Sendai: Home of Warlord Date Masamune and Aoba Castle

A statue of Date Masamune shows him with both eyes wide open. It is said the warlord directed in his will that he always be depicted this way.

A sweeping view of Sendai from Mount Aoba.

The Masamune statue silhouetted by the setting sun.

A winding walkway runs between the Wakiyagura tower and the site of the inner compound.

Gokoku Shrine is a popular destination for the first shrine visit of the new year.

Fir trees line a path in the Tōhoku University Botanical Gardens.

The permanent exhibit at the museum consists of roughly 1,000 items. Other items are changed seasonally. (Courtesy of the Sendai City Museum)

The black lacquer-armor worn by Date Masamune is designated a National Important Cultural Property. (Courtesy of the Sendai City Museum)