Zuihōden is a mausoleum located in Aoba Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It enshrines Date Masamune, a prominent daimyo who was active in the Ōu region during the Azuchi-Momoyama period.
According to Masamune’s will, he wished to be buried at Mount Kyōgamine in Sendai after his death. When he passed away in 1636 (Kanei 13), his son and the second lord of the Sendai Domain, Date Tadamune, fulfilled his wish by constructing a mausoleum in October of the following year (1637), naming it Zuihōden. The mausoleum included the main hall, worship hall, karamon gate, offering hall, and Nirvana gate, all featuring the ornate style and artistry of the Momoyama culture. In 1931 (Shōwa 6), Zuihōden was designated a National Treasure of Japan.
However, on July 10, 1945 (Shōwa 20), near the end of World War II, Sendai was bombed by the U.S. military, and Zuihōden was destroyed along with Kansenden (for Tadamune) and Zennōden (for Tsunamune, the third lord).
After the war, calls to rebuild Zuihōden gained momentum. Before reconstruction began in 1974 (Shōwa 49), archaeological excavations were conducted, during which Masamune’s remains, grave goods, and valuable historical materials were discovered.
The reconstruction of the main hall, worship hall, Nirvana gate, and offering hall began in 1979 (Shōwa 54), led by local construction company Ishii-gumi. A museum was also built on-site to display excavated artifacts. Inside, a 20-minute documentary on the excavation is shown, alongside displays of grave goods, anthropological research, and facial reconstructions of Masamune, Tadamune, and Tsunamune based on their skulls.
Subsequent lords of the Date family were buried in the family cemetery located near Dainenjiyama and the ruins of Mogasaki Castle.
