And the place I've been lucky to call home for almost three years now

そして３年間もの間、ここに住めて俺は恵まれた

with more tourists visiting the region than ever before

観光客が増える一方

Today we're gonna take a look at what to do in the city and the surrounding area

今日は仙台周辺で何ができるのかを見ていきましょう

From one of Japan's most famous and picturesque coastal towns

日本三景に入る美しい沿岸の町

and a local fishing port home to more sushi restaurants per capita than anywhere else in Japan

そして１人あたりの数から見て日本一 おすし屋さんが多い場所と言われる漁港町

To a terrifying statue towering over the city

街を見下ろすどデカイ白い像

We'll discover some of the iconic dishes, stunning scenery and vibrant people

今日はそこの食名物から美しい景色 そしてゆかいなお友達たちに会って

that make Sendai a worthy weekend trip away from Tokyo

仙台プチ旅行の楽しみ方を探検しましょう

There's no way we can make a video about Sendai without inviting a local celebrity

それではさて、今回仙台のビデオを作るにあたってある地元の有名人をご紹介したいと思います

Somebody who was born here, somebody who knows the area and somebody who's lived here for at least 300 years now

この町で生まれ、この町を良くご存知 そしてこの町３００年以上も住むと言われる

without further ado, it's Ryotaro! How you doing?

伝説の超人リョウタローさんどうぞ。どうですか？

Very well. Celebrity, you're right about that.

いいね～。有名人。そうなんだよ

I was being sarcastic

いやっ、皮肉のつもりで

Don't be shy just see the sad truth, you're right

またまたシャイなんだから

Don't let it go to your head again

そう思い上がるなって

All right. So where are we Ryotaro? Where is this picturesque place we stand upon now?

ま～それはそれとして、リョウタロー今現在 この美しい場所は。。俺たちどこ？

So this is where the Sendai Castle used to be

ここはですね～仙台城があった所ですね

It used to be here, there's no castle anymore but there's the ruins of Sendai Castle

あった所ですね。仙台城跡です

Yes, if you come to Sendai Castle expecting a castle, you're going to be somewhat disappointed

仙台城に訪れてお城を見れると 期待していましたらガッカリする事でしょう

It got hit by lightning?

んで何？雷にでも当たったの？

There was a fire

火事ですね～

It got burnt down, like most castles in Japan it got burnt down

焼かれたそうです ほとんどのお城のように燃えたそうですね

Most castles in Japan are actually rebuilt, but in Sendai they didn't bother

ほとんどのお城は作り直されるのですが 仙台は作り直さず

Instead they put a big statue here of Lord Masamune Date - the guy that founded Sendai and the local area

代わりに伊達政宗功の像を作りました 仙台を築いた方です

He tried to unite Japan actually, but he couldn't

日本統一しようと動いてた方ですね できなかったんですけど

He couldn't do it?

できなかったの？

No, he couldn't do it

できなかった

We can't all get what we want in life

できなかったんだ。そう思い通りにはいかないんだね

Exactly

そう

But if you've just arrived in Sendai I think this is a good starting point

仙台初めてでしたら最高のスタート地点です

Because you've got one of the best views, the best view of Sendai by far

仙台一見晴らしの良い場所

And you can also try one of Sendai's most famous and popular dishes

そしてここで仙台名物も試せます

So while you're up here at Sendai castle, you can enjoy the first local dish of Sendai

この仙台城で今回紹介する最初の 仙台名物を試しましょう

Which is actually a milkshake, Zunda milkshake

ミルクシェークです。ずんだミルクシェークで～す

For the longest time I got Zunda confused with Zumba - the Brazilian dance

実は俺ず～っとズンバとずんだ間違えてた　－ブラジルのダンスだ

Equally as intriguing

同じぐらい興味深いと思う

But this is made of edamame, green beans, green soybeans that have been chopped up and mixed into the milkshake

これは枝豆からできてます 刻まれてミルクシェークに混ぜられてます

I never wanted to try it because I thought how can that possibly be appealing?

ず～っと試したくなかった 美味しい分けが無いと思った

For years on end he was like "Try zunda milkshake! Try zunda milkshake!"

