Masamune Date
	The Date family ruled Miyagi Prefecture from the 16th to the late 19th century, and many artifacts from that period can be seen in the prefecture.

Sendai Castle Site (Statue of cavalryman) / Sendai City Aoba Castle (Sendai Castle) was built by Masamune Date, a military commander who survived the Warring States period. It is a strong mountain fortress that makes use of natural topography, but it was used as an administrative center rather than a fort and maintained that function until the 19th century. Now there is a museum on the site, and you can look at the grand castle, which has been lost, using computer graphics. Tagajo Site / Tagajo-city Tagajo is the site of an 8th century government office for controlling the frontier. There is also an 8th century stone slab, which records the distance to Nara, the capital city when Tagajo was built, and the north of China. The adjacent Tohoku Historical Museum opened in 1999, and it explains Tohoku history from the Palaeolithic Age to modern times and folk customs, in addition to exhibiting artifacts from the Tagajo site. Zao Okama / Zao-town This is a mysterious lake in the crater of a former volcano. The color of the water changes depending on the weather, so it is also called Goshiki Numa (Five Color Swamp). Zuigan-ji Temple / Matsushima-town Established in the 9th century, Zuigan-ji Temple was rebuilt by Masamune Date at the beginning of the 17th century, and has been preserved ever since as the Date family temple. It is the leading Zen temple in the Tohoku region, and its richly decorated main hall has been designated a National Treasure. Jomon Village Historical Museum / Higashimatsushima-city The museum is based around artifacts from the Satohama Midden site, which is about 6000 years old. The designs of the primitive earthenware from the Stone Age, which is called the Jomon era in Japan, are also artistically fascinating. Shiogama Jinja / Shiogama-city Shiogama Jinja is as old as Shiogama itself, and with a history of over 1,200 years, it is the primary Jinja in the Tohoku region. Facing the ocean, the Jinja has a panoramic view of Matusima Bay. Within the Jinja grounds are other traditional structures and gently sloping gardens filled with numerous flowers. In mid-April, visitors can admire the cherry blossoms.