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is the capital
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
of
Miyagi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,265,724 (1 August 2023) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akit ...
and the largest city in the
Tōhoku region The , Northeast region, , or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains ...
. , the city had a population of 1,098,335 in 539,698 households, making it the twelfth most populated city in Japan. The modern city was founded in 1600 by the ''
daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...
''
Date Masamune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period through the early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he w ...
. It is nicknamed the ; there are
Japanese zelkova ''Zelkova serrata'' (Japanese zelkova, Japanese elm, keyaki, or keaki; or ; zh, s=榉树, t=櫸樹, p=jǔshù; ) is a species of the genus ''Zelkova'' native to Japan, Korea, eastern China and Taiwan.Flora of China''Zelkova serrata''/ref>Andr ...
trees lining many of the main thoroughfares such as and . In the summer, the
Sendai Tanabata Festival , also known as the , is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky ...
, the largest
Tanabata , also known as the , is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milk ...
festival in Japan, is held. In winter, the trees are decorated with thousands of lights for the , lasting through most of December. The city is also home to
Tohoku University is a public research university in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. It is colloquially referred to as or . Established in 1907 as the third of the Imperial Universities, after the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, it initially focused on sc ...
, one of the former
Imperial Universities The were founded by the Empire of Japan between 1886 and 1939, seven in Mainland Japan, one in Korea under Japanese rule and one in Taiwan under Japanese rule. These universities were funded by the imperial government until the end of World War I ...
. On 11 March 2011, coastal areas of the city suffered catastrophic damage from a magnitude 9.0 offshore earthquake,] which triggered a destructive
tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...
.


History


Edo period

Although the Sendai area was inhabited as early as 20,000 years ago, the history of Sendai as a city begins from 1600, when the ''
daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...
''
Date Masamune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period through the early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he w ...
relocated. Masamune was not happy with his previous stronghold, Iwadeyama, which was located in the northern portion of his territories and was difficult to access from
Edo Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...
(modern-day Tokyo). Sendai was an ideal location, being in the centre of Masamune's newly defined territories, upon the major road from Edo.
Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
gave Masamune permission to build a new castle in Aobayama after the
Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...
. The previous ruler of the Sendai area had used a castle located on Aobayama. At this time Sendai was written as ("a thousand generations" or "eternity"). Masamune changed the ''
kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...
'' to "", which later became "" (literally: "hermit/wizard" plus "platform/plateau" or figuratively, "hermit on a platform/high ground"). The character came from a Chinese poem that praised a palace created by the
Emperor Wen of Han China Emperor Wen of Han (; 203/02 – 6 July 157 BC), personal name Liu Heng (), was the fifth emperor of the Han dynasty from 180 until his death in 157 BC. The son of Emperor Gao and Consort Bo, his reign provided a much needed stability within t ...
(reigned 180–157 BCE), comparing it to a mythical palace in the
Kunlun Mountains The Kunlun Mountains constitute one of the longest mountain chains in Asia, extending for more than . In the broadest sense, the chain forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin. Located in Western China, the Kun ...
. Tradition says that Masamune chose this ''kanji'' so that the castle would prosper as long as a mountain inhabited by an immortal hermit. Masamune ordered the construction of Sendai Castle in December 1600 and the construction of the surrounding
castle town A castle town is a settlement built adjacent to or surrounding a castle. Castle towns were common in Medieval Europe. Some examples include small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles. In Western Europe, ...
in 1601. The grid plan roads in modern-day central Sendai are based upon his plans. File:Sendai castle01s3872.jpg,
Aoba Castle 260px, Layout of Aoba Castle is a Japanese castle located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Throughout the Edo period, Aoba Castle was home to the Date clan, ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain. The castle was also known as or as . In 2003, the castle ...
File:仙台城下絵図.jpg, Map of the Area around Sendai Castle File:Sendai Zuiho-den Tor 2.jpg,
Zuihōden in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan is the mausoleum complex of Date Masamune and his heirs, daimyō of the Sendai Domain. History When Date Masamune, known as and founder of the Sendai Domain, died in 1636, he left instructions for a mauso ...
File:Sendai Tōshō-gū haiden.jpg,
Sendai Tōshōgū is the memorial shrine of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Five of its buildings, all dating to 1654, have been designated Important Cultural Properties. The torii and gates were damaged in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and ...