もう何年もずんだシェーク飲め ずんだシェーク飲めって

Well I said that

確かに言った

And I said I'll take it at my own pace - my own pace is three years

そして俺はず～っと時が着たら試すと そしてその時とは３年後

Then I came up here two months ago, tried it, fell in love with it

２ヶ月前にここに来た時 初めて試してその時から一目ぼれ

Now you're addicted, obsessed with it!

今はずんだ中毒、依存症だよ

I'm addicted and obsessed with it

中毒、依存症

How many have you had today already?

今日でそれ何杯目？

This is our third one. But I needed two to remind myself of the flavour.

３杯目。でもその２杯はこの味を思い出させるため

Remind yourself, right...

思いだすって

And the flavour is vanilla ice cream with a hint of salt and a kind of nutty undertone

でその味とはバニラ、バニラアイスに塩 そしてナッツのアンダートーン

It gives it a very moreish addictive taste.

モーイッシュなハマッちゃう味

Trying your best to explain how it tastes

頑張って味の説明しちょるな

That's how you describe things

説明だべ

This is the best place to experience it, to try it, sitting here overlooking Sendai

仙台着たら町を見渡しながら試すのお薦め

Staring at the giant terrifying white statue in the distance

あの恐ろしいどデカイ白い像を見ながら

Look at this - this is Daikannon

見てくれよ。これが大観音様だ

Actually means "goddess of mercy"

大慈大悲の方だ

When this was built in 1991, it was not popular at all by local people - and still isn't

１９９１年に出来たんだけど、当時は全然人気が無かった。そしていまだに人気無い

When this was built in 1991, it was the tallest statue in the entire world

１９９１年大観音様が建つ時は世界１の高さの 像だった

Now it's only the sixth tallest statue

現在としては６番めだけどね

But as Ryotaro said, its reputation isn't that great with the locals

リョウタローが言ったように地元の方たちには ウケてない

Because it wasn't built by a temple, it wasn't built by a church or anyone

なぜなら寺とも教会とも何の関係の無い

it was just built by a rather rich company, who had a bit too much money to spend leftover

儲けすぎた会社によって築かれたからね お金が余ってたんだね

That said, it is an incredible statue and you can go inside it

とは言え実際隣に立つと凄い。中も入れる

There's lots of mini statues and things but personally I wouldn't bother

仏様が数々います。個人的には入んないね

I'll just come here, get a little photo for Instagram and move on

インスタ用の写真撮るだけで十分

In recent years Sendai a5 Wagyu has joined the ranks of Japan's top cuts of beef

最近、仙台牛A5ランクは日本トップクラスとも言える

And today we've come to try Sendai beef served in four different recipes

そして今日はその仙台牛を４ツの食べ方を ご紹介します

And joining us for our tasting is an actual genuine celebrity this time

そしてその試食には本物の有名人に来ていただきます

The most successful foreign musician living in Japan - frontman of pop rock group Monkey Majik, Blaise Plant

日本駐在の外国人スーパースター、モンキーマジックのプラント・ブレーズさん

Who as well as being a resident of Sendai, is also our friend.

仙台駐在そして僕たちの中の良い友達です

So Blaise, cheers for joining today.

今日はきてくれてあざっす

Thanks for having me Chris, appreciate it

いやいやこちらこそ

Difficult job, reviewing Sendai beef

今日は非常に難しい仕事だ。仙台牛のレビュー

By the way, Ryotaro is here. You can see him in the mirror ladies and gentlemen

リョウタローも来てます。鏡の反射でみえますか？

Somewhere around here... I'll see here and then we'll block him out

ははははここら辺。ここに座れば奴をブロックできる

So this restaurant specializes in Sendai beef and they've got a variety, pretty much every variety of Sendai beef known to man

このレストランは仙台牛のスペシャリスト あらゆる牛のセレクションがある

We've got sushi, which has come out first. We've got steak and we've got shabu shabu coming later.

