Matsushima: Japan's Scenic Bay, Alone

Matsushima Bay, in Miyagi Prefecture, contains approximately 260 pine-covered islands of varying sizes, some large enough to walk on, some barely large enough to hold a tree. The configuration has been considered one of Japan’s three great scenic views (nihon sankei) since the Edo period.

In high season it is crowded. Ferries run between the islands, tour groups fill the waterfront, and the experience is pleasant but collective. In the quiet seasons — early spring, late autumn, winter — it becomes something else.

The Bay at 8 a.m.

Matsushima’s waterfront in the early morning is quiet. The souvenir shops don’t open until 9 or 10. The tour boats don’t run until later. The only people around are locals walking dogs and the occasional early visitor who took the first train from Sendai (25 minutes, 410 yen).

Walk the waterfront path south from Matsushima-kaigan station. The path runs close to the water for approximately 2 kilometers, with the islands visible across the shallow bay. The pine trees on the islands have a specific shape — bent by the Pacific winds — that is unlike any other landscape in Japan.

The Oysters

Matsushima Bay has been an oyster-producing area for centuries. The oysters are large, briny, and eaten in several formats along the waterfront: grilled in the shell (kaki no tsubaki), raw on ice, in oyster rice (kaki meshi).

The vendors that grill oysters along the waterfront are usually open by 9 a.m. A portion of three or four grilled oysters, eaten at the outdoor counter, costs around ¥600–¥800. The steam from the shells, the smell of the sea, the view across the bay to the islands — this is the right breakfast for Matsushima.

Zuiganji Temple

Zuiganji is a major Zen temple that has stood at Matsushima since the ninth century. The approach through a cedar forest, with caves carved into the cliff face beside the path, creates a transition from the bay to the temple that is architecturally considered.

The interior of the main hall is covered in elaborate painted screens. Arrive at 8:30, when it opens, before the tour groups.

Getting There

JR Senseki Line from Sendai to Matsushima-kaigan station. 25 minutes. Easily done as a day trip or as part of a Tohoku itinerary.