4THE JAPAN TIMES FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016

G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting, Sendai(Publicity)

Global economic experts
to see recovery firsthand
The G7 Finance Ministers andCentral Bank Governors’ Meeting is scheduled to be held in
Sendai from May 20 throughMay 21.
During the two-day meetingat Hotel Sakan in the famed
Akiu hot spring resort in a suburb of the Miyagi Prefecture
capital, finance ministers andcentral bank governors are expected to discuss topics ranging
from macroeconomic policy
surveillance, the international
finance system, development toemerging market economies.
Influential figures from international bodies such as themanaging director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
the secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) and the World Bank
president are also slated to attend the Sendai meeting.
Held about a week before theG7 Ise-Shima summit in Mie
Prefecture, the gathering carries gravity as it would lay
groundwork for the summit interms of topics of global econ-omy and trade.
For Sendai, there are three
purposes the city wants toachieve through hosting thisinternationally high-profile
event; expressing gratitude forthe support it received after theGreat East Japan Earthquake
and tsunami on March 11,
2011; showcasing the charm of
the city and the Tohoku region,
including their recovery progress from the massive disaster;and further promoting the Miyagi capital as an international
convention city.
“We’d like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude
for the support we received
from around the world after theGreat East Japan Earthquake,”
Sendai Mayor Emiko Okuyama
said.
The G7 countries are among
those who extended a helping
hand. An Italian school presented violins and violas, which
are now used by the Sendai Junior Orchestra, while Britain’s
Prince William paid a visit toIshinomaki and Onagawa in theprefecture in March last year,providing encouraging words
to the disaster victims.
The U.S. military in Japanjoined in activities to clean up
Sendai Airport, which was hit
by tsunami, as part of their disaster relief mission, while
France supported the revival ofoyster farming in the Sanriku
area and Canada helped build
the Canada-Tohoku Friendship
Pavilion, Maple Hall, in Natori.
For Germany’s contribution,
Frankfurt donated about ¥25
million, which was used to reconstruct Madoka, a welfare
center for the disabled, in Sendai, while the EU’s Netherlands
donated bulbs of a new varietyof tulip named TOHOKU to thecity.
Mayor Okuyama also hoped
the Sendai meeting would be aspringboard for the city and theentire region to develop further
by dispelling harmful rumorsthat stemmed from the disasters and increasing the numberof international visitors, as wellas encouraging more investment.
“We aim to show the world
the reconstruction of Sendaiand the Tohoku region five
years after the disasters in ad-dition to a variety of charms of
Tohoku such as its rich history,culture, food, industries andhot springs.”
Since the 2011 disasters, Sendai has steadily promoted reconstruction, which financeministers, central bank governors and relevant officials areexpected to observe during
their visit.
The city has embarked on
boosting disaster prevention
with the idea of “building backbetter,” featuring reconstruction
efforts aiming to rebuild areas
and facilities that are more resistant to natural hazards than
before the disasters hit.
In a bid to reduce potential
damage from large tsunami in
the eastern part of Sendai, thecity has implemented several
preventive measures, including
a plan to raise the height of theShiogama-Watari Line prefectural road in addition to otherroads, which would serve as
breakwaters.
On the energy front, the city
launched a laboratory for an
algal biomass development
project in April 2013 at the disaster-stricken Minami-GamoWastewater Treatment Plant ina coastal area of Miyagino Ward,in collaboration with the University of Tsukuba and Tohoku University. The project aims tointroduce a recycling system
turning sewage treatment plants
into energy-producing facilities.
Visiting the wastewater treatment plant is included in theitinerary for the finance ministers and central bank governors
on the first day of the meeting,which enables them to observereconstruction efforts by the city
firsthand. They are also scheduled to visit the now-closed Arahama Elementary School incoastal areas of Wakabayashi
Ward. The public elementary

Clockwise from top left: Sendai Mayor Emiko Okuyama speaks at an event in February marking 100 days to the G7 meeting; English
maps of the Akiu hot spring resort are available to better serve international visitors; Volunteer guides attend a seminar to learn
their duties during the G7 meeting; Employees at hotels and inns in the Akiu district practice serving customers in English toimprove their conversation skills. CITY OF SENDAI

