Zunda Shake at Zunda Saryo (Sendai Station)

If Murakamiya represents zunda in its old, traditional form, the zunda shake represents its modern, pop reinvention — and there is no more convenient place to try it than the Zunda Saryo counter on the sweets concourse inside Sendai Station, an area so associated with the treat that it is nicknamed "Zunda Street." For travelers passing through on the shinkansen, it is the ultimate grab-and-go taste of the city.

Zunda, the vivid green paste of lightly sweetened mashed edamame, has been a Sendai specialty for centuries, traditionally served over mochi. But in recent years it found a new and wildly popular expression: the zunda shake. Sweet zunda paste is blended with soft-serve ice cream and milk into a thick, pale-green drink that you sip through a straw — creamy, cold, and carrying the same nutty, fresh-bean flavor as the classic sweet, now in dessert-drink form. It has become something of a viral icon of Sendai, the item visitors photograph and post, and a gateway to zunda for those who might not order the traditional mochi.

Zunda Saryo, a well-known Sendai zunda brand, serves the shake alongside its more traditional offerings: proper zunda mochi, zunda-topped sweets, parfaits, and seasonal creations, all built around that signature green paste. This lets you sample zunda across the spectrum in one stop — the modern shake for novelty and refreshment, the classic mochi for tradition — which makes it a genuinely useful introduction to the flavor even if you later seek out an old-style specialist elsewhere in the city.

The location is the great convenience. Because the shop sits inside Sendai Station on the busy "Zunda Street" concourse near the shinkansen area, you can taste the city's signature sweet without ever leaving the terminal — perfect if you have only a short connection, or want a treat to enjoy on the train. Look for the green signage among the cluster of sweets shops. Seating is limited and the emphasis is on takeaway, so most people grab a shake or a box of mochi and go.

There is a reason station sweets shops like this thrive in Japan: regional confections make ideal souvenirs and omiyage (gifts to bring home), and zunda is inseparable from Sendai's identity. A box of zunda mochi or a cup of the famous shake instantly signals where you have been, and the quality here is dependable. Prices are modest, ordering is simple, and the whole experience takes only a few minutes.

For a visitor, the zunda shake is one of those small, cheerful must-tries that captures a city's modern food culture in a single sip — and being able to have it, plus traditional zunda mochi, right inside Sendai Station makes it almost effortless to check off. Whether you are arriving, departing, or just passing through, it is a delicious, quintessentially local pause.