Sendai Shirō: The Silent Man Who Made Everyone Smile

How a man in Japan’s city of Sendai became regarded as a “god of good fortune” whose image still persists today.

By Nyri Bakkalian

It was an image seemingly everywhere, once I’d gotten my bearings in Sendai. The man was dressed in kimono and sat with arms and legs folded. His joyous expression was a picture of ebullience, everywhere from side streets to shopping mall displays. Seeing him made me smile.

It was only once I’d seen him for the first time, in the department store in the Izumi-chuō district, that I realized his image was seemingly everywhere in town. Photos, paintings, and little statues abounded. But it wasn’t until years later, during my PhD research, that I encountered him again.

He was a larger-than-life character of late 19th and early 20th century Sendai. Remembered today as Sendai Shirō, he was one of the city’s most beloved Meiji-era sons who is still regarded as a fortune kami. As I saw, he continues to enjoy a different kind of popularity today, as one of the city’s symbols. This is my retelling of his story.

Two Cities in One

In order to understand Sendai Shirō better, we need to grasp the lay of the land in the late-Edo…