The Vacation Zone

The India Zone

Japan Sendai

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History

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 daimyo Date Masamune relocated to Sendai.

Masamune was not happy with his previous stronghold, Iwadeyama. Iwadeyama was located to the north of his territories and was also difficult to access from Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Sendai was an ideal location, placed in the center of Masamune's newly defined territories, upon a major road from Edo, and near the sea. Tokugawa Ieyasu gave Masamune permission to build a new castle in Aobayama, Sendai after the Battle of Sekigahara. Aobayama was the location of a castle used by the previous ruler of the Sendai area.

At this time, Sendai was written as (literally means "a thousand generations"), because a temple with a thousand Buddha statues (sentai) used to be located in Aobayama. Masamune changed the kanji to, which later became (literally means "hermit on a platform"). The kanji was taken from a Chinese poem that praised a palace created by the Emperor Wen of Han China, comparing it to a mythical palace in the Kunlun Mountains. It is said that Masamune chose this kanji so 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 town of Sendai in 1601. The grid plan roads in present-day central Sendai are based upon his plans.

Downtown Sendai from the nearby Atago shrineSendai was incorporated as a city on April 1, 1889, as a result of the abolition of the han system. At the time of incorporation, the city's area was 17.45 km² and its population was 86,000. However, the city grew through seven annexations that occurred from 1928 to 1988. The City became a designated city on April 1, 1989. The city's population exceeded one million in 1999.

Sendai was (and still is) 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 at least before World War II. This was because the Sendai han encouraged residents to plant trees in their yards. As a result, many houses, temples, and shrines in central Sendai had household forests ( yashikirin), which were used as resources for wood and other everyday materials. Air raids during World War II destroyed much of the greenery, and more was lost during the post-war rehabilitation and growth. Sendai is still well known as The City of Trees, but this is mainly because of massive efforts to restore greenery in the city.

Geography

The Hirose-gawa River, seen from the Otamaya-bashi Bridge.Sendai is located at lat. 38°16'05" north, long. 140°52'11" east. The city's area is 788.09 km², and stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Ou Mountains, 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 Mt. Funagata which stands 1,500 m over sea level.

The Hirose-gawa River flows 45 km through Sendai. The river is well-known as a symbol of Sendai, especially because it appears in the lyrics of Aobajo Koiuta (literally, The Aoba Castle Love Song), a popular song sung by Muneyuki Sato. Sendai castle was built close to the river, intending to use it 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. The river is now known for its exceptionally clean water and natural beauty, and was selected by Japan's Environment Agency as one of Japan's 100 Great Waters.

Sendai panorama view from Aobayama Hill.Most mountains in Sendai are dormant volcanoes, much older than the more famous Zao and Narugo volcanoes in nearby municipalities. However, many hot springs can be found in the city, indicating hydrothermal activity. The Miyagi Oki earthquake occurs offshore Sendai once every 25 to 40 years. The 2005 Miyagi earthquake, 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, did not cover the whole expected source region. Although, the recent event ruptured a part of the focal region of the expected earthquake."

Climate

Average temperature and precipitation in Sendai.Sendai is situated in a temperate climate zone and has a moderate climate. The city's average temperature is 12.1°C (53.8°F) and its average annual precipitation is 1,241.8 mm. The highest recorded temperature in the city is 36.8°C (98.2°F), and the lowest recorded temperature is -11.7°C (10.9°F). The average year has 16.8 days with a high temperature over 30°C and only 2.2 days with a low temperature below 0°C, which is smaller compared to other major Japanese cities. The city is rarely hit by typhoons, and experiences only 6 days with more than 10 cm of snowfall in the average year. Sendai's rainy season usually begins in late June to early July, which is later than most cities in Japan. And cold wind from the Okhotsk air mass, called "Yamase", blows in this season.

Demographics

As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 1,028,214 and a density of 1,304.69 persons per km². The city's total area is 788.09 km². Most people in the city live in urban areas close to train and subway stations. The 2000 National Census revealed that 88.5% of the city's population (892,252 people) live in a 129.69 km² area, which is 16.6% of the city's total area. The population density in this area is 6,879.9 persons per km², which is more than 5 times higher than the city's population density at that time, 1,286.6 persons per km². Approximately 10,000 people in Sendai are non-Japanese citizens.

