Hotels in Sendai, Japan

A little about Sendai...

Sendai is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku (northeast) region. The city has a population of one million and is one of Japan's fourteen designated cities. The city was founded in 1600 by the daimyo Date Masamune, and is well known by its nickname, the "City of Trees". There are about 60 zelkova trees on Jouzenji Dori and Aoba Dori. In winter, the trees are decorated with thousands of lights in an event called the Pageant of Starlight, which starts in December and ends when the New Year starts. Many people visit Sendai to see the Pageant of Starlight.

The Hirose-gawa River flows 45km through Sendai. The river is well-known as a symbol of Sendai, especially because it appears in the lyrics of Aobajō Koiuta, a popular song sung by Muneyuki Sato. Sendai castle was built close to the river to use the river as a natural moat.

Education:
Sendai is sometimes called an "Academic City" because the city has many universities relative to its population. Tohoku University is the centre 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 in Japan to accept female students as well as foreign students.

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 Station is the centre of transportation in the city. The station is served by eight JR lines and is a major station for the Tōhoku and Akita Shinkansen lines. An underground passage connects the station to the Sendai Subway system.

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.

The 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 Tōhoku Expressway 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.

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.

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, 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.

Museum:
Sendai City Museum displays various 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 are sometimes on display. Other historical artifacts can be seen in various temples and museums in the city, such as the Zuihoden Mausoleum.

Historical Sites:
Sendai is home to various historical sites related to the Date family. The ruins of Sendai Castle are located close to downtown on Aobayama, which also gives a panoramic view of the city. The Zuihoden Mausoleum is the tomb of Date Masamune, and is also 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 Ōsaki 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 Tōmizuka 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, many 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 colours. 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 colours in the autumn. The nearby Hōmei Shijuhachi Taki Falls is the name of various waterfalls found in the higher reaches of the Hirose-gawa River. The origin of the name "Hōmei" is said to come from ancient local inhabitants' claim that 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-Kōen 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 near Sendai, Matsushima-shi. A. Einstein and Matsuo Bashō visited Matsushima, and said that the view here was unparalleled in its beauty.