Sendai Toshogu Shrine is intimately connected with the history of the city as it was built by Date Tadamune, the second son of Date Masamune who found the city of Sendai.
In those days Sendai was made up of single or double storey buildings with the much larger shrines dominating over them. In modern Sendai, these shrines remain as a kind of 'sacred island' that connect the past with the present.
One of the things that I find most appealing about Shinto shrines is their allegiance to nature, one that is reflected in the natural surroundings and colours of the buildings. Sendai Toshogu Shrine is located amongst tall trees and its buildings are made of a dark brown. This old wood and the green of the roofs are the colours of the natural world and when visiting such shrines, well, I often feel a sense of calm and tranquility…
If you'd like a bit more action, there is an antique market on the fourth Sunday of each month.
Getting there
Sendai Toshogu Shrine is a few minutes walk from Toshogu Station on the JR Senzan Line. Toshogu Station is one stop from Sendai Station.
