Last Updated: Jan 9, 2024

The City of Sendai

Exploring the Legacy of Tohoku’s Date Clan

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium

For those few intrepid individuals who opt to traverse the many wonders of northern Japan, the city of Sendai can be said to be the final bastion of metropolitan life before an endless bucolic countryside expanse. While there are certainly a handful of cool cities like Hachinohe further to the north in Aomori Prefecture, things get rural really quickly past Sendai. Alas, though northern Japan is already an area often neglected by overseas visitors, the city of Sendai suffers doubly so. You see, for the majority of the brave souls who venture north off the beaten path, urban environments are the furthest thoughts on their mind. As such, many wayward tourists simply end up skipping Sendai altogether without ever knowing what they’re missing.

As a stalwart supporter and fan of northern Japan myself, I view it as my mission to better educate would-be travelers about the charms of this region. In doing so, I hope that visitors to Japan will be able to muster the courage to explore the many hidden gems up north. While attractions like Yamadera are popping up more and more on the digital radar, many locations on the northern landscape barely register. In this regard, the city of Sendai is a perfect example. Despite being nothing short of a dream come true…