Kotodai Park

Kotodai Park sits beside Jozenji-dori Avenue in central Sendai, its grounds dotted with bronze statues and sculptural works set against cherry blossoms in spring and maples and ginkgo in autumn. The park serves as the main venue for several of the city's biggest events, including the Tanabata Festival, the Pageant of Starlight, and the Aoba Festival. One of the park's most notable figures is a life-size bronze of sumo yokozuna Tanikaze Kajinosuke (1750-1795), a Sendai native who stood 189 centimeters tall, unusually large for his era, and was the fourth wrestler in history to receive sumo's highest rank.