Matsushima — Guide to the 260-Island Archipelago in Miyagi

Matsushima (松島) sits in Matsushima Bay on the northeastern coast of Miyagi Prefecture. The name denotes both the multi‑island seascape—now unified in most descriptions as roughly 260 islands—and the surrounding scenic district formed by the Matsushima hills. It is counted among Japan’s Three Views and is protected as a national Special Place of Scenic Beauty.

Who manages Matsushima and who visits

Matsushima’s scenic district is managed under national cultural‑property law and local planning. Miyagi Prefecture administers the site through a “Special Place of Scenic Beauty Matsushima Preservation Management Plan”; changes inside the protected area (for example new construction) require permission from the Miyagi Prefecture Board of Education and the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami the prefecture entered discussions with the central cultural authorities about regulatory adjustments to accommodate resident relocation; the Agency of Cultural Affairs also allowed one time, time‑limited exceptions related to disaster debris handling with conditions on appearance.

On the visitor side, Matsushima is a major regional attraction. In 2019 the bay and its facilities recorded about 5.98 million visitors. The shoreline around the bay includes five municipalities that share responsibility for local services: Higashimatsushima City, Matsushima Town, Rifu Town, Shiogama City and Shichigahama Town. The wider promotion of the area is also carried by multi‑municipal schemes such as the Sendai–Matsushima international tourism model district, a grouping that includes some cities that do not face the bay (for example Sendai and Tagajō).

How the islands and bay were formed

Matsushima Bay occupies a drowned, ria‑style coast where a hilly peninsula of the Matsushima hills was progressively dissected by erosion and episodes of subsidence and uplift. The island tops are the remnants of higher ground left when valleys were flooded. Geologists describe repeated movements from the Pliocene (Neogene) through Pleistocene episodes — including activity on the Nagamachi–Rifu structural line — that raised, eroded and then submerged the area several times to produce the present cluster of islands and drowned valleys.

The bedrock around many of the islets is composed of relatively soft Neogene tuff, sandstone and conglomerate; waves undercut the bases and leave light‑coloured rock faces at sea level while pines and other vegetation cover the upper parts. Wave action produces undercut “mushroom” profiles on some islets and sea caves or cliffs elsewhere – the nearby Okumatsushima coast includes Sagakei, counted among Japan’s three major sea gorges. The central part of the bay where there are no islands has a shallow depth of about 2 metres; because the bottom is muddy, rough seas stir mud into the water and make the surface turbid. The vulnerability of the islands to rapid change is documented: a severe storm on 31 January 1970 removed Aramisaki Island (in the Shiogama area) overnight.

Where to see the bay: the four classic views and other vantage points

The four classical viewing sites known collectively as the Matsushima Four Great Views were selected in the Edo period by the Sendai domain scholar Funayama Mannen. Their names and positions are recorded precisely:

• Sokan (“Splendid View”) — from Otakamori on Miyato Island in Higashimatsushima City (Lat 38°20’25.9” N, Lon 141°9’7.1” E), elevation 105.8 m. It offers an open, unrestricted panorama of the bay toward the west and is a frequent subject for sunset photography.
• Reikan (“Graceful View”) — from a temple site on Tomiyama in Matsushima Town (Lat 38°23’48.4” N, Lon 141°6’22.5” E), elevation 116.8 m. Historically much noted in travel literature; the present sightline differs from older descriptions because of reclamation at a nearby inlet.
• Yukan (“Quiet View”) — from Ogigadani on the border of Matsushima Town and Rifu Town (Lat 38°21’11.6” N, Lon 141°3’18.3” E), elevation 55.8 m. The view opens southeast over Shiogama Bay and is characterised by a calmer aspect.
• Ikan (“Grand View”) — from Tamon‑yama at Daegasaki in Shichigahama Town (Lat 38°19’9.7” N, Lon 141°4’2.6” E), elevation 55.6 m. It looks north toward Shiogama Bay and beyond to Matsushima Bay and Okumatsushima.

Other named outlooks that appear in historical and modern reference material include Chorozaka (the old road viewpoint), Saigyō Modoshi no Matsu (a park area noted for cherry blossoms), Shintomiyama and several small hills and temple terraces. One classic hill long used for views is now located inside private hotel grounds and is accessible only to hotel guests; an observation tower that once stood overlooking the bay has been dismantled.