まずは最初に牛寿司 次にステーキにそしてしゃぶしゃぶ

And sukiyaki later on as well

その後スキヤキ

Sendai gyu is one of the highest ranked beef cuts in Japan

仙台牛は日本１を争うクオリティー

And can only be bred by licensed farmers

繁殖牛の飼養するには特別なライセンスが必要

And with a rank of A5 denoting the obscenely marbled cuts of beef

そして最高級A5と恐れるほどの霜降りを目の前に

It's not long before our favorite inevitable phrase makes an appearance

俺たちの大好きな 台詞が出てくるのも時間の問題

That meat just melts in your mouth, you could probably eat it with a straw

この肉、口ん中で溶ける。ストローで食べれるよ

Melts in your mouth doesn't it

口の中で溶ける～

We've filmed beef quite a lot in these videos.

牛のビデオ取材、結構多いから

We've used the phrase "melt in your mouth" maybe 300 times in the last 2 years

「口の中で溶ける」って過去２年間に３００回は使ったかな？

So we vowed to never use it again

そして俺たちは誓ったんだ 「口の中で溶ける」って言わない事を

So now whenever I eat beef I can't use that phrase

だから牛を食べる時は言わないの

Really why not?

へ～ 何で？

Yeah, because I just feel like it's unoriginal

何となく、オリジナルじゃないべ

But it's all right, because you're here we can get around that

でも今日は大丈夫。ブレーズもいるし

Is there another way of saying "melt in your mouth" without using the phrase "melt in your mouth" though?

口の中で溶ける事を「口の中で溶ける」って言わずに表現できるかな？

Cuz I'll be damned if there is - there isn't. If there is let us know in the comments!

あるとしたら、是非知りたい。視聴者の皆さん もしご存知でしたらコメントによろしく

Round 2 is shabu shabu

ラウンド２はしゃぶしゃぶで～す

You take a thin slice of A5 beef you put it in some hot water

薄切りの最高級A5牛をアツアツの汁に入れて

About 10 to 15 seconds and BANG! It's cooked, ready to go.

１０～１５秒でハイ！出来上がり

Put it in some yuzu sauce, stick it in your mouth - job done.

ゆず漬け汁にチョビチョビして口の中入れるだけ

Question is, how does it taste?

お味はどうでしょうか？　ブレーズ殿

Mr. Blaise, and remember you can't use the phrase "melt in your mouth"

「口の中で溶ける」って言っちゃダメだすぺ

I know, I was just thinking about that

何と言うかちょうど考えてた

You've already used your trump card once this time

もうジョーカーカード使ったからね

Gotcha. All right, well you know what? I'm gonna have to say...

おっしゃ。となるとね、言う事は一つ

Umarvellous! Umarvellous!

ウマーベラス、ウマーベラス

Am I okay to say that, or?

これ言って良い？

He's just quoted his brand new song

彼の新曲

Disgusting isn't it? You have someone in your videos and they start promoting their stuff.

ありえないね 人のビデオ出て自己PR

Sorry man, you gave me the opportunity

悪い悪い、チャンスくれたお前じゃ

Your new song is Umarvellous, which is a combination of UMAI meaning delicious in Japanese

君の新曲、ウマーベラス、単語を合体、まず「旨い」 日本語の旨いと

and marvellous meaning, marvellous innit

マーベラス、マーベラスとは素晴らしいだっちゃ

There's a dance that goes along with it too, so

オリジナルダンスもあるんだよ

He really wants you to watch that video

どうしてもビデオ見てほしいらしい

It is a good video, especially the 80s aesthetic in the video

確かに良いビデオだね。特にあの８０年代の味

It's an homage to our good old friends Earth Wind & Fire

そう。ズッ友のEarth Wind & Fireたちへの敬意だ

Check it out

見てくれ

So our last dish is Sendai gyu in steak form

それでは最後の仙台牛ステーキ

Blaise's is already gone

ブレーズのもう無くなってる

I said Blaise, let's just wait so we can film it

ブレーズさ、撮影するから待っとれと言ったんだけど

No, it's gone

ガン無視

Of the ridiculous amount of sendai gyu based dishes we've had today, which one was your favourite?

ではでは、今日はあらゆる形の仙台牛をいただきました。ブレーズ、どれが一番すきでした？お薦めは？

Well there was a lot of beef that was eaten today, so it's kind of hard to...

