Cultural Properties of Tohoku University

Seek out historic treasures at Japan's top university

Justin Velgus Apr 27, 2022 - 6 min read

Formerly the Faculty of Science’s Chemistry Lecture Rooms at Tohoku Imperial University. The brick buildings around Katahira Campus provide the perfect contrast to the abundant green trees.

The courtyard facing entrance features towering pillars and various square window sizes.

A courtyard statue representing a student from the Former Second High School. Note the western clothing paired with Japanese geta sandals.

Formerly Engineering Faculty’s Machine & Electrical Engineering Lecture Rooms at Tohoku Imperial University.

The building's exterior still shows the original architecture, the highlight being the sturdy stone arch.

Formerly the Natural History, Physics and Chemistry Lecture Rooms of Sendai Medical College〈Tohoku University Administration Building 3 〉

A statue of Japan's first international student Lu Xun contemplates at the edge of the garden courtyard. The classroom where Lu Xun studied (not pictured), is also a cultural property located nearby.

A rare example of Meiji period wooden building. Inside/behind this building is the Lu Xun lecture hall.

The thin vertical trees against horizontal wooden planks create pleasing line aesthetics on the western edge of building.

Formerly Engineering Faculty’s Machine & Electrical Engineering Experimental Rooms at Tohoku Imperial University.

A closer look at the skillful brickwork around the windows.

The backside of the building has the same characteristic features of brick and plaster, paired with rounded and square windows.

Honda Memorial Hall honors the Institute for Materials Research and scientist/inventor/former university president Kotaro Honda.

A statue of Kotaro Honda (1870-1954) guards the front garden.

The marble staircase and entrance along with vintage lanterns express a kind of timeless elegance.

If you get lost exploring the expansive campus, find your way with these handy bilingual maps posted around campus.

The former reading room at Tohoku Imperial University is now used as the Tohoku University Archives museum (open weekdays).

The front of the Tohoku University Archives building is obscured by trees, so simply go around back for a better view of the architecture!

Formerly Faculty of Science’s Biology Lecture Rooms at Tohoku Imperial University.

The building is the earliest reinforced concrete construction in Sendai.

A closer look at the roof, curves and corners.

The entrance is striking in design, detail and color.

The interior side of the building facing the university looks completely different. To see the "face" of the building, circle around right and walk along the fence to the far corner under the trees.

Former Tohoku Imperial University Main Gate, with original granite pillars.

Old kanji characters, reading Tohoku University (modern kanji: 東北大学)

Monument of Former Second Senior High School.

Formerly Second Building of the Faculty of Law and Literature at Tohoku Imperial University [Accounting School Research Building].

Beautifully carved flowers decorate the entranceway.

One of the better preserved flower motifs.

The former library stack for Japan’s Second Senior High School hides in a dark corner of the courtyard behind trees.

The former multi-floor library stack is now used to store university artifacts (not open to the public), and is a shady spot for students to park their bicycles.

Oxford, Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, Stanford, Cornell. These iconic universities concentrated in the UK and USA are world-famous not only for their high-quality education, but also long history, visibly represented in archives, architecture, and ruins. When it comes to Japanese universities, names such as Waseda, Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto may jump to mind. However, in this article I would like to shine light on a different location: Tohoku University in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. With the perfect blend of philosophy, history, and education, the university not only stands out among Japanese universities, but deserves to be worthy of global attention.

Simply walking the university’s original Katahira campus will allow you to feel the history, become inspired, and lead to sense of enlightenment—or least to a feeling of being smarter than when you arrived! With an impressive 13 “Registered Tangible Cultural Properties”, abundant greenery, and easy-to-access downtown location, the campus is ideal for a leisurely morning or afternoon stroll.

Tohoku University was established as the third imperial university of Japan in 1907, though its educational roots go back even further. The university evolved from the previous Sendai Medical College, while it had a ready supply of smart students from the now defunct adjacent Second Senior High School—the second high school built in Japan after the first in Tokyo. The university focuses on research, practical education, and an open-door policy for students and faculty. Tohoku University was the first in the country to accept female students and the first to accept an international student. The university offers a range in curriculum, but is particularly strong in medical, material science, computer engineering, and, more recently, disaster prevention research. Inventions and improvements to technologies used every day were born at Tohoku University; for example, fiber optics, flash memory, the Yagi antenna, and the split-anode magnetron, an essential component of the microwave oven!

Tohoku University is comprised of 4 campuses: the newest hilltop “Aobayama”, medical-focused “Seiro” clustered around Tohoku University Hospital, “Kawauchi” built on the former second compound of Sendai Castle, and “Katahira”, the original campus with all these lovely historic buildings and relics.

In order to be considered a “Registered Tangible Cultural Property”, the building or monument has to be at least 50 years old, contribute to the historical landscape of Japan, serve as an example of formative design, and be such that it would be difficult to reproduce. Intricate brick work and wood work certainly qualify.

Tohoku University continues to make history as it was recognized as the top university in Japan for the third consecutive year (as of 2021) by “Times Higher Education”. See where the legacy of education all began at Katahira Campus, Sendai. To see the full list and locations of the properties, visit the official website linked to this article.

Do you love old buildings? See more in Sendai's Kawaramachi neighborhood.

A 5-minute walk from Itsutsubashi Sation, Aoba-Ichibancho Station, or The Westin Sendai Hotel. 15-minute walk from JR Sendai Station.

Justin Velgus @justin.velgus

Justin Velgus (ジャスティンベルガス) is the Miyagi Prefecture expert for Japan Travel and a long-term contributor since 2012 with a focus on the Tohoku region. Justin has written extensively for JT, and other publications such as VisitMiyagi and Sake Today, amassing over 350 published articles...