Japan Guide
Northern Honshū
Matsushima Bay
The jumble of wooded islands dotting Matsushima Bay, a short train ride northeast of Sendai, is officially designated one of Japan's top three scenic areas, along with Miyajima and Amanohashidate. Roughly 12km by 14km, the bay contains over 260 islands of every conceivable shape and size. The smaller islets are cut through with tunnels and sculpted by wind and waves into fanciful likenesses of tortoises, whales, or even human profiles, with a scraggy fringe of contorted pine trees – or so the guides would have you believe. In between, the shallower parts of the bay have been used for farming oysters for around three hundred years.
Bashō, travelling through in 1689, commented that "much praise had already been lavished upon the wonders of the islands of Matsushima", but many visitors today find the bay slightly disappointing. Nevertheless, a boat trip among the white, ribbed islands makes an enjoyable outing, though it's best to avoid weekends and holidays.
The most scenic route is via SHIOGAMA, from where you can travel on across the bay by boat; take the JR Senseki line to Hon- (25–40min; ¥320). The Marine Gate pier is the departure point for both local ferries serving the inhabited islands and tourist boats, which take a leisurely trip through Matsushima Bay before dropping you in Matsushima town. In high season (late April to Nov) boats run every thirty minutes (8.30am–4pm; 50min; ¥1420, or ¥2220 for the upper deck), and there's also the option of a longer voyage into the northern reaches of the bay (daily; by group reservation only; 60min). From December through March, there are sailings every hour only on the shorter course.
It's also possible to take a cruise round the bay from Matsushima tourist pier (roughly every hour; April– Oct 9am–4pm; Nov– March 9am–3pm; 50min; ¥1400), though they tend to be more crowded than the boats from Shiogama. Another more interesting route goes north from Matsushima town to Miyato-jima in Ishinomaki Bay, with the possibility of catching a later boat back.