Basho no Tsuji Intersection was the center of the Sendai Castle town, being the intersection of Omachi-dori Road, which extended from Sendai Castle to the east, and Oshu Kaido Road that ran north to south, which served as a major artery of traffic in the Edo period (17-19c.). As the most bustling area in the castle town, a kosatsuba (street bulletin board) was set up there that announced proclamations issued by the shogunate. It was also known as Satsu no Tsuji.

There are several sources to the origin of its name; some believe that it comes from the Basho plant (Japanese banana tree) that had been planted for generations, while others suggest that it came from the name of a komuso (a mendicant priest) who settled in the area.

The greatest characteristics of Basho no Tsuji were the large buildings in a castle tower-style that once occupied the four corners of the intersection, which appeared in the early 19th century. This was a famous part of the castle town that stood out prominently among the town’s many shingle or thatched-roof one-story buildings.