Geography

The east side of Miyagi faces the Pacific Ocean, the west borders Yamagata Prefecture at the Ou Mountain Range; north is Iwate at the south edge of the lchinoseki Plateau; south is Fukushima Prefecture and the north side of the Abukuma Highland. The central area has many hills and the Sendai plains. Population centers around Sendai. The northern coastline is an extension of the ragged shoreline from Iwate. The west part of Oshika Peninsula is where Kinkazan sits extending into the Sendai Bay. Its spectacular view of Matsushima Island and Bay is known as one of the three most beautiful views in Japan. The climate is relatively mild for the Tohoku area, and the snowfall is not heavy in the plains.

Industry & Economy

Miyagi's wider plains and milder weather have resulted in its larger population. In the last few years secondary industry has been developing rapidly. Industrial parks have recently been built on the southern and eastern sides of Sendai, and harbor development projects are under way. Marine industry is ranked high nationally with the main fishing ports of Shiogama, Ishinomaki, Onagawa and Kesennuma, and oyster farming at Matsushima Bay. Agriculture is also a very productive industry. The rice harvest, including the well-known Sasanishiki rice, ranks 4th in the nation after Hokhaido, Niigata and Akita. Miyagi can boast of the best economy among the six Tohoku prefectures.

Cultural Background

There has been stability in the area since the Tokugawa era when it was controlled by the Date clan. In the early days of that era there was a progressive atmosphere, even to the point of sending a delegation to Rome on a cultural mission. However, under the control of the feudal government, preservation of old traditions pushed it back to a conservative mode. Sendai has now been designated as a special governmental city and is close to becoming a million people city. This rapid growth is changing the local culture, encouraging a materialistic way of life here.

Religious Milieu

After Christian freedom was restored during the Meiji era, the Russian Orthodox Church began aggressive church planting ministries, and they were followed by a number of Protestant missionaries. Many mission schools were started, especially in Sendai, and this seems to have resulted in the people there being more open to the gospel. The people of Miyagi have weaker feelings toward religion than the other sections of the Tohoku area, and consequently Buddhist and Shinto influence is not quite as strong. However, traditional religious activities such as Tanabata are still deeply rooted in the society.

The Mission

Much foreign missionary work has been done in the Tohoku area since the War, and a number of these groups have used Sendai as their headquarters. One of these is the Conservative Baptists. From Sendai they reached out into other parts of Miyagi, Yamagata, and Iwate, eventually establishing a seminary and a publishing ministry. Almost every Christian denomination can be found in Miyagi, with a growing number of churches able to assist more needy areas with a gospel outreach. A growing relationship of fellowship and cooperation is encouraging.