since fallen to a closer trend to what is expected of 3.7% in 2013. Tourism in 2016 attracted an estimated 2.229 million visitors to Sendai. Education Sendai is sometimes called an because the city has many universities relative to its population. Universities located within Sendai include: Tohoku University Tohoku Gakuin University Miyagi University Miyagi Gakuin Women's University Miyagi University of Education Tohoku Fukushi University Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University Schools in the city include Tohoku International School. Transport Airport The city is served by Sendai Airport (located in neighboring Natori), which has international flights to several countries, and the Port of Sendai. A rail link to Sendai began service on March 18, 2007. Railway JR East's Sendai Station is the main transport hub for the city. The station is served by seven JR lines and is a major station on the Tōhoku and Akita Shinkansen lines. An underground passage connects the station to the Sendai Subway. The subway has two lines— Namboku ("north-south") and Tōzai ("east-west") with a total of 30 stations. When completed in 2015, Yagiyama station became the highest-elevated subway station in the country at 136.4 meters. East Japan Railway Company (JR East) Tōhoku Shinkansen: Tōhoku Main Line: – – – – Jōban Line: – – Senzan Line: – – – – – – – – – – – – – Senseki Line: – – – – – – – – – Sendai Subway (All stations) Bus In addition to the public bus system, a loop bus called Loople runs between tourism hotspots around the city. Highways The Tōhoku Expressway runs north–south through western Sendai, and is connected to other highways, such as the Sendai-Nambu Road, Sendai-Tobu Road, Sanriku Expressway (Sendai-Matsushima Road), and Sendai Hokubu Road. Port Ferries connecting Tomakomai and Nagoya stop at the Port of Sendai. Culture Streets The most well-known streets in Sendai, and , are both lined with Japanese zelkovas. These are symbols of "The City of Trees". Jozenji-Dori has a promenade and a few sculptures. It is a place of relaxation. Many events and festivals, such as the Sendai Pageant of Starlight and the Jozenji Street Jazz Festival, take place on Jozenji-Dori and in . Aoba-Dori is the main business road in Sendai. Other major roads in the city include Hirose-Dori (ginkgo), and Higashi-Nibancho-Dori. Festivals The most famous festival in Sendai is Tanabata, which attracts more than 2 million visitors every year and