Sendai Castle

The otemon guardhouse in the picture above is a fair distance (10+ minute walk) from the honmaru and museum. Either find it on a map or ask for directions at the museum. I recommend taking the sightseeing bus to the main castle gate, visit the museum and grounds and then walk downhill towards this g

History

Date Masamune received increased lands around Sendai for giving his support to Tokugawa in the Battle of Sekigahara. Sendai Castle never had a large main keep like many castles of this time period. There are various theories why and some proof that there were plans to build a large 5 story keep though it was never carried out. Even without a large main keep it was still an impressive castle with three 3 story yagura and a great honmaru palace. Date Tadamune added the Ninomaru after he became lord of Sendai.

After the Boshin War, the honmaru was torn down. During a fire in 1882 most of the ninomaru was burned to the ground and the remaining buildings of the castle were destroyed during the bombings of WWII.

Date Masamune is one of the most interesting figures of his time period. Known as the "One Eyed Dragon" (he lost the use of his right eye to smallpox), he was feared by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and later became a deputy Shogun in the Tokugawa regime. Masamune actively promoted culture and industry. He built the Osaki Hachiman Shrine in Sendai and the Zuiganji Temple in Matsushima. He organized improvements to the rivers, forests and transformed the Osaki plain into a fertile rice field. Masamune also built a ship and dispatched his own men including Hasekura Tsunenaga to the Pope in Rome. Masamune was one of the most intelligent daimyo of his time.

Field Notes

The otemon guardhouse in the picture above is a fair distance (10+ minute walk) from the honmaru and museum. Either find it on a map or ask for directions at the museum. I recommend taking the sightseeing bus to the main castle gate, visit the museum and grounds and then walk downhill towards this guardhouse. Then you can get back on the sightseeing bus from the nearby Sendai City Museum. The bus leaving the castle grounds tends to be very full and you may not get on easily from there.

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Gallery

yagura next to otemon gate
otemon model
stone wall of honmaru
model of tsumemon gate
honmaru stone walls
honmaru stone walls
stone walls
statue of Date Masamune
view form the honmaru
map
Nenomon Gate
Tatsumimon Gate remains
Shimizumon Gate
Shimizumon Gate
Tsumenomon Gate
Foundation stones of the Ōhiroma
View of the Ōtemon Gate site
Ōtemon ishigaki and dobei
Ōtemon walls
Nakanomon Gate
Naganuma Pond, formerly part of the moat

Castle Profile
English Name	Sendai Castle
Japanese Name	仙台城
Alternate Names	Aoba-jo
Founder	Date Masamune
Year Founded	1600
Castle Type	Mountaintop
Castle Condition	No main keep but other buildings
Designations	Top 100 Castles, National Historic Site
Historical Period	Edo Period
Features	turrets, stone walls, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Sendai Station (Tohoku main line), 15 minutes by bus
Hours
Time Required
URL	Castle Website
Location	Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
Coordinates	38.25266, 140.85586
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2003
Admin Year Visited	2003, 2010
Admin Visits	September 12, 2003; May 22, 2010

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