Modern era

The first railway line between Sendai and Tokyo, now the
Tōhoku Main Line The Tōhoku Main Line () is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line starts from Tokyo Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo and passes through such cities as Saitama, Saitama, Saitama, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Uts ...
, opened in 1887, bringing the area within a day's travel from Tokyo for the first time in history.
Tohoku Imperial University is a public research university in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. It is colloquially referred to as or . Established in 1907 as the third of the Imperial Universities, after the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, it initially focused on scien ...
, the region's first university, was founded in Sendai in 1907 and became the first Japanese university to admit female students in 1913. Sendai was incorporated as a city on 1 April 1889, with the post-
Meiji restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
creation of the modern municipalities system following the
abolition of the han system The in the Empire of Japan and its replacement by a system of prefectures in 1871 was the culmination of the Meiji Restoration begun in 1868, the starting year of the Meiji period. Under the reform, all daimyos (, ''daimyō'', feudal lords) ...
. At the time of incorporation, the city's area was and its population was 86,000. The city grew, however, through seven annexations that occurred between 1928 and 1988. The city became a
designated city A , also known as a or , is a Japanese city that has a population greater than 500,000 and has been designated as such by order of the Cabinet of Japan under Article 252, Section 19, of the Local Autonomy Law. Designated cities are delegate ...
on 1 April 1989; the city's population exceeded one million in 1999. Sendai was considered to be one of Japan's greenest cities, mostly because of its great numbers of trees and plants. Sendai became known as The City of Trees before the
Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
, after the feudal
Sendai Domain The , also known as the , was a domain of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871. The Sendai Domain was based at Aoba Castle in Mutsu Province, in the modern city of Sendai, located in the Tōhoku region of ...
encouraged residents to plant trees in their gardens. As a result, many houses, temples, and shrines in central Sendai had , which were used as resources for wood and other everyday materials. In 1925, the
Senseki Line The is a railway line in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Aoba-dōri Station in Sendai to Ishinomaki Station in Ishinomaki, and provides access to the central coast areas of ...
to Sendai Station became the first underground railway segment in Japan, preceding the opening of the
Tokyo Metro Ginza Line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metro. The official name is . It is long and serves the wards of Shibuya, Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, and Taitō, Tokyo, Taitō. It is the old ...
(Asia's first subway line) by two years. The 2nd Infantry Division was known as the "Sendai Division" as it was based in Sendai, and recruited locally. During the Second World War it was involved in many different campaigns, but one of the most important was the
Battle of Guadalcanal The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during the Pacific Theater of W ...
. During the bombing of Sendai during World War II by the United States on 10 July 1945, much of the historic center of the city was burned, with 2,755 inhabitants killed and 11,933 houses destroyed in the city. File:Sendai map circa 1930.PNG, A city map of 1927, Japanese language edition File:Tohoku Imperial University,1913.jpg,
Tohoku Imperial University is a public research university in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. It is colloquially referred to as or . Established in 1907 as the third of the Imperial Universities, after the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, it initially focused on scien ...
File:Basho no Tsuji circa 1930.JPG, Basho no Tsuji (1930) File:Sendai after the 1945 air raid.JPG, Bombing of Sendai during World War II File:Tohoku Daigaku Honbu.jpg,
Tohoku University is a public research university in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. It is colloquially referred to as or . Established in 1907 as the third of the Imperial Universities, after the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, it initially focused on sc ...
Katahira Campus


Postwar development

Following World War II, the city was rebuilt, and Sendai became a vital transportation and logistics hub for the Tōhoku region with the construction of major arteries such as the
Tōhoku Expressway The is a south-north national expressway, and the longest expressway in Japan at . Its southern terminus is in Kawaguchi, Saitama in the Greater Tokyo Area, at the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway and Kawaguchi Route near Araijuku Station, and its no ...
and
Tōhoku Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line that runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island, Honshu. Operated by the East Japan Railway Company, it links Tokyo in the south to Aomori in the north, with ...
. In the early 1950s, the United States Army, Japan operated Camp Schimmelpfennig and Camp Sendai in the city. Sendai has been subject to several major earthquakes in recent history, including the
1978 Miyagi earthquake The occurred at 17:14 local time (08:14 UTC) on 12 June. The epicentre was offshore of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It had a surface-wave magnitude of 7.7, JMA magnitude 7.4, and triggered a small tsunami. The earthquake reached a maximum intensit ...
, which was a catalyst for the development of Japan's current earthquake resistance standards, and the
2005 Miyagi earthquake On August 16, 2005, an earthquake struck the east coast of the Japanese island of Honshū at 11:46 am (02:46 UTC) on August 16, 2005, causing damage and power outages. The event registered 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale. Earthquake char ...
. Most recently, the coastal area of Sendai, including
Sendai Airport is an international airport located in Natori of Miyagi Prefecture, south-southeast of Sendai, Japan. The airport is the largest in Tōhoku region. The airport's annual passenger numbers have been around 3.6 million in recent years, competi ...
, was severely damaged in the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a  9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
. The tsunami reportedly reached as far as Wakabayashi Ward Office, from the coastline. Thousands were killed, and countless more were injured and/or made homeless. Sendai's port was heavily damaged and temporarily closed, reopening on 16 April 2011. File:Sendai City War Reconstruction Memorial Hall cropped.jpg, Sendai City War Reconstruction Memorial Hall File:SH-60B helicopter flies over Sendai.jpg, An aerial view of Sendai harbour after the earthquake, 12 March 2011 File:Hinomaru-Sendai Bus OP-13 and OP-11 Rakuten Eagles Victory Parade 2013.jpg,
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping ...
(2013)