そうですね。色々な形でいただきまして難しいですが

A staggering amount

大量だったね

But I gotta say the sukiyaki

一つ選ぶとすればスキヤキかな？

Just because Sendai gyu goes really well with it

仙台牛と凄く合うんだ

just because of that sweet marble

あのトロ～っとした霜降り

If you're in a hurry and you're looking to try another iconic meaty dish

お急ぎだけど、ど～しても 仙台代表するお肉を食いたいって方

Sendai's most famous food is gyutan, literally barbecued beef tongue

牛たんはいかが？牛の舌グリル焼き

Popular in the city since the late 1940s

４０年代から大人気の牛たん

Barbecued to perfection and flavored with salt or miso - gyutan is typically served along barley rice and tail soup

塩か味噌味でグリルされ麦めしとテールスープと ご一緒に

You'll have no trouble stumbling upon the dish whilst wandering around the Sendai station area

仙台駅周辺でお探しの場合、焼肉の匂いに つられれば見つかるはずです

Just follow the salty scent of the grilled beef and you'll be on the right track

あの焼肉の匂いの元をたどればあってます

So Blaise, you've lived in Sendai 18 years

ブレーズ、仙台駐在１８年

Yeah, where would you recommend to people visiting Sendai for the first time, somewhere that's actually good

仙台初めて訪れる方たちにどこをお薦めしますか？ とっておきの場所

I've got a great place for you guys!

とっておきの場所あるよ

When you go straight out to the coast, there's another town called Matsushima

仙台街中から海に向かえば松島と言う町がある

It's one of the most beautiful places you'll ever visit

人生の中でトップを争うすっげ～美しいところだ

Definitely on your bucket list

絶対行くべき

Matsushima

松島

Matsushima

松島

So, this is Matsushima Bay

ここが松島ベイです

It's one of the three historic scenic sites in Japan along with Miyajima in Hiroshima and Amanohashidate in Kyoto

ここが松島ベイ。日本三景の中の一つ。広島の宮島。京都の天橋立

It's quite a buzzing atmosphere, there's lots of things going on

色々な事があってガヤガヤしてます

Dozens of ferries going out every hour

一時間に何本ものフェリーが出て

Restaurants and stalls, temples and people here just to escape the city

レストラン、屋台、寺などなど 市内から逃げる人でいっぱい

And given that it's only half an hour away from Sendai, it's definitely worth a visit

仙台市から３０分と言う近さ、来るしかないでしょ

So in Matsushima Bay there are 264 islands

松島ベイには２６４もの島があります

And the best way to see that is to take a ferry and it costs about 1500 yen

これらを見るのはやっぱり￥１，５００で 乗れるフェリー

So if you're coming to Matsushima the most popular dish to eat typically are oysters

松島に来たら、やっぱり松島名物のカキでしょ

Which you can find at pretty much any restaurant along the waterfront

海岸沿いでどこでも食べれます

But we popped in for something a little bit more light today - kinako sando

しか～し、今日はちょっとライトなきなこサンドを いただいています

The best way to describe it is it's profiterole meets meringue. It's got a kind of crispy outer shell of meringue with the softness of a profiterole

これを説明するとすればシュウクリームパパとメリンゲママの子供でしょう。外はメリンゲのように硬く、中はシュウクリームに用に柔らかく

But there's a difference in there

実はちょっと違うんねん

There's a cream in there right? You'll find that

中にクリームはいってるっしょ

That cream actually, it's made out of the roasted soy flour

そのクリームはきなこから出来てるんだ

and also butter and egg white actually

あとバターと卵白

You know it's good because when Ryotaro and I are filming we usually do a few takes

いつもだったらリョウタローと撮影する時は何回か 撮るんだけど

but we've only had time to do one take this time

今日は時間に限りがあったのでこの一回だけ

Given that I've basically eaten it all already

んで。。もう食べちゃった

Yeah, because otherwise, you know, not gonna be able to film anymore.

んだんだ。んで撮影できないでしょ

We have to get it right the first time today.

今日は最初で最後の撮影。一回ぽっきり

I think if there's one thing to do or see in Matsushima, it's this.

