the surrounding area is drop-dead gorgeous. You have to walk up like a gazillion stairs (then again, when don't you in Japan?), but the grounds are so pretty, and you are way too busy looking around to notice that you have to climb Everest. We also went to Ōsaki Hachimangū, where we went up another billion steps. Seriously, if you ever go to Japan, you better have a deep appreciation for stairs you'll need it. The good thing is that you usually get rewarded once you've made it up. (I removed the name on the Yuzu ema because I don't know if it's cool to post it otherwise. I just know that I would prefer if my name weren't on it, so )

We went to see "Tohoku University Botanical Garden" because I thought my mom might like it, with her being into flowers and plants and stuff. Well, we certainly had a blast there, even though our trip ended up being a one-hour walk through the wilderness (also called "natural forest", I believe). It wasn’t quite what we had expected, but that's what you get for making assumptions and not checking your facts upfront. And it's not every day that we spend over an hour walking through untouched nature while laughing our butts off because of the situation so I still list this as a win.

And some more random photos I took all over the place.

And on a completely shallow note (rare for me, usually I'm so serious), I stand by my theory that they have some kind of pretty-elixir in the water over there. Sendai was extra special. I needed to wash my hair that night, and then spent the next couple of hours gushing over how nice it looked. I'm not kidding, they have superstar water in that city. At home my hair never looks this pretty by itself :sad21:

It was just a really short trip, but we had a lovely time in Sendai :yes: I think it's not the worst idea to advertize it for a weekend vacation.

A wonderful report! Thank you and I'm so glad you enjoyed your time in Sendai.

 

[Hanmgse]

Since it's the Yuzuru's fanfest, I'm in the mood to share rambling feelings (and getting a bit "lyrical" and cheesy XD) I have about 4 skates I had the luck to watch him having live.

First one was at last season's GPF, his SP. After quite a rollercoaster grand prix series, I wasn't even sure he was going to be there. I was torn between wanting him to be there and him not to so he could properly heal and rest. I was tensed like the chord of a bow when he stepped in during the 6 minutes warmup before the SP. He was opening the show by skating first and I was extremely worried because the last time was NHK and it was a hard competition for him two weeks earlier.

But when the warmup ended, he went to Brian, had his little ritual and then took center stage. The first second was a weird mix of tension and incredible smoothness because of his beautiful choreography and moves. When he jumped the quad toe, it felt like a victory, a moment of relief through the spins. The 3A that followed wasn't a stress because he was flying and it was perfectly timed on the music. I could feel the crowd holding their breath during the combo but no real disappointment when he got back on his feet after his fall because we knew we ahd seen something huge. It really was like watching a phoenix rise from his ashes : it would be moving, glorious and stumbling but joyful.

The FS felt the same, with him skating last and entering the ice like everything would be alright. And it was. Seeing him land so perfectly his first perfectly landed quad salchow almost felt more powerful to me at the moment than seeing him shatter records the year after. Everything was perfect, and on his fall we all had the same face that Brian had, a mix of "awww so close!" but with a smile because here again, the mountain that Yuzu had climb had a tiny stumble but it just felt like unquestionned success. Seeing him so unrestrainedly happy in the kiss and cry felt absolutely enormous. Seeing him get so excited that he couldn't contain himself, that he was jumping around, fed so much by the incredible spanish crowd (like he said "everyone's crazy for Javi and him") that when he thanked the crowd back, i don't even have word how happy I was. I remember a lady next to me who told me "you're really happy he did it!" and I wasn't even crying I was just purely beaming, and she was too because it was just infectious.

This season GPF was a bit different. Mostly because this time I went to the practices. There was no worries this time. I knew he could do as great as the prior season, and any mistake wouldn't have take away anything from his great accomplishment on the NHK two weeks earlier.

He was focused and relaxed everytime I saw him on the practices and during the warmup. When he hit the quad salhow, there was no doubt, no hesitation. He was totally focused and in control. It wasn't a phoenix birthing again, it was a quiet, elegant and adult bird who was taking a flight above the ice, with no worries in mind, just knowing exactly what was his next move and how to do it without thinking of anything else. He looked bigger, stronger, and more precise in each moves. And he knew it at the end of it. It wasn't the unrestrained surprised joy he had the year before, it was more the nice settling feeling of having done what you wanted to do like a writer who puts down the final word to his book or the painter doing the last stroke of brush and taking a step back to admire his finish work.