Geography

Sendai is located at lat. 38°16'05" north, long. 140°52'11" east. The city's area is , and stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the
Ōu Mountains The are a mountain range in the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan. It is the longest range in Japan and stretches south from the Natsudomari Peninsula of Aomori Prefecture to the Nasu volcanoes at the northern boundary of the Kantō region. T ...
, which are the east and west borders of Miyagi Prefecture. As a result, the city's geography is quite diverse. Eastern Sendai is a plains area, the center of the city is hilly, and western areas are mountainous. The highest point in the city is
Mount Funagata is a mountain within the Ōu Mountains on the border of Miyagi Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. It is listed as one of the "200 famous mountains of Japan" and has a height of . The mountain is also kn ...
which stands
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
. Unique among Japan's large coastal cities, Sendai's city core is built on a terrace at elevation. The Sendai basin area is (the mountainous area is , the plain area is and the water body is ). The basin consists of urban areas, paddy fields and forests. The mid and upstream areas have forests. The Natori River flows through the area and reaches Sendai Bay after . The flows through Sendai. The river is well known as a symbol of Sendai, especially because it appears in the lyrics of Aoba-jō Koi-uta (青葉城恋唄; literally, ''The Aoba Castle Love Song''), a popular song sung by Muneyuki Satō.
Aoba Castle 260px, Layout of Aoba Castle is a Japanese castle located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Throughout the Edo period, Aoba Castle was home to the Date clan, ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain. The castle was also known as or as . In 2003, the castle ...
was built close to the river to use the river as a natural moat. The river frequently flooded until the 1950s, but dams and levees constructed in the 1960s and 1970s have made such floods rare. Most mountains in Sendai are dormant volcanoes, much older than the more famous Mount Zaō and Naruko (volcano), Naruko volcanoes in nearby municipalities. However, many hot springs can be found in the city, indicating hydrothermal circulation, hydrothermal activity. The Miyagi Oki earthquake occurs offshore Sendai once every 25 to 40 years. The 7.2 magnitude
2005 Miyagi earthquake On August 16, 2005, an earthquake struck the east coast of the Japanese island of Honshū at 11:46 am (02:46 UTC) on August 16, 2005, causing damage and power outages. The event registered 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale. Earthquake char ...
, which occurred on August 16, 2005, had an epicenter close to the ''Miyagi Oki'' earthquake area. However, the Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion concluded that it was not the ''Miyagi Oki'' earthquake, saying "...the recent event is not thought to be this earthquake. This is because the magnitude of the earthquake was small, and the source area, which was estimated from the aftershock distribution and seismic waves, didn't cover the whole expected source region. Although, the recent event ruptured a part of the focal region of the expected earthquake." In 2011, the 9.0 magnitude 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, 2011 Tōhoku earthquake occurred offshore Sendai, resulting in a devastating tsunami.


Wards

Sendai has five Wards of Japan, wards ("ku"), which were created when it became a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in 1989. The city consciously avoided names that included directions (e.g., north , center ) when it chose names for the new wards.


