Zuiganji and the Matsushima Shore

Shibuya246 · 10 April 2009 · 22 photos

A waterfront road with a temple-style building — Arriving on the Matsushima waterfront.

In April 2009 I was in Sendai and took the train out to Matsushima. I posted some photos of the bay at the time. These are the rest, from walking along the waterfront out to Godaido and then up the cedar avenue to Zuiganji.

Zuiganji was rebuilt by Date Masamune and finished in 1609 as his family's temple, and its main hall is now a National Treasure. The temple is only about ten minutes' walk from Matsushima-Kaigan Station.

Sightseeing boats with pine-covered islands behind — Sightseeing boats and the pine-covered islands of the bay.

A small island with a temple hall among pine trees — Godaido, the small hall on its own islet.

People crossing a short red bridge — Short red bridges link the islet to the shore.

A red bridge over a gap in the rocks — The bridges cross over gaps in the rocks.

Walking across a red bridge with wooden planks — Crossing over.

The side of an old wooden temple hall — The old wooden hall.

A view of the bay through pine trees — Looking out over the bay through the pines.

A red bridge seen from the island — Heading back across.

A tall wooden marker carved with 日本三景 — A marker for Matsushima as one of the Three Views of Japan.

A wooden temple gate at the start of a tree-lined path — The gate at the start of the approach to Zuiganji.

A long straight path through tall cedar trees — The long cedar-lined approach.

Visitors near the temple entrance — Near the temple entrance.

Tall cedars on both sides of a path leading to a gate — Tall cedars all the way to the gate.

A side road with shops and trees — A side road off the approach.

A stone monument at the top of stone steps — A stone monument in the grounds.

A stone statue in front of a cliff with caves — Statues and memorials line the cliffs along the approach.

A row of small statues inside a cave — Rows of statues inside one of the caves.

Moss-covered rocks and cedar trunks — Moss and old cedar roots.

Carvings in a soft rock cliff — More carvings in the soft rock.

Old memorial stones in front of a cave — Old memorial stones by the caves.

The caves along the approach were my favourite part, full of old carvings and statues in the soft rock, and much quieter than the waterfront.

I took these photos in April 2009 and only got round to posting them in 2026.

Visiting today · Miyagi, Tohoku

Visiting Zuiganji Temple, Matsushima, Miyagi today

Checked October 2026 · next check January 2027

Added by Shibuya246, separate from the original post above. Facts are checked every quarter against the sources below. Check opening times and prices before you go.

What it is: The Date family temple, rebuilt by Date Masamune and finished in 1609. The main hall and kitchen quarters are National Treasures, and the cedar-lined approach passes old meditation caves carved into the cliffs. Godaido, a small hall on an islet reached by short red bridges, is a short walk away.
Getting there: About 10 minutes' walk from JR Matsushima-Kaigan Station. There is no parking at the temple.
Hours: Roughly 8:30 to between 15:30 and 17:00, depending on the month, with the latest closing April–September.
Admission: ¥700 adults, ¥400 elementary and junior high school students.
Tip: In 2026 there are autumn night visits from 30 October to 23 November, 17:00–21:00 (¥1,300 at the gate, ¥1,200 online).

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Autumn night visits, 30 Oct–23 Nov 2026

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Sources: Zuigan-ji Temple – Tokyo Weekender · NAKED Autumn Night Visit at Zuiganji 2026 – Have a Good Holiday

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