Arrival at Miyagi · SDJ
How to get to city centre Sendai from Sendai Airport
If you are staying near Sendai Station, you can take the Airport Railway to Sendai Station. After getting off, check whether your accommodation is on the east or west side of the station and take the corresponding exit. Aoba Dori and Ichibancho can be reached by walking or taking the subway one stop from the station. If you are going directly to Matsushima, check the train transfer and accommodation check-in deadlines at Sendai Station.
From Sendai Airport · 仙台空港(SDJ) to Sendai Station · 仙台駅, you can take the Sendai-bound train according to the current timetable without transferring. The prices below are in Yen for one way for adults, and the times are local Japanese time.
Official data confirmation date . Railway fares and timetables are based on revisions on March 14, 2026, and notices of service changes on the same day have priority.
Compare based on accommodation location and luggage
| Arrival point | Transportation | Adult one-way fare | Time required after boarding | Transfer | Reservation | Big burden | The right schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation east and west of Sendai Station | Airport Railway regular train → walk | Paper 680 yen / IC 672 yen | Standard approximately 25 minutes | None to Sendai Station | Not necessary | Store your luggage yourself and check the walking route | When staying near the station |
| Aoba Dori and Ichibancho | Airport Railway → Subway Tozai Line | Paper total 890 yen / IC total 882 yen | About 25 minutes + about 2 minutes by subway | Sendai Station 1 transfer | Not necessary | Checking the underground platform movement and elevator | Shopping district and lodging on the west side of the station |
| Entrance to city centre accommodation | Airport bus stop regular taxi | Check meter fare, surcharge, and toll | Varies depending on road, waiting, and accommodation location | None | The use of the bus stop is different from the reservation product. | Confirmation of people, carrier loading, and payment method | Large luggage, after the last departure, long walk |
| City address with flat rate application | Advance reservation flat-rate taxi (ordinary car) | General road 6,500 yen / Toll road 9,000 yen | Varies depending on road conditions | None | Advance reservation by phone is required | Check loading/meeting location for each vehicle | When the applicable address and reservation conditions are met |
The time required to board the train and travel time after landing are different. Immigration → Baggage → Customs → 2nd floor passage → Ticketing/ticket → Waiting for train → Get off and move to accommodation separately. When transferring, you will need time to walk between platforms and wait for the next car.
Flat-rate taxi is a reservation product from a specific company. The same price does not apply to all taxis in line at the airport. From 22:00 to 05:00, there is a 20% surcharge on the flat fare and toll road tolls are separate.
From the 1st floor of the arrival hall to the 2nd floor of Sendai Airport Station
Sendai Airport Station · 仙台空港駅
International arrival
- After completing immigration, baggage, and customs, exit to the international arrivals lobby on the 1st floor.
- Go in the direction of the bank on the official map and pass the Centre Plaza with a fountain.
- Take the escalator on the front left to the 2nd floor and cross the passageway connecting the airport station.
- Buy a ticket to Sendai from the station vending machine or go through the ticket gate with a charged IC card.
- Check the destination and departure platform for ‘仙台 / Sendai’ and get on.
Domestic flight arrival
- Claim your baggage and exit to the domestic arrivals lobby on the 1st floor.
- Go towards the convenience store, then turn right in front of the convenience store and take the escalator to the 2nd floor.
- Go through the direct connecting passage → station ticket machine/ticket → platform for Sendai.
If you need a large suitcase or assistance with moving around, check the elevator route on the airport floor map. The station's ticket gate, waiting room, and platform are located on the second floor.
The airport takes you across the second floor connecting passage to the station ticket gate in approximately 2 minutes. It does not include the time to come up from the 1st floor arrival hall, waiting for the elevator, or ticketing. The departure location is also different from the approximately 3-minute guide based on the 2nd floor departure lobby for domestic flights.