Seimei was exactly in the same vein. Precise is the best way to describe it. It was like Yuzu was creating the music and not just following it. Just like the character in the movie knowing each words to all of his spells, it was exactly what was it, Yuzu drawing a rink size spell on the ice. We were like Seimei's friend in the movie, who can only watch him do his thing without having any idea what it would do and just knowing it was beauty and powerful.

Rewatching it now, the scores don't even matter, they don't even feel significant. All I can say is that the complete mastery, the "I'm not following music, I'm making it" in that performance was the same Javi had at Worlds in his LP. And I know Yuzu will do it again. But either watching him being at the top of the mountain and looking around with assured eyes, or arriving at it with batted breath, some scraps on his cheeks and a delighted smile for his accomplishment, or the halt he has to take to reflect on setbacks, I cherish every step of his journey because it's a fantastic one.

It's amazing you went to the last two GPF where he's had great performances, thank you for sharing your feelings . Are you also going next season?

 

[alia jackson]

Your fault then .....the whole post

I gladly take the whole responsibility .


for sharing, the photos are lovely and glad that you and your mom had a great time in Yuzu's hometown. I love the nature, and I will be going in the store and will start buying the Amino Vital and Bathclin....definitely need them after climbing a billion steps and that does not count if going skating at Ice Rink Sendai .


If only they bottled Sendai water
(p.s. cannot recall whose photo i used here, need to find out to give proper credit)

 

[hamaguri]

You have to walk up like a gazillion stairs (then again, when don't you in Japan?), but the grounds are so pretty, and you are way too busy looking around to notice that you have to climb Everest. We also went to Ōsaki Hachimangū, where we went up another billion steps. Seriously, if you ever go to Japan, you better have a deep appreciation for stairs :biggrin: you'll need it. The good thing is that you usually get rewarded once you've made it up. (I removed the name on the Yuzu ema because I don't know if it's cool to post it otherwise. I just know that I would prefer if my name weren't on it, so )

And on a completely shallow note (rare for me, usually I'm so serious), I stand by my theory that they have some kind of pretty-elixir in the water over there. Sendai was extra special. I needed to wash my hair that night, and then spent the next couple of hours gushing over how nice it looked. I'm not kidding, they have superstar water in that city. At home my hair never looks this pretty by itself :sad21:

It was just a really short trip, but we had a lovely time in Sendai :yes: I think it's not the worst idea to advertize it for a weekend vacation.

Thank you for your trip report! Your photograph is like by professional! I can’t help smiling to read your comments about the stairs! We Japanese don’t have any feeling about that type of stairs! We can see them here and there and are used to them since childfood. Sometimes the long stairs has some meanings.

And about the water of sendai having some sort of pretty-elixir! I can see your excitement.

I remember a lady next to me who told me "you're really happy he did it!" and I wasn't even crying I was just purely beaming, and she was too because it was just infectious.

Rewatching it now, the scores don't even matter, they don't even feel significant. All I can say is that the complete mastery, the "I'm not following music, I'm making it" in that performance was the same Javi had at Worlds in his LP. And I know Yuzu will do it again. But either watching him being at the top of the mountain and looking around with assured eyes, or arriving at it with batted breath, some scraps on his cheeks and a delighted smile for his accomplishment, or the halt he has to take to reflect on setbacks, I cherish every step of his journey because it's a fantastic one.

Thank you for your wonderful report! It’s meaningful to back to the awesome GPF after that Worlds! Thank you for your precious memories! Every moment, every minute… Reading the report is very pleasant and gives me a great comfort.

Thank you for your strong message. Yes, he will do it again. And yes, I also cherish every step on his way. Every moment is special. The joy and sorrow, success and failure…, all of them are from his whole body and soul.

And thank you for your series of videos on GPF 2014 and 2015! They captured the memorable scenes and I could enjoy them!

