Last additions - Sendai Castle (Aoba Castle) 仙台城跡 |
Street lampSep 08, 2009
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City of trees on a main road in Sendai.Sep 08, 2009
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Hirose River, teeming with wildlife.Sep 08, 2009
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Lucky Alex...Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai International CenterSep 08, 2009
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Small museum in Honmaru showing results of excavation work and stone wall reconstruction. Sep 08, 2009
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Miyagi-ken Gokoku Shrine in Sendai Castle. Emperor Hirohito as well as Crown Prince Akihito (current emperor) visited this shrine to pay their respects. 宮城縣護國神社Sep 08, 2009
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Sep 08, 2009
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Votive tablets for sale at Gokoku Shrine. Special tanabata ones during early Aug.Sep 08, 2009
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Kamikaze suicide fighter pilot memorial next to a war museum within the shrine.Sep 08, 2009
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Miyagi-ken Gokoku Shrine enshrines Miyagi Prefecture's war dead since 1868. There are over 56,000 war dead.Sep 08, 2009
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Monument for Doi (Tsuchii) Bansui who created the song, "Kōjō no tsuki" (荒城の月 lit. "Moonlit castle ruins") which is about Sendai Castle. 土井 晩翠Sep 08, 2009
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Monument for the war dead.Sep 08, 2009
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Also in the Honmaru area is Gokoku Shrine decorated here during the Tanabata Star Festival in early Aug. 宮城縣護國神社Sep 08, 2009
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About the sample stone walls.Sep 08, 2009
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Triangular stones are used.Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai Castle markerSep 08, 2009
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Sample stone work on a castle wall.Sep 08, 2009
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These are original Edo Period stones removed when the stone wall was renovated. These stones could not be reused.Sep 08, 2009
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Sample stone work on a castle wall.Sep 08, 2009
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Statue of Lord Date Masamune at Sendai Castle's Honmaru. Sep 08, 2009
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If you look closely, you can that see one of his eyes is blind.Sep 08, 2009
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Waki-yagura as seen from afar.Sep 08, 2009
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From the city, this is what the castle site looks like on Aobayama. You can see the lookout deck.Sep 08, 2009
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Statue of Lord Date Masamune at Sendai Castle's Honmaru. One of the most popular and famous samurai of all time.Sep 08, 2009
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Statue of Lord Date Masamune at Sendai Castle's Honmaru. Very popular for picture-taking.Sep 08, 2009
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View from Sendai Castle's Honmaru.Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai Castle's Honmaru.Sep 08, 2009
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View from Sendai Castle's Honmaru.Sep 08, 2009
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Lookout point on Sendai Castle's Honmaru.Sep 08, 2009
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Honmaru is a large flat area overlooking central Sendai. This was where the castle palace was, the castle lord's actual residence.Sep 08, 2009
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View from Sendai Castle's Honmaru. Sendai has over a million people. On clear days, you can also see the Pacific Ocean.Sep 08, 2009
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Map of the original Sendai Castle also called Aobajo or Aoba Castle since the castle is on Aobayama or Mt. Aoba. Sumo fans might know the name Aobajo, a sumo wrestler from Sendai active in the 1980s.Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai Castle site's torii. The torii is here because there's a Shinto shrine in Honmaru.Sep 08, 2009
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About the Honmaru northern stone wall.Sep 08, 2009
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Next to the Honmaru northern stone wall is this large torii gate and steps going up to the Honmaru, the castle's central keep. This place in front of the torii was a parking lot before. Glad that parking is no longer allowed here.Sep 08, 2009
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Honmaru northern stone wall.Sep 08, 2009
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The area has these nice multi-lingual plaques explaining the points of interest with a map included.Sep 08, 2009
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Sep 08, 2009
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Climb further and you'll reach large stone walls, called the Honmaru northern stone wall. Sep 08, 2009
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As you climb up the Aobayama, you pass through the sites of former gates. This one was Nakanomon Gate. 中門Sep 08, 2009
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Corner of Honmaru northern stone wall.Sep 08, 2009
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Statue of Hasekura Tsunenaga, a samurai retainer of Date Masamune who sent him to the Vatican in 1613. 支倉常長Sep 08, 2009
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Statue of Hasekura Tsunenaga acros the road from the Waki-yagura.Sep 08, 2009
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Sep 08, 2009
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Waki-yagura turret at Sendai Castle.Sep 08, 2009
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About the Otemon Gate.Sep 08, 2009
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The original Otemon Gate was here, between the Waki-yagura on the right and stone wall on the left.Sep 08, 2009
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About the Waki-yagura turret.Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai Castle's Waki-yagura turret at the site of Otemon Gate. Reconstructed in 1965. We cannot enter it. 脇櫓Sep 08, 2009
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Waki-yagura turret at the site of Otemon Gate.Sep 08, 2009
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Sculpture in Sannomaru.Sep 08, 2009
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Stone wall at the site of Otemon Gate.Sep 08, 2009
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Site of Nenomon Gate. This leads to Sendai City Museum in the castle area called Sannomaru. 子門Sep 08, 2009
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Goshikunuma Swamp is a moat of Sannomaru.Sep 08, 2009
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Route of the Sendai Loop bus. Get off at Sendai-joshi to see Sendai Castle. The bus will take you all the way to the top of the hill where the castle is. Much easier than walking up.Sep 08, 2009
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Map of Sendai Castle site. It's quite a large site, with museums and other facilities occupying the former castle site. The Honmaru (partially hidden) is on the right of the map.Sep 08, 2009
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Bus stop outside Sendai Station.Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai City Loop bus goes to the major tourist spots in Sendai. Most convenient to get to Sendai Castle. 250 yen per ride or 600 yen for a day pass.Sep 08, 2009
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On escalators in Sendai, they stand on the right side. (Not on the left side as in Tokyo.)Sep 08, 2009
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Sendai subway stationSep 08, 2009
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Inside Sendai subway train.Sep 08, 2009
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Subway train in Sendai.Sep 08, 2009
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Kotodai Koen subway station in Sendai. Modern and clean subway.Sep 08, 2009
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Subway stations on the existing subway line in Sendai.Sep 08, 2009
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Poster for the new Tozai subway line in Sendai to open in 2015.Sep 08, 2009
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Outside Sendai Station, they are constructing the Tozai subway line due to open in 2015.Sep 08, 2009
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Morning rush hour at Sendai Station. People heading for the exit inside Sendai Station.Sep 08, 2009
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Trains in Tohoku have a door open/close button to save on air-conditioning or heating.Sep 08, 2009
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Sep 08, 2009
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JR Sendai Station on the west side (Nishi-guchi). This is the main side. There is a tourist information office inside the station where you can pick up maps and pamphlets, maybe in English too.Sep 08, 2009
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Inside Sendai Station, heading to train platforms.Sep 08, 2009
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