A statue of Date Masamune on horseback at the Sendai Castle Ruins looks on the city, which hosts the G7 finance ministers andcentral bank governors’ meeting. CITY OF SENDAI

school was heavily affected bythe 2011 tsunami and its building will be preserved as a reminder of the disasters.
The G7 meeting in Sendai
adds another honor to the listof an already impressive trackrecord of holding major international conferences.
To name a few, Sendai hosted the U.N. World Conference
on Disaster Risk Reduction lastyear, which had around 6,500
participants; the third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) Senior Officials’ Meeting III in 2010, which had about
950 attendees; and the first Asia
Parks Congress in 2013, which
had some 800 participants.
With not only hot spring resorts equipped with facilities
suitable for international conferences, but also the Sendai
International Center convention hall and a number of hotels capable of hosting largegatherings, Sendai hopes toshore up its reputation as a
top-class international convention city by successfully
holding this event.
In the meantime, the city
launched a public-private committee in August in an effort tosupport the preparations for themeeting, foster a momentum ofwelcoming and send information about Sendai and Tohoku.
The committee is comprised ofrelevant entities including theMiyagi Prefectural Government, Miyagi Prefectural Police,
local economic communities,parties engaged in accommodation and transportation andthe people of the Akiu district.
The committee has held several briefing sessions for theconvenience of Akiu residents
earlier this year, while the Finance Ministry — with the support of the committee — had an

explanatory meeting for the G7
embassies in April.
To create the welcomingmood among Sendai residents,
the committee has conductedvarious events and projects. In
a project dubbed “Thank You tothe World,” area residents wereinvited in October and November to write words of thanks invarious languages in appreciation of support after the disasters. The committee shot
pictures of them holding theirmessages, which are exhibited
throughout the meeting.
The committee also held
events called “Cafe Summits” inJanuary and February, in which
participants enjoyed talks byspeakers from six G7 countries
and learned a variety of cultures.
Besides such approaches toarea residents, the committee
has also made promotional efforts overseas. One instance wasthat for the emperor’s birthday
receptions at the Japanese embassies in the U.S., Canada andthe U.K. last year, the committee
provided brochures of the Sendai meeting. Another was thatreporters from foreign media
outlets were invited in March to
get to know about the Sendaiand Akiu hot springs area.
In terms of addressing communication in English, thecommittee has strived to nurture personnel with such skills
in light of an expected increasein the number of international
visitors.
The committee offered English lessons for taxi and bus
drivers so they can conduct
basic conversations when they
serve international customers.
Furthermore, 130 Sendai residents are registered as language
volunteers and will be dispatched at various locations
during the G7 meeting.

SENDAI ACCESS MAP
Akiu hot spring

SendaiTokyo

During the G7 meeting, we are holding exhibitions to express our gratitude for the warm support we received from

Promotional Committee for the 2016 G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors' Meeting, Sendai

PAGE: 4Sendai Airport
Approximately 17 minutes on
the Sendai Airport LineFor those international visitors to the Akiu hot spring district, the committee set up
information boards featuringmultiple languages at several locations such as the Akiu Sato
Center (tourist information center), Akiu Traditional Craft Village and Akiu Otaki Falls. Inaddition, newly created English
maps of Akiu are available at facilities, including hotels there.
During the two-day meeting,information booths are set to bein place at Sendai Station, Sendai Airport, Hotel Sakan andthe press center at the Iwanumaya hotel.
For journalists covering theevent, the committee hasplanned to welcome them byholding the G7 Akiu Festival atAkiu Sato Center on the nightof May 20. The event enables
them to experience local culture and tradition such as wadaiko Japanese drumming andthe carrying of portable shrines
by area residents. Guests are expected to be served notablelocal dishes including gyutan
grilled beef tongue, handmade
soba noodles, sake and whisky
produced at local distilleries.
Furthermore, a free study

Expressing our gratitude for the warm support
we received from the world

Many citizens of Sendai have participated in our project wrote messages to say thank you to the world.

