Welcome to The Avocado’s weekly discussion of Japanese pop culture! As promised, today I will share some Yuzuru-related photos from my travels. There were a lot of special displays in Tokyo and Sendai, and I took so many pictures of them, but I have some control so I’ll only share a few here. In Sendai, there are lots of places you can visit that have a connection to Yuzuru, and many of them have special displays to see. There are so many that I wasn’t even able to visit them all!
First stop, Sendai City Tourist Information Center! They can tell you about places to visit, call to confirm openings, and provide information about day passes for transportation options. 
At Sendai Ice Rink! 
You can’t take photos inside the rink or in the gallery, but there are plenty of displays you can take photos of. 
Buy gloves, and skate of course! 
Next stop, International Center Station! Also check out the Shizuka Arakawa display. Goshikinuma Pond (birthplace of skating in Japan) is nearby. 
Place your hand in Yuzu’s hand!! 
Zuihōden Temple, which Yuzu recommends everyone visit. So, I did! 
Lots to see in the gift shop. 
Clearly grateful for Yuzu’s recomendation. 
Tanabata pictures! 
Next time, I hope to be there for the Tanabata celebrations. 
While you’re at Zuihōden, don’t miss the skate-shaped stone! Don’t worry, there’s a sign to help you find it. 
Osaki Hachimangu Shrine, where Yuzu prayed for victory in 2017. 
Several displays inside. 
The shrine is beautiful. I can understand why Yuzu visted. 
I bought pencils for studying Japanese. Can’t imagine a better shrine to get some good luck from! 
Yuzu is all over Tokyo too. This display was at Yurindo Ebisu bookstore. 
So much to see. 
They really went all out. 
Basically a Yuzu gallery. 
Also many displays for Gift! This is Shibuya Tsutaya. 
Took forever to find this, but it was so worth it. 
The stairwell at Shibuya Tsutaya. 
Inside Shibuya Tsutaya. Similar displays were at Tower Records (but they had more stuff). 
And finally, as I was headed to my plane, I was granted one final Yuzu gift. I rushed off the moving walkway to take a photo. Bonus, Yui Aragaki too!
I also have a small collection of general Sendai photos I want to share because it is a great city that everyone should know about! I didn’t know this before I started planning my trip, but Sendai is the largest city in the Tohoku region. This means that there is plenty to do, but it doesn’t feel as busy as Tokyo. You’re also very close to the ocean, and you can make a day trip to any of the surrounding places of interest and lots of opportunities for spending time in nature (we checked out Matsushima Bay). Of course, if you just want to walk (and skate!) around places Yuzuru has been, you can spend all your time doing that! Either way, if you’re looking for a place to visit outside of the usual Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka route, I highly recommend you look into Sendai. As a bonus, it’s only a quick (1.5 hour) Shinkansen ride from Tokyo. And it’s just super cool! Don’t believe me? Check out the photos below!
Sendai, I love you. 
Ekibento featuring MIyagi specialities! 
With explanations. 
Lots of temples and shrines to see in Sendai. 
So much delicious food in Sendai. They have a little of everything. 
One of their specialities, gyutan (beef tongue). So good! This was at a yakiniku place (where you grill it at the table). 
A Hikaru Utada sighting! Kind of. 
A beautiful city. 
Aoba Castle 
Aoba Castle 
When you visit Jozenji Dori, because Yuzu recommends it, you might just find a festival is happening and stay for hours. I have some videos I’ll try to share in the comments later. 
Frozen fruit soda in Matsushima Bay. 
Pine covered islands. Very peaceful. 
And great seafood!
One thing I failed to take a photo of was one of Sendai’s specialties, zunda! It is delicious, edamame paste, just a little sweet. Highly recommend, especially the milkshakes. And it’s everywhere, so you can’t miss it. Maybe you already knew about this amazing city, but if not, now you do! I promise, not every thread will be me sharing photos from my trip. But I wanted to share a little of the excitement with everyone, so I hope that’s okay. 🙂
And, as always…
What have you been watching/reading/playing/eating/listening to lately?
Happy Wednesday! 🙂