At a Glance
Kana-kun! Mascot of Natori!
Natori borders on the southern end of Sendai and has a population of 60,000 people. It's also the location of Sendai airport, Nikon, NASPA, Yuriage Morning Market, a very large AEON mall, and the Sapporo Brewing Company's brewery for the Tohoku region. Being central to the prefecture, Natori boasts many convenient amenities, such as easy rail access both into and out of Miyagi as well as easy access to most stores. Some people say it still has a small town feeling despite it's close proximity to Sendai.
Restaurants
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White Gyoza Saganoya - ホワイトギョーザ サガノ家
This restaurant is popular among locals and visitors alike due to it's good reputation. The gyoza are handmade every day, leading to long lines of people coming to try the dumplings daily. The delicious handcrafted balance of these gyoza make them worth the wait. Primo A casual Italian eatery located near the AEON mall. Famous for their Japanese style lasagna which consists of Miyagi-sourced spinach and sasakamaboko. It's unique, so people often try this signature dish when they visit. Suginoya Right off of Route 4, this popular ramen restaurant often has lines forming outside on the weekends and sells out of soup before night time. The signature sea bream broth is light and savory, making for a unique flavor and a sophisticated bowl of ramen. Katsuo no Honki - らぁめん鰹の本気 名取店 This Natori ramen restaurant specializes in spicy flavors. The ramen here is known to come out super hot, so you can be assured it's fresh. |
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Cafe Shokudo Laugh - Cafe 食堂 Laugh
Cozy and quaint, Café Shokudo laugh’s signature menu item is the gapao rice featuring seri (Japanese parsley) grown in Natori. There’s also light and fluffy chiffon cakes and French toast for those who prefer sweets. Gelateria Natu Lino - ジェラテリア Natu-Lino A popular gelato store with a wide variety of flavors. This gelato shop offers a variety of items beyond gelato too - the parfaits and shaved iced are perfect summer time treats. Mellow Day Coffee - メロウディーコーヒー A small cafe located in a residential area in Natori's mountainous side. For a generous portion, the prices are incredibly affordable. You can purchase an afternoon tea experience here. This cafe also allows dogs. Cafe & Session Pablo The walls here are adorned with countless vinyl records, illuminating the jazz cafe's atmosphere. Occasionally even playing life jazz music, this cafe is a haven for music lovers. The coffee and food offered here is also well regarded, as the beans are brewed fresh on site. Cafe Nijineko - カフェにじねこ Nijineko specializes in doughnuts. They have many different kinds, including some cat shaped doughnuts! Alice Garden Cafe - アリスガーデンカフェ This particular cafe takes cues from Alice in Wonderland - even it's dishes draw inspiration from the popular children's movie. The dishes are plated beautifully, with much attention to detail. |
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R Baker
A spacious bakery with a large dine-in area. Apart from bread and coffee, they also serve pancakes and hamburgers for lunch. Ag:re Bread and Cafe - アグリブレッドカフェ Located on a berry farm, this bakery and cafe serves various fresh breads and satiating lunch plates. Most of the sweets also feature fruit grown in the berry farm! Knights Bridge Specializes in tarts of all kinds. The store is take out only. A Unique feature of this cafe is it offers baking classes on certain days of the week. It’s recommended to come early, as they can sell out before closing time on weekends. Miu Kitchen - みゆキッチン This cake shop specializes in chiffon cake. Chiffon cakes are the Japanese take on a traditional angel food cake, so you can expect a light and airy texture. This bakery also serves apple pie. Kakapo Bakery - カカポベーカリー Named after the New Zealand bird, this small bakery is just as cute as its namesake. In addition to offering all kinds of baked goods, they also offer sandwiches and coffee. Definitely a place to check out if you're looking for crusty baguettes! Bagel Maruco - ベーグルマルコ This shop specializes in bagels, from the classic plain to coconut, there are many different bagels to try here. |
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Curry & Koji Dining Soratobu Zou (Flying Elephant) - カレー&糀Dining 空とぶぞう
An Indian restaurant close to city hall and the event center. The butter chicken curry here is well received locally and portions are very generous. Unica Asian Restaurant - ユニカアジアンレストラン An Indo-Nepalese restaurant serving generous amounts of curry and massive mounds of Indian rice for reasonable prices. |
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Miyagi Lapras Pokelid - Shiny Lapras
Did you know that Miyagi's Ambassador Pokemon is Lapras? There are 35 decorative Lapras Manhole Covers all over the Sanriku Coast of Miyagi! Find the rare Shiny Lapras at the Natori Memorial Park where you can enjoy the plentiful chrysanthemums |
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Raijinyama Kofun - 雷神山古墳
A kofun is a keyhole shaped tomb, and the one in Natori dates to around the 4th or 5th century. Not much is known about it aside from the rough estimate of when it was constructed. In the current era, it's a very popular park among Natori locals, with many people spending time on the weekend there. It's also a popular cherry blossom spot in spring. |
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Kumano Nachi Shrine - 熊野那智神社
Overlooking the city, this shrine offers unobstructed views of Natori and the coast in the distance. At night the view is astounding. You can enjoy seeing the twinkling city lights down below. There's a market held here in the spring, featuring local craftspeople and food trucks. |
Shopping Centers
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AEON Mall - Natori
Also called Diamond City, it's a proper shopping mall. It has a AEON Cinema, Jusco, Aeon Super Center, two food courts, Mitsukoshi, HMV, Lush, many clothing and specialty stores. Conveniently, the train stops right at the entrance. Yuriage Morning Market and The Maple Museum - ゆりあげ港朝市とメイプル館 This market comes equipped not only with a fish market, but also a green grocer and a cafe. The Maple Museum was built by Canadians for the people of Tohoku. It is the Canada-Tohoku Friendship Pavilion. There's a gallery, a bookstore, and a kitchen inside. They sell local food and goods. Kawamachi Terrace - かわまちてらす Another marketplace, there's plenty of fresh produce available for purchase along with fish. There's even a cafe! |
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Natori Cycle Sports Center - 名取市サイクルスポーツセンター
Built in 2020, this sleek center offers more than just cycling. There's a skate park, fustal court, and even a natural onsen available. You can even stay there overnight if you book a reservation. Michinoku Shiokaze Trail Center - みちのく潮風トレイルセンター An information center about the coastal trail running the length of Tohoku - it also features a campground with well-maintainted facilities. |
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Yuriage Brewery - 宮城マイクロブルワリー ゆりあげ麦酒醸造所
A brewery located near the morning market. Featuring all kinds of brews, it's definitely a place to look into if you like beer! Their dunkel is just like an authentic German one, and their strawberry ale is considerably strong. |
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Sendai Airport - 仙台空港
There is a small flight museum and simulator here, along with occasional events and markets. You can also go to the observation deck and watch the planes take off and land; or head over to the road which passes in front of the runway to get a close view of the landing planes. Natori Library - 名取市図書館 A very stylish building, the Natori library is right next to Natori station making for convenient access. There is a small museum at the top floor dedicated to 3.11, and a cafe called Mozart on the second floor where you can have coffee while reading a book or magazine. |
