The ornate mausoleum of Date Masamune, the one-eyed warlord who founded Sendai in 1601, is the city's most distinctive sight. The current structure is a 1979 reconstruction — the original was destroyed in wartime bombing — but it faithfully recreates the extravagant Momoyama style: jet-black lacquer, gold leaf, and richly carved transom panels in deep red and green.
The complex sits on Kyogamine Hill in a cedar grove about 20 minutes by bus from the station. Three mausoleums occupy the hill: Zuihoden for Masamune himself, Kansanden for his son, and Zennoden for his grandson. A small museum on-site displays items recovered during excavations, including personal effects and the remains of the servants buried alongside their lord. The surrounding cedar forest gives the whole area a suitably solemn atmosphere, and the short uphill walk from the bus stop passes through a good stretch of old trees.