Scenic Sendai hosts APEC Senior Officials

Sprinkled with tall trees and green parks, Sendai is known for blending nature with the urban landscape. Hundreds of years ago, feudal lords encouraged residents to plant trees, including fruit trees, to provide food, firewood and shelter. As Sendai evolved into a thriving, modern city, it worked hard to maintain this co-existence with nature, according to Kazune Ouchi, a senior officer at the International Economy and Tourism Department at City of Sendai.

Rows of trees now line the roads and river of this city of one million people, which has also adopted green policies including environmentally friendly public transport.

Known as the City of Trees, Sendai is perhaps an ideal location for the third APEC Senior Officials' Meeting where the importance of sustainable development throughout the Asia Pacific region will be high on the agenda, according to organizers.

Surrounded by mountains to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east, Sendai is the largest city in the Tohoku region on the northeastern part of Japan's main island of Honshu. With fishing ports close by, Sendai boasts fine seafood but local delicacies also include gyutan or grilled beef tongue.

A major tourist attraction is nearby Matsushima Bay, which has 260 islands dotted in its turquoise waters. Mountainous Shirakami Sanchi to the north has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains one of the world's largest, unspoiled, virgin beech forest. Nestled in the region's mountains are skiing, hiking and spa villages, including Naruko, which has relaxing, mineral-rich onsen (or hot-springs). Sendai and surrounding areas contain historic temples and shrines including Osaki Hachimangu and Zuiganji, both of which are designated national treasures.

Sendai is also home to numerous universities, including Tohoku University, other higher learning centers and research institutions. In fact, one in twenty Sendai residents is a student, according to Ouchi. Consequently the city prides itself on innovation, with officials working hard to promote collaboration between industry, government and academia to help create new industries, she said.

"Sendai has produced world class innovations in physical and chemical science. In the future, we hope that we can make further contributions to the world with the production of new industries and innovations," Ouchi said. Innovation is also a priority for APEC, which is committed to pursuing "high quality growth" throughout the region.