Sendai Airport Railway: No need to get off at Natori
Airport Station → Mitazono · 美田園 → Morisekinoshita · 杜せきのした → Natori → Minami-Sendai · 南仙台 → Taishido · 太子堂 → Nagamachi · 長町 → Sendai Station
The Sendai Airport Line and the JR Tohoku Main Line connect at Natori Station, Natori Station, and 名取駅. Currently, the destination on all airport departure tickets is Sendai and there is no transfer at Natori. However, check the electronic signboard on the day as it may change due to disruption or temporary operation.
Regular and rapid, which train do you use now?
The table effective March 14, 2026 does not indicate rapid trains departing from the airport, and local trains stop at all of the above stations. Instead of the short travel time of the rapid train in the past information, check the arrival time of the current train.
The operator's standard time is about 25 minutes, and actual train journeys vary from about 24 to 31 minutes. For example, 05:31 → 05:55 is 24 minutes, 07:21 → 07:52 is 31 minutes, and the last departure 23:23 → 23:51 is 28 minutes.
At the airport station ticket vending machine, you can buy a paper ticket to Sendai for 680 yen for adults and 340 yen for children. If you go through the IC ticket gate, it costs 672 yen for adults and 335 yen for children. Children are between the ages of 6 and 12, and children under the age of 6 are treated as infants.
Up to 2 infants are free per adult, a child ticket is required for the third child.
Airport, Sendai Station and Matsushima transfer map
Numbers are offset to avoid overlap. The dot at the end of each thin line marks the reference location.
Blue solid line: Airport Railroad/JR / Orange solid line: Subway / Green dotted arrow: Walking/indoor movement direction
- Airport 1st floor arrival area
- Sendai Airport Station 2nd floor
- Natori Station: stay on a through train
- JR Sendai Station
- Sendai Station West Exit Area
- Sendai Station East Exit Area
- Subway Sendai Station
- JR Aobadori Station
- Aoba-dori Ichibancho Station
- Ichibancho North 1 Exit/North Shopping Street
- Ichibancho South 1 Exit, Sun Mall Entrance
- Matsushimakaigan Station: coastal sights
- Matsushima Station — Tohoku Main Line
- Matsushima Coastal Sightseeing Entry Area
Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) The blue solid line on the background is the geographic data for the Airport Railway/JR, the orange solid line is the geographic data for the subway, and the green dotted arrow is the final travel direction. The solid lines are track reference data from National Numerical Information N02-2025 and do not guarantee that specific trains will operate on the same day. The dotted line is not an actual walking path or indoor passageway. Exit pins are approximate ground areas compared to guide maps, please use the official station map and walking directions below.
Sendai Station East/West Exit and final transfer
Station West Accommodation/Aoba Dori
Airport railway arrival platform → 2nd floor conventional line central ticket gate → West exit/pedestrian deck → Accommodation
Aoba-dori Avenue · 青葉通 is a street leading to the west of the station. Check the property's address and actual walking route at the west exit. The route of movement varies depending on the location of the stairs and elevators going down from the deck to the ground.
West Exit → Aoba-dori Station walking route ↗Accommodation east of the station
Airport railway arrival platform → 2nd floor ticket gate → East-west free passage → East exit → Accommodation
If the address of your accommodation is east of the station, do not go to the west shopping street first, but follow the ‘東口’ signs. The east-west free passage on the second floor connects both sides. If you check which road the main entrance to your accommodation is on, you can reduce the need to drag your suitcase around the building.
East exit → East plaza walking route ↗The Airport Railway mainly arrives at lines 3 and 4, but it is not a fixed platform. Check the arrival platforms, ticket gates, and exits on the JR official floor map.
Ichibancho accommodation: Comparison of one stop on the East-West Line and walking distance
Ichibancho · 一番町: towards the shopping streets, take the subway to Sendai Station · Sendai Subway Station · 地下鉄仙台駅 → East-West Line Yagiyama Zoological Park Station · 八木山動物公園駅 → Aobadori Ichibancho Station · You can go to Aoba-dori Ichibancho Station · 青葉通一番町駅. The ride takes approximately 2 minutes, with an additional 210 yen for adults, for a total of 890 yen based on a paper airport ticket and a total of 882 yen based on the airport IC. Walking, ticket gates, and waiting are separate from JR to the subway.