Cityscape

File:DownTown of SendaiCity01.jpg, View of Sendai from Aer (Sendai), AER (2019) File:Night view from Mukaiyama.JPG, Sendai night skyline from Mukaiyama (2012) File:211028_Sendai_Station_Sendai_Miyagi_pref_Japan02s5.jpg, Sendai Station (2021) File:Kokubuncho-dori ave. viewed from Jozenji-dori ave. cropped.jpg, Kokubunchō (2010) File:Koutoudai Park3.jpg, Kōtōdai Park (2007)


Climate

Sendai has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen ''Cfa''), which features warm and wet summers, and cool and dry winters. Sendai summers are not as hot as Tokyo to the south, while the winters are much milder than Sapporo to the north, but retains significant seasonal differences in temperature and rainfall. Extremes range from . Of Japan's prefectural capitals, Sendai experiences the fewest days of extreme temperatures (highs outside ) at 19.6 per year, compared to Tokyo's average of 49. Winters are cool and relatively dry, with January temperatures averaging . Snowfall is much lower than cities on the Sea of Japan coast, such as Niigata (city), Niigata and Tottori (city), Tottori. Summers are very warm and much of the year's precipitation is delivered at this time, with an August average of . The city is rarely hit by typhoons, and experiences only 6 days with more than of rainfall on average. Sendai's monsoon season usually begins in late April to early October, which is later than in most cities in Japan. During this season, cold winds from the Okhotsk air mass, called "Yamase", blow in and depress daytime highs.


Demographics

, the city had an estimated population of 1,097,407 and a population density of 1,397 persons per km2. The city's total area was 786.35 km2. The 2000 National Census revealed that 88.5% of the city's population (892,252 people) lived in a 129.69 km2 area, which is 16.6% of the city's total area. The population density in this area was 6,879.9 persons per km2, more than 5 times higher than the city's average population density at that time, 1,286.6 persons per km2. Approximately 10,000 people in Sendai were non-Japanese citizens. Sendai had 525,828 households in 2020. The average household had approximately 2.07 members. The average household was becoming smaller every year, because single-member households were increasing. At this time Sendai had more people in their early 50s and in their 20s and early 30s than in other age groups. This is a result of the first and second baby booms in Japan, and university students. The average age in Sendai is 38.4, which makes the city one of the youngest major cities in Japan.


Governance

Sendai's political system is similar to other cities in Japan, because the Local Autonomy Law makes all municipalities uniform in terms of organization and power. However, Sendai is a designated city, so it has the same jurisdiction as Prefecture#Japanese sense of prefecture, prefectures in some areas. Sendai has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature. The city council, Sendai City Assembly members are elected from 5 elective districts, which correspond to the city's 5 wards. The number of assembly members allocated to each ward is based upon population. As of May 2005, the city has 60 assembly members; 17 from Aoba Ward, 11 from Miyagino, 8 from Wakabayashi, 13 from Taihaku, and 11 from Izumi. The City Assembly elects an Assembly Chairperson and Vice Chairperson. Sendai has two vice mayors, who are not elected by the populace. Miyagi contributes 24 seats to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the city is divided between the Miyagi 1st district and the Miyagi 2nd district of the House of Representatives of Japan, lower house of the Diet of Japan.


List of mayors of Sendai (1889 to present)


Economy

Sendai is the center of the Tōhoku region's economy, and is the base of the region's logistics and transportation. The GDP in Greater Sendai, Sendai Urban Employment Area, Metropolitan Employment Area (1.6 million people), is US$61.7 billion in 2010. Sendai city by itself has a nominal GDP of approximately US$50 billion . The city's economy heavily relies upon retail and services – the two industries provide approximately two thirds of the employment and close to half of the establishments. Sendai is frequently called a branch-office economy, because very few major companies are headquartered in the city. Various authorities are cooperating to alleviate this problem, primarily by encouraging high-tech ventures from
Tohoku University is a public research university in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. It is colloquially referred to as or . Established in 1907 as the third of the Imperial Universities, after the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, it initially focused on sc ...
, which is well known for its science and engineering departments. There are also incentives for startups available from the prefectural government. Tohoku Electric Power, a major regional supplier of electric power, has its headquarters in Sendai and also operates the Shin-Sendai Thermal Power Station located within the city. Sendai's economic growth rate has stabilized since the 2011 Japan earthquake. The growth rate was only 0.4% in 2011 after the quake created economic turmoil in coastal areas. The year after, in 2012 the rate spiked to 10.4% after reconstruction efforts. It has since fallen to a closer trend to what is expected of 3.7% in 2013. Tourism in 2016 attracted an estimated 2.229 million visitors to Sendai.


Education

Sendai is sometimes called an because the city has many universities relative to its population. Universities located within Sendai include: * Miyagi Gakuin Women's University * Miyagi University * Miyagi University of Education * Tohoku Gakuin University * Tohoku Fukushi University * Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University *
Tohoku University is a public research university in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. It is colloquially referred to as or . Established in 1907 as the third of the Imperial Universities, after the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, it initially focused on sc ...
Schools in the city include Tohoku International School.


