Sights in Sendai
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Sendai-jō Ato
Sendai-jō Ato is the second of Sendai's star attractions. Though destroyed during Allied bombing in WWII, the giant, moss-covered walls are as imposing as they are impressive - and the spot makes a great meander. Built on Aoba-yama in 1602 by Date Masamune, it was commonly known as Aoba-jō (Green Leaves Castle), after a nearby spring that flowed even during times of drought.
It affords sweeping views over the city, but keep in mind that there's not a lot here other than a stirring statue of Masamune on horseback, views, and little shops and restaurants. For the Japanese it's the spirit that counts, and armed with a little knowledge of the Masamune legend, it's rather ea…
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Aoba Castle Exhibition Hall
If you don't have an intimate knowledge of the Masamune legend when you climb the Sendai-jō Ato hill, you can get it at the Aoba Castle Exhibition Hall. A computer-generated film depicts the castle's former glory; its graphics are so similar to modern video games that Sony PS3 or XBox aficionados will start expecting samurai warriors to jump out from behind the castle if they don't toss a grenade. You can get English-language headsets.
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Zuihō-den
Masamune Date's mausoleum, Zuihō-den, is at the summit of a tree-covered hill by the Hirose-gawa. It was originally built in 1637, destroyed by Allied bombing during WWII and reconstructed in 1979. The present building is an exact replica of the original, faithful to the ornate and sumptuous Momoyama style: a complex, interlocking architecture, characterised by multicoloured woodcarvings.
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Sendai City Museum
At Sendai City Museum there's a scale model of Sendai castle, along with an exhaustive account of the Masamune era. Among some 13,000 artefacts loaned from the Date family is his distinctive armour.
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