Subway Sendai Station moves from the B1 waiting room to the B4 East-West Line platform. There is a notice that the central 2 entrance elevator is suspended and the north 5 entrance is closed, so if you have a lot of luggage, do not use that entrance as your basic route, but check the latest guide map. In Aoba Dori Ichibancho, North 1 Exit is towards the northern shopping street, North 2-gai is towards Fujisaki · 藤崎 Department Store, and South 1 is towards Sun Mall Ichibancho · サンモール一番町.
Take the exit on the side of your accommodation.
JR Aoba-dori Station · あおば通駅 is a Senseki Line station. It is not the same station as Sendai Subway Station or Aoba-dori Ichibancho Station, and the Airport Railway does not reach Aoba-dori Station.
External walking directions are based on the area around the station and exit. Exit names can be displayed for the entire station location, so check the official station map above for stairs/elevators and North 1 and South 1 exits.
Sendai Airport to Matsushima: Transfer at Sendai Station
If you go to the coastal tourist destinations of Matsushima, Matsushima, and Matsuda, use Matsushima-Kaigan Station, Matsushima-Kaigan Station, and Tsushima Beach as a guide. The order is Airport Railway → Sendai Station → Matsushima Kaigan stop on the JR Senseki Line → Coastal Sightseeing Area.
The Senseki Line is located in areas 9 and 10 on the 2nd basement floor, and the last stop is confirmed as departing from Line 10 in the official table.
The on-board journey time between Sendai → Matsushimakai is approximately 40 minutes according to the Tourism Association. Check the actual stops on the Senseki Line towards Ishinomaki, Ishinomaki, Ishinomaki, etc. Some trains end at stops along the way, so you need to look at the destination and stopping stations together.
Matsushima Station · 松島駅 is another station on the Tohoku Main Line. The ride from Sendai is about 25 minutes, but it adds about 20 minutes of walking to the tourist centre.
Don’t assume that the Senseki Tohoku Line stops at Matsushima Kaigan just by looking at the name. Check which station your accommodation is near and choose a route.
Additional fares for the Matsushima section vary depending on the selected route, ticket, or pass. It is not included in the 680 yen from Airport → Sendai. If you need a ticket from the airport to Matsushima, check with the ticket machine or station staff for the entire route.
Scope of application for transport IC card, large luggage, and pass
Airport Railway provides 11 types of supported IC cards, including Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, and icsca. PiTaPa cannot be used as a postpaid service and requires recharging. Don't assume you can buy a new Suica at the airport station.
The operator informs us that it does not sell Suica at its stations. The ticket vending machine uses cash and IC support. Credit cards cannot be used. IC recharge can be done with cash.
Please use the luggage space or luggage rack and manage your luggage yourself so that it does not occupy your seat. JR's general rules are that you can carry up to 2 pieces of luggage, each with a total of 250cm on all 3 sides, 2m in length, and 30kg in weight. Check with the operator of the entire route for excess baggage and sports equipment.
In times of congestion, loading and carrying may be restricted, and reservations for luggage space or seating are not guaranteed.
Don’t judge the inclusion of the Airport Railway just by the name ‘JR Pass’
Currently, the new JR EAST PASS official application list includes Sendai Airport Transit Line. 5-day and 10-day passes are used on consecutive days of validity starting from the selected date, and the Sendai City Subway is not on the list. In addition to going to the airport, compare the trains you will take, and if you have already purchased a pass, check the product name, effective start date, eligibility, and whether the exchange has been completed.
Do not be confused with the prices and sales conditions of old ‘Tohoku region’ products.
You cannot pass through the ticket gate with the reservation confirmation alone. Please receive and exchange your pass before use. The user's original non-Japanese passport is required, and the new JR EAST PASS is indicated as an exception to the short-term stay visa requirement.
