Date Masamune & the Founding of Sendai
Sendai's history began in earnest in 1601, when the One-Eyed Dragon, Date Masamune, founded its castle town.
The year after Sekigahara, Masamune raised a castle on Mt. Aoba and set about building a new city.
Trace the sites linked to Masamune and the design philosophy behind the city of Sendai comes into focus.
The Shape of Sendai That Masamune Left Behind
Date Masamuneだてまさむね
Known in childhood as Bontenmaru, this Warring States daimyo earned the nickname "One-Eyed Dragon" for his single eye, and in 1601 he founded the castle town of Sendai.
Source:せんだい旅日和（仙台観光情報サイト）
Sendai Castleせんだいじょう
The stronghold Masamune raised on Mt. Aoba, also called Aoba Castle. It made the most of natural defenses, and no main keep (tenshu) was ever built.
Source:せんだい旅日和（仙台観光情報サイト）
Zuihodenずいほうでん
Masamune's burial site, standing on Kyogamine. This lavish mausoleum in the Momoyama style was lost to wartime fire and later rebuilt.
Source:せんだい旅日和（仙台観光情報サイト）
Osaki Hachimanguおおさきはちまんぐう
The castle town's guardian shrine, commissioned by Masamune in 1607. Its gongen-zukuri hall, surviving from the Azuchi-Momoyama era, is designated a National Treasure.
Source:国宝 大崎八幡宮
Teizan Canalていざんうんが
A network of waterways originating in the Kibikibori channel that Masamune had dug. The whole system is named the Teizan Canal after "Teizan," Masamune's posthumous title.
Source:宮城県 公式ウェブサイト
Yokendoようけんどう
An academy that the Sendai Domain established in its castle town. Its curriculum included Dutch learning, and it took charge of cultivating talent for the domain.
FAQ
Did Sendai Castle have a main keep?
No main keep (tenshu) was built at Sendai Castle. The reasons cited include deference to the shogunate and the defensive strength the site already had as a hilltop castle.
What does "One-Eyed Dragon" mean?
It is a byname referring to Masamune losing his right eye in childhood. The epithet was likened to that of a warlord from the late Tang dynasty in China.