A University Built on Castle Grounds
The ancient castle grounds of Sendai's famous feudal war lord Masamune Date, are home to the majority of Tohoku University's facilities. In addition to the five main campuses is the new Aobayama campus on Aobayama mountain surrounded by beautiful fir forests native to the region's hilly terrain.
The primeval forest served as a natural fortress for Sendai castle, which was built in 1602. It was protected under the strict supervision of the Sendai clan. This protection continued under the auspices of the national military following the Meiji Restoration in 1868. When World War 2 ended in 1945, the area was home to a military base of the occupation forces. It remained off limits to civilians for many years.
The Tohoku University Botanical