greenest cities, mostly because of its great numbers of trees and plants. Sendai became known as The City of Trees before World War II as the Sendai han encouraged residents to plant trees in their gardens. As a result, many houses, temples, and shrines in central Sendai had household forests which were used as resources for wood and other everyday materials. Air raids during World War II destroyed much of the greenery, and more was lost during the post-war growth and in the 2011 earthquake.
The 2nd Infantry Division was known as the Sendai Division as it was based in Sendai, and recruited locally. During the Second World War it was involved in many different campaigns, but one of the most important was the Battle of Guadalcanal. Sendai was also a city where American Prisoners of War, some who survived the Bataan Death March, were forced to work in the lead mines for the Japanese war effort.
2011 earthquake and tsunami
On 11 March 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and a subsequent major tsunami hit Sendai, without causing much damage in the center. In other areas however, especially on the coastal area including Sendai Airport, major damage was reported. The tsunami reportedly reached as far as Wakabayashi Ward Office, 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) from the coastline. Hundreds were killed, and countless more were injured and/or made homeless. It was the largest earthquake recorded in Japan's history.
Sendai's port was heavily damaged and temporarily closed. The port reopened on 16 April 2011