(I plan to go to GPF 2016 if yuzu is in. Hanmgse also asked about it though, are you going to?)

I gladly take the whole responsibility .


If only they bottled Sendai water
(p.s. cannot recall whose photo i used here, need to find out to give proper credit)

Lovely work! ( In my memory, this photo is the magazine's coverpage, so i dont think you have to worry about the credit. )

 

[melmel]

It's amazing you went to the last two GPF where he's had great performances, thank you for sharing your feelings . Are you also going next season?

I feel so incredibly lucky that I got to go to Barcelona twice And I'm absolutely going next season too ! (since it's in my country, I will even be able to bring along my mom )
I totally booked my room like two months ago lol

 

[melmel]

Thank you for your wonderful report! It’s meaningful to back to the awesome GPF after that Worlds! Thank you for your precious memories! Every moment, every minute… Reading the report is very pleasant and gives me a great comfort.

Thank you for your strong message. Yes, he will do it again. And yes, I also cherish every step on his way. Every moment is special. The joy and sorrow, success and failure…, all of them are from his whole body and soul.

And thank you for your series of videos on GPF 2014 and 2015! They captured the memorable scenes and I could enjoy them!

(I plan to go to GPF 2016 if yuzu is in. Hanmgse also asked about it though, are you going to?)
[/COLOR]

Aww I'm glad if it could bring back a bit of happiness around :3 Those were my very very first skating competition live so it was really intense (and sometimes heartbreaking ;_; Tatsuki...) but I keep only happy memories from it. And I'm glad you appreciate my videos I tried to film as much as I could (I still have some left I need to upload, although I think I put up all the Yuzu related ones)

I'm indeed going to Marseille next season \o/ I'm living in France so those GPF are very nicely located for me I hope the crowd will be as nice as the Spanish one.

 

[hamaguri]

Aww I'm glad if it could bring back a bit of happiness around :3 Those were my very very first skating competition live so it was really intense (and sometimes heartbreaking ;_; Tatsuki...) but I keep only happy memories from it. And I'm glad you appreciate my videos I tried to film as much as I could (I still have some left I need to upload, although I think I put up all the Yuzu related ones)

I'm indeed going to Marseille next season \o/ I'm living in France so those GPF are very nicely located for me I hope the crowd will be as nice as the Spanish one.

You filmed so much! Organizing the videos totally must be tough!

I feel your memories get to shine more every time you remember them (Oh,, I have no confidenc i can get over my heartbreak about Tatsuki...). It’s one of your unforgettable moments of your life. It’s like diamond in your heart. I love a leading Japanese actress’s words like this, “ (unlike items) You don’t need any space to keep your memories; you don’t need to worry that your memories may be stolen. They shall be always in your heart.” You never lose your precious memories and I am so glad you get them through figure skating, yuzu, your other favorite skaters…

I'm sure Marseille audience will be nice as the Spanish one!:yes: They have long tradition of figure skating and love this sport.

 

[hamaguri]

Now I read the yesterday's comments about two articles, and realized how we our fans get stronger about such type of fuss. Your comments with witt, effort to keep this thread positive...
We can be proud of ourselves. Your members are

 

[Marin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OQnijoOAwg
Latest interview of Brian in Bangkok 6/4/2016 , discussing briefly WC 2016, about Yuzuru and his motivation, quad loop as the plan.
Also Yuzuru having enough time to beat Javi ...

 

[hamaguri]

About “Sendai guide book”(http://photo.kahoku.co.jp/graph/2016/04/13/01_20160413_11014/001.html), this article says there are huge numbers of requests (*this book is sent by airmail without charge per to request)for the book!
They started booking on April 12, and on next April 13, they knew they’d already got over 7000 requests! Just in a day! Crazy!:shocked:

They have only 1000 to distribute, so the lottery will be held.

The due date of the request is April 30. How many requests will be there until the deadline?

http://www.kahoku.co.jp/tohokunews/201604/20160414_13016.html

 

[Fayruza]

Since it's the Yuzuru's fanfest, I'm in the mood to share rambling feelings (and getting a bit "lyrical" and cheesy XD) I have about 4 skates I had the luck to watch him having live.