松島に来て一つだけ見ることやる事としたらココだべ

This is Ensuin Gardens, Ensuin Temple

円通院

Just behind Matsushima Bay behind the waterfront

松島ベイ海岸の裏側

There's this beautiful sprawling garden that feels like a compilation of all the best bits of Kyoto rolled into one

美しい庭園がある。京都の素晴らしい所を１つにまとめた様な場所だ

We've got the rock garden. We have a bamboo forest.

ロックガーデン、竹林

temples, shrines

寺、神社と

And these really cool cave carvings that look like something out of Indiana Jones

なんといってもインディジョーンズの映画から でてきそうな岩洞窟

If there's one place you've got to come, this is it

もし一箇所だけ来るのだとすればここだっちゃ

I always bring people here and they absolutely love it.

いつも知り合い連れてくるんだけど皆感動してる

Best of all apparently Einstein came here in the 1920s

そして決めとして１９２０年代にあの アインシュタインも来てるんだ

So if you do come here you're walking in the footsteps of Einstein. If that doesn't sell it to you - nothing will.

ここに来るとすればあの偉大なアインシュタインの道を歩んでる事になる。それを聞いても来ないなら何をいっても来ないね

Just ten minutes south of Matsushima is the port town of Shiogama

松島から南へ１０分の場所に港町の塩釜

Which holds the record for having the most sushi restaurants per capita of anywhere in Japan

日本列島の中、１人当たりに１番すし屋が多いと 記録ある場所

That's not just because Shiogama is historically a major port town

それは歴史的に港町と言うことだけでは無いです

But because of the way the tuna is supplied to the local sushi restaurants

地元のすし屋へのマグロの 降ろし方が理由でしょう

So if you're in Sendai and you want to get some sushi, when you get the best freshest sushi around

仙台で最高級、チョー新鮮な お寿司を食べたいと思ったら

most people come to the nearby town of Shiogama

ほとんどの人はすぐ近くにある塩釜にくるっちゃ

Which is just next to the city on the coast

海岸沿いを行けば

And in-between Matsushima and Sendai

仙台市と松島の間にあるここ塩釜

Shiogama, what does literally Shiogama mean?

塩釜ってどう言う意味？

Well shio means salt

塩は塩でしょ

And gama means pot

釜は釜

Salt pot. That's how you remember it - get that meme in your head

なるほどね。しお・がま。そうやって覚えれるね

Yeah Shiogama faces the sea and they used to make salt from the sea water

そうそう。塩釜は海の隣で 海水から塩を作っていたんだ

Because Shiogama's got the biggest raw tuna market

塩釜には一番大きい生マグロ市場があるんだ

So when you go to a sushi restaurant

そしてすし屋に行くと

Surely all sushi's raw right?

ね～すしって全て生じゃないの？

Well it is, but when the fishermen catch sushi right, they actually make tuna frozen normally

そう、けど通常は漁師さんがマグロを釣ったら冷凍状態で市場に行くんだ

So when they go to the market and defrost the tuna, and that's how it's delivered to the sushi restaurant in the end

それを解凍してすし屋に届けられる

However in Shiogama it's the biggest raw tuna market. So it gets refrigerated only it doesn't get frozen

が、塩釜の場合生マグロ市場だけあって 冷蔵で冷凍はされない

So when you eat the tuna it comes in the freshest state

って言う事で塩釜で召し上がるマグロはもっとも新鮮な状態

It's about as fresh as it gets.

世界一、新鮮でしょう

Exactly. So why are we still talking?

んでなぜまだ話してんだ

Dig in

食おう

This is seriously good

こ、これゲキヤバ

Amazing. Obviously you can get sushi anywhere in Japan, and they're all fresh

素晴らしい！日本中どこでもすしは食べれるし 新鮮だよ

But the quality, and cost performance

が、このクオリティーとコスパ。。。

"Cost performance?"

コスパ？

Good cost performance.

おう、とても

What an elegant romantic way of explaining it

コスパとは何とエレガントでロマンチックな説明 の仕方

Mmm you can taste the cost performance

うーむコスパが味わえる

Earlier on Ryotaro mentioned that the best way to see Matsushima Bay is to hop on a ferry

さっきリョウタローが言ったように松島ベイを見るにはフェリーがベスト

But if you have a little bit more time to spare or you just love fishing there is a slightly more adventurous alternative available