Transport


Airport

The city is served by
Sendai Airport is an international airport located in Natori of Miyagi Prefecture, south-southeast of Sendai, Japan. The airport is the largest in Tōhoku region. The airport's annual passenger numbers have been around 3.6 million in recent years, competi ...
(located in neighboring Natori, Miyagi, Natori), which has international flights to several countries, and the Port of Sendai. A rail link to Sendai began service on March 18, 2007. Ibex Airlines headquarters is also located near the airport.


Railway

JR East's Sendai Station is the main transport hub for the city. The station is served by seven JR lines and is a major station on the Tōhoku Shinkansen, Tōhoku and Akita Shinkansen lines. An underground passage connects the station to the Sendai Subway. The subway has two lines— Sendai Subway Namboku Line, Namboku ("north-south") and Sendai Subway Tōzai Line, Tōzai ("east-west") with a total of 30 stations. When completed in 2015, Yagiyama Zoological Park Station, Yagiyama station became the highest-elevated subway station in the country at 136.4 meters. * East Japan Railway Company (JR East) **
Tōhoku Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line that runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island, Honshu. Operated by the East Japan Railway Company, it links Tokyo in the south to Aomori in the north, with ...
: **
Tōhoku Main Line The Tōhoku Main Line () is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line starts from Tokyo Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo and passes through such cities as Saitama, Saitama, Saitama, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Uts ...
: – – – – **Jōban Line: – – **Senzan Line: – – – – – – – – – – – – – **
Senseki Line The is a railway line in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Aoba-dōri Station in Sendai to Ishinomaki Station in Ishinomaki, and provides access to the central coast areas of ...
: – – – – – – – – – *Sendai Subway (All stations)


Bus

In addition to the public bus system, a loop bus called Loople runs between tourism hotspots around the city.


Highways

The
Tōhoku Expressway The is a south-north national expressway, and the longest expressway in Japan at . Its southern terminus is in Kawaguchi, Saitama in the Greater Tokyo Area, at the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway and Kawaguchi Route near Araijuku Station, and its no ...
runs north–south through western Sendai, and is connected to other highways, such as the Sendai-Nambu Road, Sendai-Tobu Road, Sanriku Expressway (Sendai-Matsushima Road), and Sendai Hokubu Road. * * * * * * * * * * * *


Port

Ferries connecting Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Tomakomai and Nagoya stop at the Port of Sendai. File:211028 Sendai Airport Sendai Miyagi prefecture Japan01bs.jpg,
Sendai Airport is an international airport located in Natori of Miyagi Prefecture, south-southeast of Sendai, Japan. The airport is the largest in Tōhoku region. The airport's annual passenger numbers have been around 3.6 million in recent years, competi ...
File:Sendai_Station_20230806.jpg, Sendai Station File:International Center Station south1 exit 20160105.jpg, International Center Station File:Miyakoh-Sendai-Highwaybuscenter.jpg, Sendai Highway Buscenter File:MiyagiKendo23Go2007-10.jpg, Sendai-Tōbu Road (Ring road#Asia, Gurutto Sendai) File:SendaiPortCentralPark and Port of Sendai.JPG, Sendai Port


Culture


Streets

The most well-known streets in Sendai, and , are both lined with Japanese Zelkova, Japanese zelkovas. These are symbols of "The City of Trees". Jozenji-Dori has a promenade and a few sculptures. It is a place of relaxation. Many events and festivals, such as the Sendai Pageant of Starlight and the Jozenji Street Jazz Festival, take place on Jozenji-Dori and in . Aoba-Dori is the main business road in Sendai. Other major roads in the city include Hirose-Dori (ginkgo), and Higashi-Nibancho-Dori.


Festivals

The most Japanese festivals, famous festival in Sendai is Tanabata, which attracts more than 2 million visitors every year and is the largest
Tanabata , also known as the , is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milk ...
Festival in Japan. It is relatively quiet compared to other traditional Japanese festivals, because its main attractions are intricate Tanabata decorations. The Aoba Matsuri Festival follows more typical Japanese festival traditions, with a mikoshi, float (parade), floats, a samurai parade, and traditional dancing. Local people burn their Japanese New Year, New Year decorations and pray for health in the new year during the Dontosai Festival, the oldest festival in Miyagi Prefecture. Various contemporary festivals also take place in Sendai, such as the Jōzenji Streetjazz Festival, the Michinoku Yosakoi Festival, and the Sendai Pageant of Starlight. The Jōzenji Streetjazz Festival is one of the largest amateur music festivals in Japan. It began as a jazz festival in 1991, but soon began to accept applications from all genres. The Michinoku Yosakoi festival is a dance festival, derived from the Yosakoi Festival that takes place in Kōchi, Kōchi, Kōchi. Trees in downtown Sendai are decorated with lights during the Sendai Pageant of Starlights. The event provided the idea for the Festival of Lights annually held in Riverside, California, Riverside, Sendai's sister city. In 2005, the streets were lit up with one million miniature bulbs.