Sendai has 444,514 households as of 2005. The average household has approximately 2.31 members. The average household is becoming smaller every year, because single-member households are increasing. Sendai has many people in their early 50s and in their 20s and early 30s compared to other age groups. This is a result of the first and second baby boom in Japan, and the presence of many young students that study in Sendai. The average age in Sendai is 38.4, which makes the city one of the youngest major cities in Japan.

Wards

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

Aoba-ku
Izumi-ku
Miyagino-ku
Taihaku-ku
Wakabayashi-ku

Politics

Sendai City Hall.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 prefectures in some areas.

Sendai's local government is essentially a mayor-council government with a strong mayor system. The mayor is elected from a citywide election. 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, which are not elected by the populace.

Sendai is known to be a relatively liberal area, which tends to favor the Democratic Party in national elections.

Economy

Sendai is the center of the Tohoku region's economy, and is the base of the region's logistics and transportation. 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, which is well-known for its science and engineering departments. Several high-profile projects, such as the Sendai-Finland Wellbeing Center, have emerged from these attempts, but tangible results in the city's economy and employment are yet to be seen.

Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc., a major regional supplier of electric power, has its headquarters in Sendai.

Education

Sendai Second High SchoolSendai is sometimes called an "Academic City" (gakuto) because the city has many universities compared to its population. Tohoku University is the center of the city's higher education. Tohoku University is known in Japan to be the leader in the field of material science. Recipient of the 2002 Nobel prize in chemistry, Koichi Tanaka graduated with a bachelor's degree from Tohoku University. The university was one of the nine Japanese imperial universities and was ranked as the best Asian multi-disciplinary university in a 1999 Asiaweek survey. Also it was the first University to accept female students as well as foreign students in Japan.

Another of Sendai's universities is Tohoku Gakuin University. Also in the city are Sendai Shirayuri Women's College, Tohoku Seikatsu Bunka College, Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University, a campus of Miyagi University, Miyagi Gakuin Women's University, Miyagi University of Education, Tohoku Fukushi University, and Miyagi Agriculture College.

Transportation

JR Sendai StationJR Sendai Station is the center of transportation in the city. The station is served by eight JR lines and is a major station for the Tohoku and Akita Shinkansen lines. An underground passage connects the station to the Sendai City Subway Line.

Sendai has a North-South subway line, one of the most expensive in Japan with a basic fare starting at 200 yen. The city is starting the construction of an East-West line, scheduled for completion in 2015. The East-West line has been criticized for being excessively costly, based upon extremely optimistic estimates, and hostile to the natural environment. Proponents maintain that the new subway line is necessary to prevent urban sprawl, will decrease the city's environmental load by encouraging use of public transportation, and is based upon adequate estimates. Sendai citizen (Sendai Shimin) Ombudsman has filed a suit against the Mayor of Sendai to prevent construction fees from becoming approved. The suit is pending at the Sendai district courts.

Kotodai Koen StationThe city is served by Sendai Airport (Natori), which has international flights to several countries, and Sendai Port. Contrary to the name, the Sendai International Airport terminal is actually south of the city in neighboring Natori, and the 3000 metre main runway straddles the border between Natori and Iwanuma while a 1200 metre diagonal runway is located entirely within Iwanuma. A rail link to Sendai began service on March 18, 2007.

Sendai is surrounded by a network of highways. The Tohoku Expressway runs north-south through western Sendai, and is interconnected to other highways, such as the Sendai Nambu Road, Sendai Tobu Road, Sanriku Expressway (Sendai-Matsushima Road), and Sendai Hokubu Road.

