Sendai is located about 300 kilometers (180 miles) north of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the main island of Japan, and much of what the world thinks of as ``typically Japanese'' can be experienced here. The population is now about one million people, and the crime rate is very low.
The city's center has streets lined with zenikova trees and is a pleasant place to walk about. There is a large shopping area where one can find a wide variety of stores and restaurants. Among the most interesting shopping places are the pedestrian streets Ichibancho-Dori and Chuo-Dori. Throughout the city one can easily find 24-hour convenience stores.
The foundation of the city dates from the year 1602, when Sendai Castle was built by the feudal lord Masamune Date, the founder of the Date clan. The city has many universities, including Tohoku University which was established in 1907, and is often called ``Sendai, City of learning''. The center, after being razed in an air raid in 1945, was rebuilt in the 1950's.