Specialties and crafts

Sendai is the origin of several foods, including ''gyūtan'' (beef tongue, usually grilled), hiyashi chūka (cold Chinese noodles), and robatayaki (Japanese-style barbecue). However, robatayaki was later introduced to Kushiro, Hokkaido, Kushiro, which developed and popularized the dish. As a result, many people believe Kushiro is the origin of Robatayaki. Zundamochi (ずんだ餅, mochi balls with sweet, bright green edamame paste), and sasakamaboko (笹かまぼこ, kamaboko shaped like bamboo leaves) are also considered to be Sendai specialties. Sendai is also known for good sashimi, sushi, and sake. This is because Sendai is near several major fishing ports, such as Kesennuma, Miyagi, Kesennuma, Ishinomaki, Miyagi, Ishinomaki, and Shiogama, and the fact that Miyagi Prefecture is a major producer of rice. There are many ramen restaurants in Sendai, and the area is known for a particular spicy miso ramen. Also, Sendai station offers the most types of ekiben of any station in Japan. In autumn, many people organise Imonikai, a sort of picnic by the river which involves making a potato stew called ''Imoni''. In winter, restaurants offer ''seri-nabe'' (せり鍋), a regional specialty that consists of ''Oenanthe javanica#Japan, seri'' and various ingredients mixed in a hotpot. Many crafts from Sendai were originally created under the influence of the Date family during the Edo period. Examples are Sendai Hira, a hand woven silk fabric, Tsutsumiyaki pottery, and washi, Yanagiu Washi paper. However, some crafts, such as umoregi zaiku (crafts created from fossil wood) were developed by low-ranking samurai who needed side jobs to survive. Kokeshi dolls were popularized by hot spring resorts that sold them as gifts. Some relatively recent developments include Sendai Tsuishu lacquerware and Tamamushinuri lacquerware, both of which were developed after the
Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...
. Sendai was also known for its production of Tansu, clothing drawers made from wood with elaborate ironwork.


Sites of interest

Sendai is home to historical sites related to the Date clan. The ruins of Sendai Castle are close to downtown on Aobayama, which also gives a panoramic view of the city. The
Zuihōden in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan is the mausoleum complex of Date Masamune and his heirs, daimyō of the Sendai Domain. History When Date Masamune, known as and founder of the Sendai Domain, died in 1636, he left instructions for a mauso ...
is the tomb of
Date Masamune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period through the early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he w ...
and is home to artifacts related to the Date family. It is on a hill called Kyogamine, which is the traditional resting place for Date family members. In Aoba-ku, Sendai, Aoba-ku, the Ōsaki Hachiman-gū ''shaden'', built in 1607 by Date Masamune, is designated a National Treasures of Japan, National Treasure. Mutsu Kokubun-ji Yakushidō is the provincial temple of Mutsu Province. Newer historical sites include the former home of Doi Bansui, a famous lyricist, and a monument at Sendai City Museum that commemorates the Chinese writer Lu Xun. Another statue of Lu Xun can be found in the Tohoku University Katahira Campus, where Lu Xun studied medical science. Older historical sites include the Tōmizuka Tomb, a tomb that dates back to the late 4th century or early 5th century, and the Tomizawa Preserved Forest site, where the excavated remains of a Stone Age human settlement (Upper Palaeolithic – roughly 20,000 years ago) have been protected by a large museum structure, built in 1996. The nearby Site of Tagajō was an important early fort and administrative centre.


Museums

Sendai City Museum displays artifacts related to the Date family and the history of Sendai. Date Masamune's famous suit of armour and artifacts related to Hasekura Tsunenaga's visit to Rome (National Treasures of Japan) are sometimes on display. The Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium, which opened in 2015 as a successor to the Marinepia Matsushima Aquarium, is focusing on raising the Sanriku fish, the blue sharks. The Miyagi Museum of Art is Sendai's largest art museum. A total of 24 sculptures have been installed in public locations in Sendai through its 'City of Sculptures' project. The Sendai City Tomizawa Site Museum in the southern part of the city preserves a fossilized forest where the remains of human habitation from 20,000 years ago can be seen. The Sendai City War Reconstruction Memorial Hall is dedicated to remembering the air raid of July 1945 in which most of Sendai was destroyed. Other museums include the , and Tohoku University's Museum of Natural History.