Boats, flights and how to reach Matsushima

Matsushima is commonly experienced from the water. Large sightseeing boats operate from Matsushima Port and run circuits of the bay and routes that include parts of Okumatsushima; there are also services connecting Matsushima Port and Shiogama Port. Small craft operate from the Okumatsushima sightseeing pier around Sagakei and from Shiogama for landings on smaller islets; when seas are calm some small boats can approach sea caves that larger vessels must pass at a distance.

Feeding seabirds from boats had been a popular activity, but because droppings were damaging shoreline pines the practice was prohibited within the bay from 1 April 2014. Seasonal and special cruises — for example dinner, sunset, night and oyster‑hotpot cruises — have been part of the offering. The 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami destroyed floating berths and many small vessels; sightseeing services resumed on 29 April 2011.

Airborne tours also operate from Sendai Airport: light aircraft or helicopters make local sightseeing circuits that include Matsushima and Sendai, and some flights are timed to view local festivals and fireworks from the air.

Rail and road access are recorded in practical terms. Matsushima is served by the JR Senseki Line at Matsushima‑Kaigan Station; the rail distance from Sendai Station to Matsushima‑Kaigan Station is 22.7 km and a local train journey takes about 40 minutes. Shiogama is served by Hon‑Shiogama Station on the Senseki Line; Nobiru Station serves the Okumatsushima area. By car the Sanriku Expressway has a Matsushima‑Kaigan interchange, and Prefectural Route 144 (the long old road known for its views) runs into the park; National Route 45 connects Sendai with the coast (a route‑distance figure recorded from the starting point at Kotodai Park is 27 km).

Nature, plants and seafood

Many of the islets carry pines on their upper slopes and show bare, whitish rock near sea level. Marine catches documented as typical for the bay include gobies (haze), conger eel (anago) and shellfish such as oysters (kaki) and asari clams. A notable terrestrial plant is the wild orchid sekkoku (Dendrobium species), known locally around Matsushima as “iwatake”; Miyagi Prefecture is at or near the northern wild limit for this species. Sekkoku blooms in late May to early June with pink flowers; once considered endangered, it has been propagated from parent stock on the Zuiganji temple grounds and appears today in potted form as a souvenir.

Culture, history and official recognitions

Matsushima has been a poetic and pictorial reference since at least the Heian period; an early waka associated with the site is attributed to Minamoto no Shigenobu. In the Edo period the poet Ooyodo Sanchifū helped popularise the bay and compiled a wide guide to its sights; Matsuo Bashō visited Matsushima during his 1689 journey and recorded the bay in the opening passages of Oku no Hosomichi.

Historically the bay was also a place of religious visitation: the island known as Ojima (the “sacred island”) was a destination for prayers for the dead and until the early Meiji era some visitors deposited small bone relics there.

Matsushima appears in the earliest formulation of the “Three Views of Japan” in a mid‑17th‑century work and has since been associated with the “moon” among the trio of snow, moon and flowers. Date clan history also ties a moon‑viewing pavilion to the site: a tea room moved from Fushimi (the Momoyama castle) by Date Masamune and later reinstalled at Matsushima served as a moon‑viewing palace; it was later named Kanrantei by a later domain lord.

Official designations and recognitions recorded for Matsushima include its listing among the Three Views of Japan (from the 1643 reference), the establishment of the Miyagi Prefectural Natural Park designation for Matsushima in September 1902, and a national cultural property designation as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty on 22 November 1952. The bay and its associated coastal district have been included in various modern selections and networks for tourism and natural value, including national and regional lists and the World’s Most Beautiful Bays Club (membership recorded on 6 December 2013). Parts of Matsushima were also recognised within Japan Heritage frameworks and related cultural listings.

FAQ

How many islands are in Matsushima?

A survey in the 1970s produced a unified count of about 260 islands; historical counts have varied (examples in literature include 87, 92, 230 and 240+), and a 1991 town history lists 144 named islands plus 98 unnamed ones.

How do I reach Matsushima from Sendai by train?

Matsushima‑Kaigan Station on the JR Senseki Line serves the town; the distance from Sendai Station is 22.7 km and a local train trip takes about 40 minutes.

Why was feeding birds from boats banned in the bay?

Feeding seabirds was banned from 1 April 2014 because bird droppings were causing pine trees along the islands to decline.

What effect did the 2011 earthquake and tsunami have on Matsushima?

The 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami damaged some cultural assets and destroyed floating piers and many small sightseeing boats, but overall damage around Matsushima was lighter than in many neighbouring coasts; sightseeing boat operations resumed on 29 April 2011.