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Date Masamune equestrian statue

Aoba Castle? Sendai Castle? Introducing the Sendai domain base built by Date Masamune!

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About a 12-minute drive from Sendai Station,
on Mount Aoba, offering a panoramic view of the city, there was once a castle that ruled Sendai.
Built by Date Masamune, the castle known as Aoba Castle continues to be loved by locals even after it has disappeared.

The site where Aoba Castle was built is now famous as one of Sendai's most famous tourist spots.
In this article, we will introduce Aoba Castle.

Aoba Castle? Sendai Castle? Which is correct?

If you go to Aobayama Park, located at the site of Aoba Castle, you will see the names of facilities such as the Aoba Castle Museum and the Aoba Castle Honmaru Kaikan.
Since these are facilities related to Aoba Castle, it is only natural that they are named after Aoba Castle.
However, there is also a building called the Sendai Castle Museum.
What does this mean?

The name Sendai Castle can also be seen in the title of the CG corner that can be experienced inside the Aoba Castle Museum.
This means that even though it is one castle, it has two names: "Aoba Castle" and "Sendai Castle."
Which name, "Aoba Castle" or "Sendai Castle," is correct?

The official name of Aoba Castle is "Sendai Castle.
" The name "Aoba Castle" is an elegant nickname for Sendai Castle. It was a nickname, so to speak, given because it was built on Mount Aoba.
In Sendai, the elegant name Aoba Castle has long been more familiar than Sendai Castle, but since it was registered as a historic site, the "Sendai Castle Ruins," in 2003, the name Sendai Castle has also become more widely known, especially in the media.
In addition, Sendai Castle is also known as Gojoro, after a passage in the Tang Dynasty poem collection "Dongdai Xianyoukan," from which the name Sendai is derived.

What is there at Aoba Castle Ruins?

At the Aoba Castle ruins, there are various facilities where you can look back on Sendai's past, as well as souvenir shops and restaurants.
Here we will introduce the facilities at the Aoba Castle ruins.

Aoba Castle Exhibition Museum

As the name suggests, this museum displays materials related to Aoba Castle.
The permanent exhibition mainly introduces the life of Date Masamune.
It also displays actual materials and models related to the Date clan, the Sendai domain, and Sendai Castle (Aoba Castle), making it a must-see for history fans!

The third installment, "Virtual Sendai - Resurrecting Sendai Castle and Castle Town," can be viewed on a large 100-inch touchscreen monitor.
Not only Sendai Castle and its castle town, but the residences of Katakura Kojuro, Mizusawa Date Clan, and Tome Date Clan have also been recreated using CG, and some of the areas can be freely explored on the screen using the touchscreen, giving visitors a taste of what it was like to be a resident of the Sendai domain during the Edo period.

Date Masamune equestrian statue

Previously, when people mentioned the Date Masamune statue in Sendai, they were referring to the one located inside Sendai Station, but now the only place in Sendai where you can see a statue of Masamune on horseback is at the Aoba Castle ruins

The current bronze statue was built in 1962, and the previous concrete statue was moved to Iwadeyama Castle

Statue of Bansui Doi

This is a statue of Doi Bansui, a composer from Sendai who composed "Kojo no Tsuki."

In front of his statue, his signature song "Kojo no Tsuki" is played automatically once a month between 9:00 and 18:00

Sendai Castle Museum

This facility was built on the site of the main keep of Sendai Castle.
It displays exhibits related to the main hall and highlights of Sendai Castle.

Aoba Castle Honmaru Hall

This facility is home to the Aoba Castle Town Meitenkan and restaurants. The
Aoba Castle Town Meitenkan is a shopping center where you can find shops including directly managed stores of companies selling Sendai specialties and famous sweets, such as Kasho Sanzen, Date no Gyutan Honpo, Kanezaki, and Ajikasa.

There are seven restaurants, including
places where you can enjoy Japanese cuisine such as Japanese cuisine, skewers, and soba noodles, as well as restaurants directly operated by Date no Gyutan, and there are also cafes such as sweet cafes and parlors, so you can use them not only for lunch but also for a tea break.

Miyagi Prefecture Gokoku Shrine

Founded in 1904,
this shrine was built to enshrine the souls of those from Miyagi Prefecture who gave their lives for Japan in the wars from the Meiji Restoration to the Greater East Asia War.

summary

When you think of Sendai, you think of Date Masamune.
Aoba Castle, which he built to govern Sendai, is still a popular tourist spot for locals and tourists alike.

After touring the Sendai Castle Ruins (Aoba Castle Ruins), take in the panoramic view of the city of Sendai from the square with the equestrian statue. You
may find a new charm in the view of Sendai after absorbing its history!

By the way, near the site of the main gate of the Sendai Castle ruins (Aoba Castle ruins), there is a stone monument that is thought to have the symbol of the secret society "Freemasons" engraved on it. If you like urban legends and mystery spots, it might be worth checking out!

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT
A Freemason stone monument near the site of the Sendai Castle Otemon Gate? Investigating the Sendai mystery! [Miyagi Prefecture]
https://jp.neft.asia/archives/7848
Sendai Castle (Aoba Castle), the residence of Date Masamune, is located in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. Near the site of the main gate, there is a stone monument that appears to belong to the Freemasons, and it has become the subject of a bit of an urban legend. Why is there a stone monument engraved with the symbol of the Freemasons, a secret society founded in the late 16th to early 17th century, at Sendai Castle (Aoba Castle)? This time, we will delve into this mystery. What kind of organization is the secret society, the Freemasons, anyway? Because there are many mysterious aspects of the Freemasons, they are often whispered about as a secret society that is constantly the subject of conspiracy theories, but in reality, they are a group that is dedicated to the fundamental principles of humanity...
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