JR Sendai
StationApproximately 90 minutes on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line

Thank You to the World

countries all over the world after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March, 2011.

Approximately 30
minutes by car or bus

tour and an excursion has beenplanned for meeting attendees
and media personnel from May
18 through 22.
Lasting about three to fourhours, the study tour takes participants to disaster-hit spots
such as the Minami-GamoWastewater Treatment Plant
and Arahama Elementary
School to observe reconstruction efforts by the city and consider disaster prevention.
There are three kinds of excursions, one of which takes
about an hour to experience
traditional craft making at theAkiu Traditional Craft Village.
Another 90-minute excursion
takes participants to enjoy theAkiu Otaki Falls and traditional
rural landscape in the Akiu
area. In the other excursion,
participants spend a couple ofhours visiting famous spots, including the Sendai Castle
Ruins, at which finance ministers and central bank governors
are scheduled to take commemorative photos, and theSendai Mediatheque public facility combining library and art
gallery functions, which wasdesigned by famed architect
Toyo Ito.

The Japan Times Friday, May 20, 2016 5

G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting, Sendai

Idyllic nature, hot springs and fine food await visitors
Simone Chen
Special to The Japan Times

I lower myself into the steamy
42 C water of my outdoor tub.
While my mind is not yet awake(it’s just 5:30 in the morning),
my body feels fully alive,
charged instantly by the onsen
hot spring water of Akiu Onsen,
famously known as one of thethree great hot springs of Japan.
Since its origins some 1,500
years ago, Akiu’s waters havedemonstrated countless therapeutic effects. History tells thetale of Emperor Kinmei’s incurable skin ailment that was miraculously healed after bathingin Akiu water, carried to thecapital of Kyoto by the bucket.
Akiu Onsen is just one of thegems of the Tohoku region. Sendai, as the economic and cultural center of Tohoku, is known
as the City of Trees, with its
streets lined with lush zelkova
trees and hagi clover flowers.
More somberly, areas near
Sendai are also known as theareas most heavily affected by
the 2011 Great East Japan
Earthquake and tsunami. With
the recent fifth anniversary, theareas have once again received
attention, this time on the re-building progress. As much as
the extent of destruction should
not be forgotten, the region’s
ability to rebound should becommended as a model ofmoving forward.
Indeed, Sendai is one of several cities chosen to host the G7
meetings this year. The Finance
Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in Akiu is expected to bring great awarenessto Sendai’s charms. Sendai Castle’s sweeping views, Matsushima Bay’s hundreds of mysticalislands and the delectable local
dish of gyutan (charcoal-grilledbeef tongue) along with other attractions will all be on display.
All this attention would surely have pleased Date Masamune, the charismatic andpowerful daimyo that ruled theregion in the late 16th and early
17th centuries, bringing economic prosperity to the northeast. After arriving at Sendai
Station two days prior to mystay in Akiu, pulling in on thesleek-nosed Hayabusa shinkansen, I quickly learn that Masamune’s presence is still verymuch at large to this day.
The first sign appears as I stop
for a visit to Sendai Castle, perhaps better described as the site

The 55-meter-high Akiu Otaki Waterfall is known as one of thethree best in Japan. city of sendai

At Hotel Sakan in the famous Akiu hot spring resort in the suburb of Sendai, one can enjoy a spacious open-air bath.

hotelsakanof the former castle, built in 1602
by Masamune but later mostly
damaged by a large fire in 1882
and wartime bombings. Commanding glorious panoramic
views of the city below, the site
is now home to a magnificent
statue of a horseback Masamune who attentively watches
over the city from his perch.
After stopping for a quick
lunch of regional favorites including smoky and tender gyutan, and sasa-kamaboko, agrilled fish cake shaped like abamboo leaf, I run into noneother than Masamune himself.
A character, in period costume,that is. Mystified by the eye
patch and helmet bearing acrescent moon rising from thetop, I inquire.
“As a child, he lost his eye toan illness and to compensate forthe handicap, he trained hard atfighting and became one of thebest,” explained my guide, awealth of knowledge on all matters Sendai. “Hence, he wasnamed ‘the one-eyed dragon.’

