Sendai Ofude (writing brushes)

Brush making was introduced to Sendai by the feudal lord Date Masamune to promote learning and industry when he founded the domain.

The best known product is the Miyagino Hagi fude (brush) that uses local hagi (Japanese bush clover), which is Miyagi’s prefectural flower, for its brush handle. As Sendai brushes were dedicated to the Shogun of the time, they have been deferentially called “Ofude” with an added “o” to indicate respect.