Changes to the expiration date after receipt/purchase are not possible, except for some exceptions. Exchange/receipt locations and change/refund processing locations vary depending on the purchase method, so check the conditions of the sales channel you will use in the official purchase guide.
If you cannot exchange it before arriving at the airport, you must also set aside the cost of a regular airport ticket.
Is there a bus from the airport to Sendai Station?
As of the date of confirmation, there are no direct buses to Sendai Station or the city centre in the airport's official route list. This does not mean that other regional and seasonal routes in the official list are bound for Sendai Station. When going to your accommodation in the city, compare the airport train and taxi. Check the airport list and operator table below for new routes and temporary bus services.
Current bus destination, operator, and bus stop ↗Last trains from Sendai Airport and onward connections
Airport departure criteria
First train 05:31 → Sendai 05:55 / Last departure 23:23 → Sendai 23:51. Effective March 14, 2026 The airport station table is a common table that does not separate weekdays and holidays. It is not the opposite direction from Sendai Station to the airport.
Is it connected to the subway/Matsushima last departure?
In the city transportation bureau table on the date of confirmation, subway departures from Sendai are listed as 23:59 on weekdays, Saturdays, and holidays for both directions on the north-south line and both directions on the east-west line. It only lasts 8 minutes from the last airport train arriving in Sendai at 23:51. Since it must include the following movements: JR platform → ticket gate → subway waiting room → ticketing/ticket → underground platform, we cannot guarantee the last subway ride.
The last stop on the Senseki Line to Matsushima Kaigan on the JR weekday, Saturday, and holiday ticket in October 2026 is Sendai 22:52 → Matsushima Kaigan 23:30. After 23:15, 23:39, and 00:02, the Senseki Line terminates at Higashi-Shiogama Station (東塩釜駅) and do not reach Matsushima-Kaigan Station.
For the Airport 22:08 → Sendai 22:34 departure, there are 18 minutes left on the timetable until the next stop, but you must also check the underground platform movement, delays, and hotel check-in deadlines. Airport 22:38 → Sendai 23:03 departure is already late.
Tohoku Main Line bound for Matsushima Station is separate. The October ticket has a Sendai 00:02 Matsushima terminus, but the final route from Matsushima Station to the beachfront accommodation is different from Matsushima Kaigan Station. For late arrivals, please contact the accommodation first to determine whether station pick-up/taxi is available and the final check-in time.
Don’t judge that you can catch the last departure just by looking at the scheduled landing time. Please consider the immigration and on-board journey time according to the train departure time. Even if your flight is delayed, don't assume your train is waiting. Recalculate the time shown in the actual arrival lobby, and if you miss it, check the official airport taxi stand and late check-in at your accommodation.
Sendai Airport Taxi: Distinguish between regular rides and reserved fares
1st floor arrival lobby → Official taxi stand in front of the terminal → Present accommodation Japanese address, number of people, and luggage → Accommodation entrance
For taxis at general bus stops, check the meter fare for the vehicle. The reservation company's flat rate table is not applied as the common fare for general bus stops. Time and cost vary depending on road congestion, waiting for a ride, and accommodation location. Please inquire before departure about payment methods, late-night surcharges, tolls, and suitcase loading.
Confirmed fixed-rate booking: Sendai Taxi Group
Airport corresponding to the official address ↔ Central Sendai It is 6,500 yen for regular vehicles on regular roads and 9,000 yen for toll roads (tolls not included). There is a 20% surcharge between 22:00 and 05:00. Only addresses in the business table apply, so please reference the exact Japanese address of your property when making your reservation.
The same amount does not apply to all hotels in Sendai city.
Advance reservation by phone is required, and stopovers other than the departure and destination locations are not permitted. It is informed that the flat rate will not be applied if there is a route change or cancellation due to user circumstances. If your flight is delayed, inform the company of your reservation number, flight number, and changed arrival time, and check with the company about waiting, additional fees, cancellation, and meeting location.
If your flight is delayed, check the reservation conditions for free waiting time and additional costs.
