Sendai Hotels

Sendai is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tôhoku (northeast) region. The city has a population of one million and is one of Japan's seventeen 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. 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, being in the centre 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