First one was at last season's GPF, his SP. After quite a rollercoaster grand prix series, I wasn't even sure he was going to be there. I was torn between wanting him to be there and him not to so he could properly heal and rest. I was tensed like the chord of a bow when he stepped in during the 6 minutes warmup before the SP. He was opening the show by skating first and I was extremely worried because the last time was NHK and it was a hard competition for him two weeks earlier.

But when the warmup ended, he went to Brian, had his little ritual and then took center stage. The first second was a weird mix of tension and incredible smoothness because of his beautiful choreography and moves. When he jumped the quad toe, it felt like a victory, a moment of relief through the spins. The 3A that followed wasn't a stress because he was flying and it was perfectly timed on the music. I could feel the crowd holding their breath during the combo but no real disappointment when he got back on his feet after his fall because we knew we ahd seen something huge. It really was like watching a phoenix rise from his ashes : it would be moving, glorious and stumbling but joyful.

The FS felt the same, with him skating last and entering the ice like everything would be alright. And it was. Seeing him land so perfectly his first perfectly landed quad salchow almost felt more powerful to me at the moment than seeing him shatter records the year after. Everything was perfect, and on his fall we all had the same face that Brian had, a mix of "awww so close!" but with a smile because here again, the mountain that Yuzu had climb had a tiny stumble but it just felt like unquestionned success. Seeing him so unrestrainedly happy in the kiss and cry felt absolutely enormous. Seeing him get so excited that he couldn't contain himself, that he was jumping around, fed so much by the incredible spanish crowd (like he said "everyone's crazy for Javi and him") that when he thanked the crowd back, i don't even have word how happy I was. I remember a lady next to me who told me "you're really happy he did it!" and I wasn't even crying I was just purely beaming, and she was too because it was just infectious.

This season GPF was a bit different. Mostly because this time I went to the practices. There was no worries this time. I knew he could do as great as the prior season, and any mistake wouldn't have take away anything from his great accomplishment on the NHK two weeks earlier.

He was focused and relaxed everytime I saw him on the practices and during the warmup. When he hit the quad salhow, there was no doubt, no hesitation. He was totally focused and in control. It wasn't a phoenix birthing again, it was a quiet, elegant and adult bird who was taking a flight above the ice, with no worries in mind, just knowing exactly what was his next move and how to do it without thinking of anything else. He looked bigger, stronger, and more precise in each moves. And he knew it at the end of it. It wasn't the unrestrained surprised joy he had the year before, it was more the nice settling feeling of having done what you wanted to do like a writer who puts down the final word to his book or the painter doing the last stroke of brush and taking a step back to admire his finish work.

Seimei was exactly in the same vein. Precise is the best way to describe it. It was like Yuzu was creating the music and not just following it. Just like the character in the movie knowing each words to all of his spells, it was exactly what was it, Yuzu drawing a rink size spell on the ice. We were like Seimei's friend in the movie, who can only watch him do his thing without having any idea what it would do and just knowing it was beauty and powerful.

Rewatching it now, the scores don't even matter, they don't even feel significant. All I can say is that the complete mastery, the "I'm not following music, I'm making it" in that performance was the same Javi had at Worlds in his LP. And I know Yuzu will do it again. But either watching him being at the top of the mountain and looking around with assured eyes, or arriving at it with batted breath, some scraps on his cheeks and a delighted smile for his accomplishment, or the halt he has to take to reflect on setbacks, I cherish every step of his journey because it's a fantastic one.

thank you so much for this wonderful story - you made it into real poetry.

 

[ysy94]

Your fault then

We only took a short trip to Sendai at the end of our holiday. Just 1,5 days before we went back to Tokyo and then back home.

We went to Rinnō-ji, which has a really pretty little garden. The weather was kind of meh, and many of the plants looked like they were already past their prime for this season, but it was still a lovely place. We also went to Matsushima that day, and I would really recommend doing that when the weather is nice it was quite rainy and cold when we went there, and once the sun started to set, it got a bit uncomfortable. It's at the seaside, so this was kind of to be expected. Still, not a waste at all, we spent some time strolling over the islands, and that was actually fun.

