Miyagi Sant Juan Bautista Museum

Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)


A full-scale replica of the Spanish-style Japanese-made ship Sant Juan Bautista, commissioned by Date Masamune in 1613 as part of a diplomatic mission to Europe, is on display here (though visitors can no longer go on board due to deterioration of the ship). There's also an an interesting museum with some English signage that tracks the ship's journeys across the Pacific.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Northern Honshū (Tōhoku) attractions

1. Hiyori-yama Kōen

3.4 MILES

In the hills above Ishinomaki, 56m above sea level, this beautiful park stands on the site of the former Ishinomaki castle. Offering sweeping views over…

2. Ishinomori Mangattan Museum

3.51 MILES

This popular manga museum's other-worldly spaceship structure survived the tsunami largely intact, while the collection has since been restored and…

3. Fuku-ura-jima

16.49 MILES

You can't miss the 252m-long red wooden bridge connecting Fuku-ura-jima to the mainland. The shady trails here, which wind around the island through…

4. Godai-dō

16.83 MILES

Date Masamune constructed this small wooden temple in 1604. Although it stands on an island in the bay, connected to the mainland by two short bridges, it…

5. Kanran-tei

16.96 MILES

This pavilion was presented to the Date family by the daimyō (domain lord) Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century. It served as a genteel venue for…

6. Zuigan-ji

17.05 MILES

Tōhoku’s finest Zen temple, Zuigan-ji was established in AD 828. The present buildings were constructed in 1606 by Date Masamune to serve as a family…

7. Minami-Sanriku Crisis Management Centre

18.98 MILES

The steel shell is all that remains of this three-storey building, standing alone in what once was central Minami-Sanriku. It has been preserved by the…

8. Sendai Mediatheque

29.14 MILES

Housed in an award-winning structure designed by Japanese architect Itō Toyō, this cultural hub includes a library, art galleries and event spaces. Check…