The crescent symbolizes thewaxing moon and potential for
great growth and power,” she explained. After snapping a few
pictures with the overlord, wewere off to explore more of Sendai.
We arrive at the port of
Shiogama, literally “salt pot,”
where we prepare to board aboat for a cruise around Matsushima Bay. True to its name,
Shiogama boasts a wealth ofseafood, namely tuna and oysters, as well as a bustling fish
market where the sushi is as
fresh as it fairly priced.
“That island is where DateMasamune held moon viewingparties,” said my guide, pointing
to a precipitous rock formation
overgrown with pine trees. As
we chug along the bay, I am enthralled by the over 260 small
and large islands that dot theblue-gray waters of the bay.
Many are curiously shaped, therock having been carved by
centuries of lapping waves.
Aboard, I dine on a feast ofoyster nabe, a bubbling hotpotof plump juicy oysters simmered with local vegetables,
fried oysters the length of mypalm, and cold beer. Don’t missthe oyster huts in the area offering all-you-can-eat oysters, inseason from October to March.
We dock at Matsushima, aquaint town famous for pinetrees and historical temples.
Among these worth a visit areZuiganji, a magnificent Zen
temple, and Entsuin Temple.
The latter’s gardens are renowned for beautiful landscaping with rock gardens and paths
lined with maple trees, camellia
and roses.
Back in Akiu, the sun rises
from behind the mountainous
horizon and the sky is suddenly awash in light. To have aproper onsen experience, staying at a traditional ryokan inn
is a must. Situated along thebabbling Natori River, Sakan,
with a history dating back morethan 1,000 years, provided mewith full ryokan hospitality, in-cluding a lavish kaiseki Japanese traditional course dinner
where succulent prawns, abalone and wagyu beef played
center stage.
As much as Masamune relished power, he enjoyed life’spleasures. Akiu Onsen, andparticularly Sakan, served as
the Date clan’s royal bathhousefor centuries. Today, with its 173
rooms, array of conference
rooms, banquet spaces andonsen, Sakan is the natural
choice to host this year’s G7 Finance Ministers’ Meeting.
Akiu is famed for its majestic
natural beauty, including the55-meter-tall Akiu Otaki Falls,
famously known as one of thethree best in Japan, and Rairaikyo Gorge with its unusuallyshaped stone formations. In thenearby Akiu Traditional Craft
Village, visitors learn how theregion’s famed kokeshi wooden
dolls are created and can even
try their hand at painting one.
Spring’s glorious cherry
blossoms, summer’s Tanabata

Top, bottom: Visitors to the Akiu Traditional Craft Village canlearn about the making of kokeshi wodden dolls. SIMONE CHEN(star) Festival, fall’s foliage andfruit-picking and winter’s Pageant of Starlight make Sendai
a year-round attraction, perfect for visiting in any season.
Summer (August 6 to 8) is arguably the best time for celebrations in Sendai, ushering in
the Tanabata Festival. Millionsof visitors descend upon thecity to celebrate the reunion of

two lovers in a legendary taleof star-crossed romance thatrivals Romeo and Juliet. Thestreets are decorated with tallpoles with meters-long fukinagashi streamers swaying overhead. Among the palpable
merriment, a sense of hope iseven more profound as the region’s people optimisticallylook forward.

Sendai and the surrounding area have many culinary offerings
such as the must-try oyster nabe hot pot (left) and gyutan
grilled beef tongue. SIMONE CHeN, CITY OF SENDAIUrakasumi Zen(Junmai-ginjo)

Ranked as one of the three most scenic views of Japan, Matushima is a group of pine-treecovered islands. SIMONE CHEN

The Sendai Tanabata Festival, held from August 6 to 8, is one of the most popular attractions inMiyagi Prefecture’s capital, with the entire city filled with elaborate decorations. city of sendai

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