From Aoba Castle you have a great view over the city. On that day the weather was a little nicer to us. Many clouds, but the blue of the sky was unreal. I spent most of my time there just checking out the view. Zuihōden Mausoleum was awesome, too. The monuments look great and the surrounding area is drop-dead gorgeous. You have to walk up like a gazillion stairs (then again, when don't you in Japan?), but the grounds are so pretty, and you are way too busy looking around to notice that you have to climb Everest. We also went to Ōsaki Hachimangū, where we went up another billion steps. Seriously, if you ever go to Japan, you better have a deep appreciation for stairs you'll need it. The good thing is that you usually get rewarded once you've made it up. (I removed the name on the Yuzu ema because I don't know if it's cool to post it otherwise. I just know that I would prefer if my name weren't on it, so )

We went to see "Tohoku University Botanical Garden" because I thought my mom might like it, with her being into flowers and plants and stuff. Well, we certainly had a blast there, even though our trip ended up being a one-hour walk through the wilderness (also called "natural forest", I believe). It wasn’t quite what we had expected, but that's what you get for making assumptions and not checking your facts upfront. And it's not every day that we spend over an hour walking through untouched nature while laughing our butts off because of the situation so I still list this as a win.

And some more random photos I took all over the place.

And on a completely shallow note (rare for me, usually I'm so serious), I stand by my theory that they have some kind of pretty-elixir in the water over there. Sendai was extra special. I needed to wash my hair that night, and then spent the next couple of hours gushing over how nice it looked. I'm not kidding, they have superstar water in that city. At home my hair never looks this pretty by itself :sad21:

It was just a really short trip, but we had a lovely time in Sendai :yes: I think it's not the worst idea to advertize it for a weekend vacation.

Wait Sendai has Tenshu??

I will be very honest, Sendai has no good tourist attracting spot that worth you travel from tokyo to Sendai, except Yuzu

 

[shyne]

Wait Sendai has Tenshu??

I will be very honest, Sendai has no good tourist attracting spot that worth you travel from tokyo to Sendai, except Yuzu

That's what I felt after reading the “Sendai guide book. Nothing really stands out except Yuzu.

 

[Plumededragon]

Wait Sendai has Tenshu??

I will be very honest, Sendai has no good tourist attracting spot that worth you travel from tokyo to Sendai, except Yuzu

The thing is that Tohoku still has trouble attracting tourists because of 2011. So, I understand officials wanting to promote Sendai.
I personally want to visit Sendai and Tohoku region badly, and not just because of Yuzu. But no agency in my country is offering to visit this region...

 

[Pamigena]

Everything is so green

We were there from mid-May to early June and everything was green all over the country. I don't think there's a shade of green left that I haven't seen :luv17: (fun fact: I don't even like green)

I will be very honest, Sendai has no good tourist attracting spot that worth you travel from tokyo to Sendai, except Yuzu

That's what I felt after reading the “Sendai guide book. Nothing really stands out except Yuzu.

YMMV but personally, I've enjoyed our trip to Sendai way more than, say, our day-trip to Nikkō, which unfortunately left me a bit untouched, even though that place kind of should stand out with it being a World Heritage Site and all. (What I remember most is that we had to climb a couple of hundred steps to see.... something. Don't remember what. Just the stairs.) But at least I can now say that I was there, which seems to be of importance (to whoever came up with that rule).

If we would have had more time in Sendai, there would have been a couple of spots a little bit outside of town that would have interested me. But it's a matter of perspective, I guess. I grew up near some small towns that get a ton of tourists every year (loads of Americans. Lord knows why.) And every single one of them I want to ask: what the heck are you doing here? There's nothing here :roll9: Why don't you go someplace interesting instead?

 

[Winnie_20]

Totally off-topic, but I thought Nikko was incredible, from the gorgeous red bridge (with bride and groom posing, so pretty, to the paths with all the statues of little dudes wearing bibs (!) to the big shrine with the monkeys, and our ryokan with awesome meals and onsen. I think there are waterfalls there, too, unfortunately no time for that. And I bought my kimono and obi there, so the place holds special memories for me.
Whereas Sendai, ehm... well, I only ever saw it from the train and at the train station. Maybe next time. ;-)