Natural sites

Western Sendai is home to many sites of natural beauty, many of them found around Akiu Onsen and Sakunami, which are onsen, hot spring resorts. Sites around the Akiu area include the Akiu Great Falls, sometimes counted as one of Japan's three great waterfalls, and the Rairai Gorge, known for its autumn colours. The Futakuchi Gorge contains waterfalls that have been designated as natural monuments and the Banji Cliffs, an example of basalt, columnar basalt. The Sakunami area is also known for its natural environment, with cherry blossoms in the spring, and autumnal colours. The nearby Hōmei Shijuhachi Taki Falls is the name of waterfalls found in the higher reaches of the Hirose River. The origin of the name "Hōmei" (鳳鳴, "Fenghuang, Chinese phoenix cry") is said to come from ancient local inhabitants' claim that the sound of the waterfalls was similar to the legendary bird's call. The Tatsunokuchi Gorge offers a view of a petrified wood next to the Otamaya-bashi bridge. Nishi Park and Tsutsujigaoka Park are appreciated for their cherry blossom in the spring. The Hirose River and the Gamo tideland are home to diverse wildlife. Matsushima, which is one of the Three Views of Japan, is near Sendai, in Matsushima, Miyagi, Matsushima.


Other sites

Sendai Mediatheque is a multipurpose facility that houses the city library, galleries, and film studio facilities open for use by the general public. The building was designed by Toyo Ito and is known for its innovative architecture. The AER Building, Miyagi Prefectural Office, and SS30 Building have observation decks that offer panoramic views. The Sendai Trust Tower is the tallest building in Tohoku and Hokkaido. Uminomori Aquarium opened in July 2015, built near the Port of Sendai. The Sendai Daikannon is an approximately high Guanyin, Kannon statue. The statue was built during Japan's economic bubble, bubble economy by a now defunct company. It was once the tallest statue in the world. Sendai also contains a Peace Pagoda, built by Nipponzan-Myōhōji-Daisanga in 1974.


Religion


Buddhism

Buddhist temples in Sendai include Mutsu Kokubun-ji, Saihō-ji (Sendai), Saihō-ji, and Mutsu Kokubun-niji.


Shinto

Shinto shrines in Sendai include Miyagiken Gokoku Shrine, Tsubonuma Hachiman Shrine, Futahashira Shrine, and
Sendai Tōshōgū is the memorial shrine of Tokugawa Ieyasu in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Five of its buildings, all dating to 1654, have been designated Important Cultural Properties. The torii and gates were damaged in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and ...
, a memorial shrine of
Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...
.


Catholicism

The Catholic Church has been associated with Sendai since 1613, the year in which
Date Masamune was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama period through the early Edo period. Heir to a long line of powerful feudal lords in the Tōhoku region, he went on to found the modern-day city of Sendai. An outstanding tactician, he w ...
, ''daimyō'' of Sendai, built a galleon to send an Japanese warship San Juan Bautista, embassy to the Pope in Rome headed by Hasekura Tsunenaga. Although the embassy was successful in its aim of establishing relations with the Holy See, Masamune's plans were frustrated by the suppression of Christianity in Japan. The Diocese of Sendai (previously the Diocese of Hakodate) was established in 1891, only two years after the promulgation of a new constitution guaranteeing freedom of religion in Japan, in 1889. The Bishop of Sendai currently oversees the four northern prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima, Iwate and Aomori, serving 11,152 Catholics in 56 parishes. Mototerakoji, the Cathedral of the diocese, is located a few blocks north of Sendai Station.


