# Arriving in Sendai: the Airport Access Line, Tapping a Card on the Tozai Line, and Loople

> How to get from Sendai Airport into the city on the Sendai Airport Access Line, where a tap-to-pay bank card works on the subway, and what the Loople Sendai bus and its day passes cost since the October 2026 fare change.

- Checked against the official source: 2026-11-05
- Official source: [Sendai Airport Transit, Sendai Airport Station fares and timetable](https://www.senat.co.jp/en/sendaiair)
- Web page: https://travelsmarterasia.com/guides/sendai-airport-to-city/
- Publisher: Travel Smarter Asia (https://travelsmarterasia.com/about/)
- Some links below are affiliate links (the /go/ addresses). If you buy through one we may earn a commission; it never changes what the guide recommends.

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The Sendai Airport Access Line runs from the terminal straight into Sendai Station. If Sendai is part of a longer trip through Tohoku, [the JR EAST PASS and its price](https://travelsmarterasia.com/guides/jr-regional-passes/) are in our pass guide, and [the Tokyo arrival guide](https://travelsmarterasia.com/guides/tokyo-airport-to-city/) covers the other end of the Shinkansen.

![Infographic, step 1 of 4. Landing in Sendai? The Airport Access Line into the city. Ticket: 680 yen adult, 340 yen child. IC card: 672 yen adult, 335 yen child. 17 minutes on a rapid, 25 on a local. First train from the airport 5:31, last 23:23.](https://travelsmarterasia.com/images/sendai-airport-to-city-infographic-1.png "Step 1 of 4. Illustration by Travel Smarter Asia.")

## The Airport Access Line

Sendai Airport Transit lists these fares from Sendai Airport, in its revision of 14 March 2026:

| To | Ticket, adult | IC card, adult | Ticket, child | IC card, child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sendai | 680 yen | 672 yen | 340 yen | 335 yen |

Tohoku's regional tourism organisation puts the trip at 17 minutes on a rapid and 25 minutes on a local. On the operator's timetable, the first train from the airport towards Sendai leaves at 5:31 and the last at 23:23.

## Tapping a bank card on the subway

Sendai's subway takes tap-to-pay cards on one line only. The city transport bureau says the readers are at the staffed gates of the Tozai Line, "13駅14改札", 14 gates at 13 stations, and that you cannot transfer to the Namboku Line on a card tap.

- **Brands:** Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, Discover and UnionPay, on credit, debit or prepaid cards and on phones.
- **Registration:** none needed.
- **Fare:** the adult regular fare always applies. For a child fare, use a ticket or an IC card.
- **How:** tap the reader on the way in and again on the way out, and staff open the gate.

![Infographic, step 2 of 4. Tap your bank card. Tozai subway line only. Staffed gates: 14 gates at 13 stations. Brands: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners, Discover and UnionPay. Adult fare always: Use a ticket or IC card for a child fare. A card tap cannot transfer to the Namboku Line.](https://travelsmarterasia.com/images/sendai-airport-to-city-infographic-2.png "Step 2 of 4. Illustration by Travel Smarter Asia.")

The Loople times, the subway and the Access Line timetable all sit on your phone once you land. [Saily, set up at home](https://travelsmarterasia.com/go/saily), has you online at the airport. On a longer trip through Japan and beyond, [add each country to the same Saily profile](https://travelsmarterasia.com/go/saily).

## Loople Sendai

Loople is the sightseeing loop bus from Sendai Station. Its fares rose on 1 October 2026. The Loople and subway day pass, 920 yen before, is now:

| Ticket | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Single ride | 300 yen | 150 yen |
| One-day Pass for Loople Sendai | 700 yen | 350 yen |
| One-day Pass for Loople Sendai and Subway | 1,000 yen | 500 yen |

The combined pass covers Loople and both subway lines, Tozai and Namboku. The Loople-only pass "cannot be used to board city buses". On a single ride you pay when you get off, in cash, and Loople says "Contactless payments are also accepted". Up to two preschool children ride free.

![Infographic, step 3 of 4. Loople Sendai. Fares since 1 October 2026. Single ride: 300 yen adult, 150 yen child. Loople day pass: 700 yen and 350 yen. Loople and subway day pass: 1,000 yen and 500 yen. Pay as you get off. Up to 2 preschool children ride free.](https://travelsmarterasia.com/images/sendai-airport-to-city-infographic-3.png "Step 3 of 4. Illustration by Travel Smarter Asia.")

## Emergency numbers

The Japan National Tourism Organization lists 110 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance. Its Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787, runs 24 hours a day in English, Chinese and Korean.

![Infographic, step 4 of 4. Help in Japan. Save these numbers before you land. 110: Police. 119: Fire and ambulance. 050-3816-2787: Japan Visitor Hotline, 24 hours, in English, Chinese and Korean.](https://travelsmarterasia.com/images/sendai-airport-to-city-infographic-4.png "Step 4 of 4. Illustration by Travel Smarter Asia.")