In Japan, the term sassenhirofuku (札仙広福) is commonly heard in business circles. It’s a portmanteau of the names of four prefectural capitals – Sapporo(札幌), Sendai(仙台), Hiroshima(広島), and Fukuoka(福岡) – whose combined significance in terms of administrative functions and economic influence is strong enough to stand in comparison to that of the three major metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. As home to government offices that oversee the entire Tohoku region, as well as branches of major corporations, Sendai has certainly earned its place in this economic quartet. In fact, the prevalence and concentration of major corporate branches has earned Sendai the title of economic branch city (支店経済都市).

A friend of mine who works in Tokyo and often goes on business trips to Sendai fondly describes the city as compact and convenient. Of course, many regional cities seem compact compared to Tokyo, but in Sendai's case, it’s by design. Having stepped off the Shinkansen at Sendai Station a mere 90 minutes after the doors closed at Tokyo Station, you can step right onto the city subway to continue your journey. The subway’s north-south (namboku 南北) **and east-west (touzai 東西) **lines intersect at Sendai Station, greatly improving passenger convenience. Other national and regional Japan Rail (JR) lines also meet here, allowing travelers to get around Sendai and to other parts of the region with ease.

In other major Japanese cities, such as Osaka and Yokohama, the terminal stations for conventional trains and the Shinkansen station are often far apart, with the latter bearing the prefix Shin-, which means new. For example, in Yokohama, the Shinkansen station is named Shin-Yokohama Station, while conventional trains converge at Yokohama Station. Sendai Station is almost unique in terms of the level of convenience it achieves by servicing both the Shinkansen and so many regional and local rail lines within the same station.

Sendai's accessibility makes it a gateway to some of Japan’s most prestigious views over both land and sea. Matsushima, one of the Three Views of Japan (Nihon San-kei 日本三景), is a famous tourism spot only a 40-minute train ride from Sendai Station. The Three Views of Japan is a historical reference to the Confucian scholar Hayashi Shunsai, who recorded the eponymous vistas in his Nihonkoku Jisekiko (日本国事跡考), published in the early Edo period. The other two members of this prestigious triumvirate are Miyajima in Hiroshima Prefecture and Amanohashidate in Kyoto Prefecture, and just like them, Matsushima has long been a popular tourist destination thanks to its beautiful scenery. In particular, Matsushima is popular for its island-speckled bay, which is especially idyllic at sunset. A sightseeing boat tour is the perfect way to view these islands, after which you can enjoy the famous local oysters at one of the many BBQ oyster huts.

Turning your back to the sea and looking to the west, you will see spectacular mountain ranges that hold a plethora of cultural treasures, including some of Japan’s famous volcanic hot spring baths, or onsen. Akiu Onsen and Sakunami Onsen are both located about 40 to 50 minutes by train or bus from Sendai Station. The former boasts over 1,000 years of history, but in particular, its waters are said to have healed Emperor Kinmei of a skin disease. For this reason, Akiu Onsen is counted as one of the "Three Great Hot Springs of Japan" and its popularity with domestic tourists remains undiminished. Indeed, it is one of the few onsen that is still used for toji – the act of staying in a hot spring resort for up to a month to focus on wellness and recuperation. The practice has largely fallen out of favor, with most Japanese people staying at a hot spring resort for no more than a few nights at a time, but Akiu Onsen remains special in this regard even today.

Despite having a modern urban center as bustling as any, Sendai City’s surrounding natural treasures are what make it such a livable city.

Date Masamune, the great daimyō of Sendai

There is one imposing historical figure whose name is synonymous with Sendai: Date Masamune. A household name in Japan, children are taught about his exploits in history class. He would have cut an imposing figure on the battlefield in his black crescent-moon helmet and eyepatch, and his fearsome visage earned him the moniker, “One-Eyed Dragon.” Masamune has a reputation that extends far beyond his martial prowess, having lived a life of intrigue that inspired a wildly successful historical drama television series.

Without Masamune, the development of Sendai, and indeed the entire Tohoku region, would have been altogether different. In Masamune’s time, the capital of Japan was not present-day Tokyo, but Kyoto, far to the west. Being so far from the capital, the northeast would have lagged far behind culturally, politically, and economically were it not for Masamune’s leadership. As it was, he became the driving force behind the integration of the Tohoku region into the cultural and political affairs of the nation, when it might otherwise have been left to its own devices.

In addition to his distinguished military career, Masamune was the father of the distinct regional culture of Tohoku, a blend of his own Date clan culture with that of Kamigata (contemporary Kyoto culture), and even some more exotic elements. The foundations of modern Sendai, cultural and historical, were all laid by Masamune, and this is why his statue takes pride of place in the ruins of Sendai Castle.

Sendai Gourmet

Like all Japanese cities, Sendai is renowned for its unique local cuisine. One of the dishes Japanese people associate with the city is gyu-tan, or grilled beef tongue. As with most Japanese gourmet cuisine, the secret is in the seasoning process, which takes several days for high-grade gyu-tan. Every major city has plenty of restaurants that serve Sendai-style gyu-tan, but the genuine article can only be found in its city of origin.

Next on the list of must-try Sendai culinary delights is the grilled fishcake known as sasa kamaboko, originally invented out of necessity as a way to make fish last longer. The ‘sasa’ part of the name refers to the fact that it is shaped like a bamboo leaf–another facet of the legacy of the Masamune clan, whose crest featured a bamboo leaf.

Even the third of Sendai’s famous foods, the sweet-yet-savory bean paste known as zunda, echoes the One-Eyed Dragon; legend has it that the first zunda paste was left in the wake of his army as they charged through a field of soybeans.

Disaster and disaster prevention: recovering from an earthquake

Finally, we turn our attention to the Great East Japan Earthquake, which caused great damage in Sendai. For Japanese people above a certain age, the 2011 disaster is something that will never be forgotten. In Sendai alone, approximately 30,000 buildings were completely destroyed, 905 people died, and the total damage was estimated at approximately 1.3 trillion yen. Matsushima was also affected; houses collapsed or were flooded, upending many lives. That said, even though Matsushima was crowded with tourists at the time, not a single person who visited the city for sightseeing that day was injured–a glimmer of good fortune amidst the tragedy.

Sendai City is currently working on a number of projects that combine tourism and disaster prevention. For example, the Sendai 3.11 Memorial Exchange Center, which models the situation at the time of the earthquake, is a tourist attraction in Arai Station, the gateway to the coastal area of Sendai. The floor of the exhibition room is made of material recovered from a damaged elementary school, offering tourists a tangible connection with the devastation wrought by the earthquake. The center holds special exhibitions several times a year, hoping to attract as many people as possible.

The Kataribe taxi service is another of these projects. Kataribe, meaning ‘storyteller,’ refers to the taxi driver, who takes the user on a tour of the city while describing the events of that fateful day. Their invaluable insights include showing passengers the foundations of buildings that have disappeared, towers bearing water scars that show the height of the tsunami, and monuments that commemorate those who have passed away. This solemn perspective is combined with forward-facing optimism as passengers are shown the city’s newly built evacuation facilities, which will ensure that as many people as possible can take shelter in the event of another major earthquake.

With a similar focus on the future, the JR Fruit Park Sendai Arahama was built on a site where many houses washed away by the tsunami previously stood. Tourists can pick the seasonal fruits grown at the facility–or enjoy mouth-watering desserts made with them in the on-site cafe–while learning about the conversion of the site from a disaster area to a thriving local attraction.

‍