Train stations
JR East
Tohoku Shinkansen: Sendai
Tohoku Main Line: Minami-Sendai - Nagamachi - Sendai - Higashi-Sendai - Iwakiri
Joban Line: Minami-Sendai - Nagamachi - Sendai
Senzan Line: Sendai - Toshogu - Kita-Sendai - Kitayama - Kunimi - Kuzuoka Station - Rikuzen-Ochiai - Ayashi - Rikuzen-Shirasawa - Kumagane - Nishi-Sendai Hi-Land - Sakunami - Yatsumori - Okunikkawa
Senseki Line: Aoba-dori - Sendai - Tsutsujigaoka - Miyaginohara - Rikuzen-Haranomachi - Nigatake - Kozurushinden - Fukudamachi - Rikuzen-Takasago - Nakanosakae
Sendai City Subway Line (All stations)

Streets

The promenade of Jozenji-DoriThe streets with a lot of Japanese zelkovas in Sendai are well-known. The typical streets are called Jozenji-Dori ( Jozenji Dori) and Aoba-Dori ( Aoba Dori). These are symbols of "City of Trees". Jozenji-Dori has a promenade and a few sculptures, it is a place of relaxation. And Jozenji-Dori and Kotodai Park (Kotodai Koen) are often taken placed many events and festivals, Sendai Pageant of Starlights. Aoba-Dori is mainstreet of Sendai and a bussiness road in Sendai.
Besides them, Hirose-Dori(ginkgo), Higashi-Nibancho-Dori and so on are in Sendai.

Festivals

The Sendai Tanabata Festival.The most famous festival in Sendai is the Sendai Tanabata Festival, which attracts more than 2 million visitors every year and is the largest Tanabata Festival in Japan. The festival is relatively quiet compared to other traditional Japanese festivals, because its main attractions are the intricate Tanabata decorations. The Aoba Matsuri Festival follows more typical Japanese festival traditions, with a mikoshi, floats, a samurai parade, and traditional dancing. Local people burn their New Year decorations and pray for health in the new year during the Dontosai Festival, the oldest festival in Miyagi Prefecture.

Sendai Pageant of StarlightsVarious contemporary festivals also take place in Sendai, such as the Jozenji Streetjazz Festival, the Michinoku Yosakoi Festival, and the Sendai Pageant of Starlights. The Jozenji Streetjazz Festival is one of the largest amateur music festivals in Japan, with more than 700 groups participating in recent years. It began as a jazz festival in 1991, but soon began to accept applications from all genres. The festival is called a "Streetjazz" festival to indicate this fact. The Michinoku Yosakoi festival is a dance festival, derived from the Yosakoi Festival that takes place in Kochi. 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, Sendai's sister city. In 2005, streets was lit up with one million miniature bulbs.

Sports

Fullcast Stadium MiyagiAlthough the 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 football team was changed into a club team, Brummel Sendai, with the goal of eventually promoting the team 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. Although the team has not been performing well in recent years, it is known for being exceptionally well supported by its fans.

In 2005, the number of professional sports teams based in Sendai suddenly increased to three. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles was introduced as a new Pacific League baseball franchise after widely publicized turmoil involving the merger of the Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Orix Blue Wave developed into the first strike in Nippon Professional Baseball. Additionally, the Basketball Japan League, which began its innaugural season in November 2005, included the Sendai 89ers among its first six teams. The 89ers are still relatively unknown, even to natives of Sendai.

Annual sporting events include the Sendai Cup, an international football tournament for U-18 teams, and the Sendai International Half Marathon. Various sporting venues can be found in Sendai, such as Sendai Stadium, Fullcast Stadium Miyagi, Sendai City Gymnasium, Izumigatake Ski Resort, Izumi Kogen Spring Valley Ski Resort, Sendai Highland, and Shellcom Sendai. The city is also known as the origin of figure skating in Japan, and 2006 Olympic gold medalist Shizuka Arakawa trained in Sendai as she was growing up. Tohoku Fukushi University and Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School are well known for strong sports programs, the latter for baseball.
In 2006, Sendai hosted some games of the Basketball World Championship 2006.

Museums

The Miyagi Museum of ArtThe Sendai City Museum displays various artifacts related to the Date family and the history of Sendai. Date Masamune's famous suit of armor and artifacts related to Hasekura Tsunenaga's visit to Rome are sometimes on display. Other historical artifacts can be seen in various temples and museums in the city, such as the Zuihoden Mausoleum.