If you are travelling alone late at night with large luggage, save the entrance/contact information of your accommodation and the walking route from the selected exit. If long walks and transfers are burdensome, you can compare taxis that go to the front of your accommodation.
Even if you are staying near the airport, you should check the actual available rooms, check-in deadlines, and transportation methods from the airport to your accommodation.
Official tickets and reservations
Ordinary airport railway tickets are sold at the airport station. Reserved flat-rate taxis require a booking with the participating operator. Give the operator your flight, destination, passenger count and luggage details, and check delay, waiting and cancellation conditions.
These are official operator links, not affiliate links. Fares in this guide and online offers may have different conditions. Confirm direction, date, exchange, reservation and refund rules before paying.
If there are strong winds, heavy snow, or flight delays
Check notices from the airport, airline, Airport Railway, JR, and city subway. Weather alone cannot determine whether individual flights or all trains will operate. For reservation pickup and hire car, you must notify the reservation sales office and the actual company of the delay and check the acceptance deadline, change, and cancellation conditions.
Moving from Sendai Airport to the city, frequently asked questions
How do I get from Sendai Airport to Sendai Station?
Go up from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor of the arrival lobby and cross the connecting passage to Sendai Airport Station. After purchasing a ticket or passing through the ticket gate with a recharged transport IC card, take the local train to Sendai. A one-way adult ticket costs 680 yen, IC 672 yen, and the standard on-board time is about 25 minutes. Immigration, baggage, moving to the station, waiting for the train, and walking to the accommodation are separate.
Do I need to transfer at Natori Station when going to Sendai Station?
Currently, the Sendai-bound train in the official airport departure timetable does not get off at Natori Station but continues straight to Sendai Station. From Natori, the Airport Railway section and the JR section are connected, but there is no need to transfer just because the route name or operator changes. Check again at the platform for the day's destination and notice of change in operation.
What is the difference between regular trains and rapid trains?
Local trains stop at Airport, Mitazono, Morisekinoshita, Natori, Minamisendai, Taishido, Nagamachi, and Sendai. Effective March 14, 2026 Rapid service is not indicated on the airport departure ticket. Instead of calculating the short travel time of past rapid trains based on the currently available trains, use the approximately 25 minutes of a local train and the actual arrival time of the service you will be using as a guideline.
Can I use a transport IC card or rail pass on the Airport Railway?
You can use transport IC cards provided by operators such as Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, and icsca. PiTaPa must be charged in advance. Currently, JR EAST PASS lists the Sendai Airport Transit Line, but not all JR passes include it. Check the exact product name, expiration date, and whether the exchange has been completed for the pass you have. Sendai City Subway fares are separate from the Airport Railway fare.
How do I get from Sendai Station to my accommodation in the city centre?
For lodgings on the west side of the station, take the west exit, and for lodgings on the east side, go through the east-west free passage and take the east exit. To get to Ichibancho, you can also take the East-West Line toward Yagiyama Zoological Park from Sendai Subway Station and get off at Aobadori Ichibancho Station after one stop. North Exit 1 is towards the northern shopping district, and South Exit 1 is towards Sun Mall Ichibancho. JR Aoba-dori Station is a different station than this subway station.
How do I get from Sendai Airport to Matsushima?
After arriving at Sendai Station by Airport Railway, transfer to the actual stop on the Senseki Line toward Matsushima Kaigan. The standard station for coastal sightseeing is Matsushima-Kaigan Station, about 40 minutes by train from Sendai. Matsushima Station on the Tohoku Main Line is another station, adding about a 20-minute walk to the tourist centre. Also add the transfer/waiting time at Sendai Station and the walking time after getting off.
What if I arrive late or miss the last departure?
In the table effective March 14, 2026, the last departure departing the airport is at 23:23 and arriving at Sendai is at 23:51. There are only 8 minutes until the last subway train at 23:59, so transfer cannot be guaranteed, and the last stop on the Senseki Line to Matsushima Kaigan at 22:52 has already departed. Please judge based on the time of completion of entry and baggage collection, and if you miss it, contact the official taxi stand, reservation agency, or accommodation.