Stay Healthy on your Travels in Sendai(2/2)

While traditional camping is always a refreshing experience to provide a contrast to our daily lives, the possibility of having all the needed gear while on a vacation is quite low. "Glamping" at Sendai Royal Pearl Hotel makes camping possible on vacation, but also adds a "glamorous" side to it, giving you access to high quality gear, amenities, and freshly prepared full-course meals! There are many activities nearby like zip-line, cycling, and the glamping guests get to enjoy the all-day outdoor dining area, the "Chef's Terrace". Treat yourself to luxurious meals of locally raised beef and other trademark Sendai dishes prepared in a variety of ways to be enjoyed outside in all seasons. Picnics boxed for you in the summer, and "hot-pots" in your warm tent in the winter.

Sendai is a large city, but its bountiful nature is just around the corner. Cycling is a must for Sendai's health tourism, and we have a few candidate spots for you to stretch your legs at. First, you'll need a bicycle, and the Giant Store in Sendai has a range of high-end bicycles to rent, from premium carbon road bikes, to aluminum road and cross bikes, as well as smaller options for kids. The prices are fixed for either half-days, full days, or multiple days, and while more expensive than your typical rental cycle, the comfort you'll have and distance you can cover will make the experience worth the price.

Our first destination is Sendai Agricultural and Horticulture Park. You could explore at your leisure and find hidden bits of nature, but just in case you want an "all in one spot" we suggest this park for its extensive flower collection, and different zones to travel between for amazing scenery.

A theme that Sendai makes a part of health tourism is recovery and progress, inspired by the efforts to rebuild areas nearby affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Mt. Hiyori, affectionately known as the "lowest mountain in Japan" (at just three meters) was once taller, but shaved away by the tsunami resulting from the earthquake. It has since been "rebuilt" through efforts of the locals, and is a popular checkpoint for people on cycling adventures.

Another place we suggest is actually two spots: the JR Fruit Park Sendai Arahama, and Arahama Elementary School. At the park, you can pay 1500 yen to pick fruits that are in season, and your contribution goes to the ongoing efforts to rebuild after the 2011 tsunami. Just nearby, Arahama Elemetary school stands as a monument to the dangers of tsunamis, and lets you see first hand the damage it can do to buildings. Entrance is free here, and you can learn about appropriate measures to protect yourself from natural disasters. Resilience and recovery are both great themes to add to your health tourism adventure.

Click here to read the first half of the article:http://www.deepjapan.org/a/4655