The Miyagi Museum of Art is Sendai's largest art museum. A total of 24 sculptures have been installed in various public locations in Sendai through its City of Sculptures project. The Tohoku University Museum of Natural History is the city's primary science museum, while the Sendai Children's Space Museum and the Sendai Science Museum mainly target children. Sendai is also home to various museums that deal with more specific topics, such as the Sendai Literature Museum, the Serizawa Keisuke Art Museum, and the Sendai Streetcar Museum.

The 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. As well as the preserved forest itself, there is an exhibition on the lives of the people who dwelt there. Information is in Japanese and English.

Historical sites

DainenjiSendai is home to various historical sites related to the Date family. The ruins of Sendai Castle are located close to downtown in Mt. Aoba, which also gives a panoramic view of the city. The Zuihoden Mausoleum is the grave of Date Masamune, and also is home to artifacts related to the Date Family. It is located on a hill called Kyogamine, which is the traditional resting place for members of the Date family. The Osaki Hachiman Shrine, built in 1607 by Date Masamune, is designated as a national treasure.

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 Tomizuka Tomb, a historical tomb that dates back to the late 4th century or early 5th century, and the Tomizawa Preserved Forest site, where the excavated remains of stone age human settlement (Upper Palaeolithic - roughly 20,000 years ago) have been protected by a large museum structure built in 1996.

Natural sites

Western Sendai is home to many sites of natural beauty, much of them found around Akiu(??) and Sakunami(??), which are both hot spring resorts. Sites around the Akiu area include the Akiu Otaki Falls, sometimes counted as one of Japan's three great waterfalls, and the Rairai Gorge, known for its autumn colors. The Futakuchi Gorge contains several waterfalls that have been designated as natural monuments and the Banji Cliffs, an example of columnar basalt.

The Sakunami area is also known for its natural beauty, with cherry blossoms in the spring, and beautiful colors in the autumn. The nearby Homei Shijuhachi Taki Falls is the name of various waterfalls found in the higher reaches of the Hirose-gawa River. The origins of the name "Homei" ( literally, Chinese phoenix cry) is said to be because ancient people said the sound of the waterfalls was similar to the legendary bird's call.

Many places close to downtown Sendai are full of nature. The Tatsunokuchi Gorge offers a breathtaking view, petrified wood can be found next to the nearby Otamaya-bashi bridge, and many locals enjoy cherry blossoms at Nishi-Koen park and Tsutsujigaoka park. The Hirose-gawa River and the Gamo Tideland are both home to diverse wildlife. Sendai City Hall has created a list of 100 places in the city with beautiful greenery and nature (in Japanese).

Matsushima, which is one of the Three Views of Japan, is out of the city, Matsushima-shi. A. Einstein and Matsuo Basho visited here, praised and said that the view here was unparalleled in its beauty.

Specialties and crafts

Sendai is the origin of several foods, including gyutan (cow tongue, usually grilled), hiyashi chuka (cold Chinese noodles), and robatayaki (Japanese-style barbecue). However, robatayaki was later introduced to Kushiro, which developed and popularized the dish. As a result, many people believe Kushiro is the origin of Robatayaki. Zundamochi (mochi balls with sweet, bright green edamame paste), and sasakamaboko ( 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 to several major fishing ports, such as Kesennuma, Ishinomaki, and Shiogama, and the fact that Miyagi Prefecture is a major producer of rice. Although Sendai is often said to be the origin of conveyor belt sushi, it was actually created in Osaka. However, the first conveyor belt sushi store in eastern Japan opened in Sendai.

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 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 which were developed after the Meiji Restoration.

Churches

There are several Christian Churches in Sendai. Most central among churches where English is spoken are Mototerakoji Catholic Church (022-222-5507), within walking distance of Sendai Station (lat/lon: 38.2636, 140.8782); and the Evangelical Sendai English Fellowship (022-279-6625), which meets in a Baptist church right next to Kita Yobancho subway station (Exit N2).