Sports

Although the Chiba Lotte Marines, Lotte Orions briefly used Sendai as a temporary home for the franchise from 1973 to 1977, the city was largely ignored by professional sports until 1994. In that year, the Tohoku Electric Power Association football, football team was changed into a club team, Brummel Sendai, with the goal of eventually being promoted into the J.League. The team achieved this goal when the J. League expanded in 1999 with the creation of a second division. The name of the team was simultaneously changed to Vegalta Sendai. Currently the city also host semi-professional outfit Sony Sendai FC. In 2005, the number of professional sports teams based in Sendai suddenly increased to three. The
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping ...
was introduced as a new Pacific League baseball franchise after widely publicized turmoil involving the merger of the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes, Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Orix Buffaloes, Orix Blue Wave developed into the 2004 NPB realignment, first strike in Nippon Professional Baseball. Additionally, the Japan Basketball League, which began its inaugural season in November 2005, included the Sendai 89ers among its first six teams. Annual sporting events include the Sendai Cup, an international football tournament for U-18 teams, and the Sendai International Half marathon, Half Marathon. In 2006 of the Sendai International half marathon, Mizuki Noguchi, who won the women's marathon gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, took part in and won the race in a surprising course record. Various sporting venues can be found in Sendai, such as Hitomebore Stadium Miyagi (venue of 2002 FIFA World Cup), Yurtec Stadium Sendai, Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, Miyagi Baseball Stadium, Kamei Arena Sendai, Sendai City Gymnasium, Koshin Gom Athlete Park Sendai, Sendai Athletic Stadium, Shellcom Sendai and Sendai Hi-Land Raceway. The city is also known as the origin of figure skating in Japan, and both 2006 Olympic gold medalist Shizuka Arakawa and two-time Olympic gold medalist (2014, 2018) Yuzuru Hanyu trained in Sendai during their childhood. Tohoku Fukushi University and Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School are well known for their strong sports programs, the latter for High school baseball in Japan, baseball. In 2006, Sendai hosted some games of the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Before that, the city had some experience at hosting international basketball events such as the 1994 ABC Championship for Women, 1994 and 2004 FIBA Asia Championship for Women, 2004 editions of the FIBA Women's Asia Cup. Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling is a joshi wrestling company based in sendai.


Baseball

*
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping ...
(Pacific League, Pa.League)


Basketball

*Sendai 89ers (B.League)


Football

*MyNavi Sendai (WE League, WE.League) *Vegalta Sendai (J.League)


Futsal

*Voscuore Sendai (F.League)


Volleyball

*Ligare Sendai (V.League (Japan), V.League)


International relations


Sister cities

Sendai has a long history of international relationships. Its affiliation with Riverside, California dates back to March 9, 1957. Sendai is Sister city, twinned with: * Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico (since 1973) * Changchun, China (since 1980) * Dallas, United States (since 1997) * Gwangju, South Korea (since 2002) * Minsk, Belarus (since 1973) * Rennes, France (since 1967) * Riverside, California, Riverside, United States (since 1957)


Friendship cities

Sendai also cooperates with: * Oulu, Finland (since 2005) * Tainan, Taiwan (since 2006)


International events

The Sendai International Music Competition takes place every three years, welcoming participants from around the world. Sendai has hosted international conferences about disaster management, as is recognized as a model city for disaster risk prevention.


Notable people

* Akitoshi Saito, Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for Pro Wrestling Noah (Currently lives in Nagoya, Aichi) * Hirohiko Araki, manga artist; creator of ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure''. The fictional city of Morioh that appears in ''JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' is based on Sendai. * Junichi Inagaki, singer-songwriter * Miho Arakawa, voice actress * Abroad in Japan, Chris Broad, British YouTuber based in Sendai * Mika Doi, voice actress * Mimori Yusa, singer-songwriter * Yuzuru Hanyu, figure skater and two-time Olympic Games, Olympic champion (2014 Winter Olympics, 2014-2018 Winter Olympics, 2018) * Eugen Herrigel lectured at Tohoku Imperial University from 1924 until 1929 * Sharmeleon, Sharla Hinskens, Canadian YouTuber based in Sendai * Kanata Hongō, actor and model * Karen Iwata, member of girl-group AKB48 * Monkey Majik, band, formed and based in Sendai * Hikaru Minegishi, footballer * Yūsei Oda, voice actor * Minene Sakurano, manga artist; creator of ''Mamotte Shugogetten'' * Kimi Sato, composer * Somei Satoh, composer * Satomi Satō, voice actress * Shizuka Arakawa, figure skater and Olympic Games, Olympic Champion (2006 Winter Olympics, 2006) * Yoko Kanno, composer * Ayumi Ishida (Morning Musume member), Ayumi Ishida, member of girl-group Morning Musume '17 * Ai Fukuhara, table tennis player * Tomokazu Harimoto, table tennis player * Shun Sato (figure skater), Shun Sato, figure skater and 2019 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion * Dash Chisako Wrestler in sendai girls pro wrestling * Sendai Sachiko former wrestler in sendai girls pro wrestling * Mone Chiba, figure skater * Sasaki Toyoju, feminist and anti-prostitution activist * Sandwichman (owarai), Sandwichman, comedy duo consisting of Mikio Date and Takeshi Tomizawa


References


External links

*
Official Website

Sendai traveling information
{{Authority control Sendai, Cities in Miyagi Prefecture Populated places established in 1600 Port settlements in Japan Populated coastal places in Japan Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan