Sendai, Where City and Nature Live Side-by-Side ~Date Masamune’s Eternal Town~

Approximately 400 years ago, under the orders of Date Masamune, Lord of the Sendai Clan, a delegation was dispatched to Europe. This delegation is said to be the first Japanese one to cross the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and reach the European continent.

Sendai was founded and named by Date Masamune in 1601, wishing for eternal development. Located Northeast of Tokyo, and a 1 hour and 30 minute journey by bullet train, Sendai has flourished as a financial, cultural and academic centre of the Tohoku region.

Sendai has various events organised all year round. In spring, there is the Aoba Festival, that has a procession of samurai, taiko drums and where the sound of the flute can be heard echoing throughout the streets. In summer, there is the multi-coloured, washi (Japanese paper) decoration-filled Tanabata Festival. Autumn sees the town enveloped in music, holding the Street Jazz Festival, whereas winter sees the night sky shine bright with the Pageant of Starlight.

Sendai, also known as the City of Trees, is famous for being a city that is comfortable to live in. While having the atmosphere of a city, you can feel the change of the seasons in the town centre with the sunlight filtering through the zelkova and gingko trees. In addition the arcade streets span out from the front of Sendai station so you can enjoy shopping at your own pace without worrying about car traffic or bad weather.

Moreover due to the food connoisseur Date Masamune, a food culture also developed in this area. You can have your fill of seasonal foods raised in a rich, natural environment, and fresh seafood caught in the affluent fishing grounds of the Miyagi coast – all while enjoying fragrant local sake. At night, enjoying Japanese food and sake in the restaurants and bars of the amusement district’s Kokubuncho, home to over 2000 restaurants, where the local Sendai people gather with their co-workers and friends, is highly recommended.

In the Sendai suburbs, surrounded by rich and prosperous nature, you can enjoy a diverse range of scenery in each and every season. From central Sendai, you can reach Akiu and Sakunami onsens (hot springs) in around 30 minutes. From Sakunami onsen, there is a popular trekking course path which leads to Yamadera, a famous temple. Part way on said trek, there is a chance you may encounter monkeys! Yamadera, also known from one of the haiku poems composed by great poet Matsuo Basho, towers up a small mountain with a view of such magnificence and serenity that one can forget the passage of time.

Furthermore, in the South of Sendai, Mount Zao stretches out brilliantly. It is here that the crater lake called Okama has been created by a volcanic eruption. It shines an emerald colour and emits a mysterious aura. These, together with the frosty, ice and snow covered pine trees are symbolic of Zao. After enjoying trekking and skiing, one can relax and unwind in the onsen.