I took a trip to Sendai last week and visited Matsushima which is said to be one of Japan’s three great views along with Miyajima and Amanohashidate.
Matsushima is a group of over 200 small, pine tree islands which provide an interesting landscape. There are boat cruises to some of the islands as well as many temples nearby.
I took a few photos of the area but really did not have enough time to do justice to the scenery.
Note that if you have lived in Japan long enough then you probably won’t even see the telephone, electricity wires in this photo. I tried cropping the pole on the left out of the photo, but the dimension of the image changed completely and it just didn’t look like Japan. Sometimes the contrast between things is what defines the true beauty of Japan.
I went here during my recent trip hitchhiking around Japan last summer. I've seen all 3 of the spectacular views of Japan now! I remember this one well. Is was a very hot day in the sun, wandering around the little islands alone before trudging uphill to join the motorway again. Nice place ^^
Wow!
I knew Japan was a beautiful country, but these pictures took me by surprise.
I'm a new reader and I found your site via Japansoc.com. I'm very glad that I did.
I'm studying abroad this September to Nagoya for an entire year, so I'm trying to find as many blogs as possible to learn more about the country and network with people before I actually get there.
Continue the good work and I'll continue reading/commenting.
Thanks for your comment. I wish I had more time on that day to explore a bit more and take more photos. The contrast between the Islands and then the Temple was really great. Recommend a trip if you are near Sendai.
Look forward to you coming back and reading more of your comments. Thanks.
Wow, all 3 places. That is great. I hadn't heard of the places until I visited this one. It was a nice day around 20 degrees for me so I could enjoy the warmth without feeling it too hot. I might try and visit the other 2 places some time.
love the feel of the mossy trees, rocks and paths – thanks for the pics!
Nice to hear from you. Thanks
i want to go!
great pictures, thanks for sharing
Matsushima is ready and waiting for you. Thanks for comments
Lovely snaps. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks. I'll keep the camera close by when I make another trip.
Your post is timely as I will will be off to Sendai during Golden Week. I was about to start doing my research about things to do and see and this will definitely be on my list 🙂
Thanks Shane, nice to hear from you. I will look forward to seeing your photos and reading up on the real story of Matsushima from your blog after Golden Week. I enjoyed Sendai and ate plenty of gyu-tan !
The famous Matsushima view can be had from a viewpoint on top of a small mountain overlooking the islands. I used to drive up there with my girlfriend and just chill while taking it in.
Thanks Billy. Good memories no doubt. I didn't get to the mountain as I was on limited time. This view definitely deserves a return visit some day. Thanks fro the info.
Ahh, brings back memories – used to live just across the bay. 😛
There are actually 4 spots which are supposed to be the best views of the bay, 3 from the Matsushima side and 1 from Shichigahama, a small peninsula/island on the other side of the bay.
If anyone else is going to visit I suggest taking the boat tour through the bay which departs from Shiogama and lands in Matsushima. Also if you turn left and go past the temple there through the main gate there’s a great garden called Entsuin which I highly recommend.
Oysters and Eel are local specialties, and they have a decent local microbrew if you look around the shops as well.
Thanks darg. Appreciate you dropping in. That is a really good description of the area and helpful advice for anyone visiting. Thanks. The microbrew sounds like a good spot to check out.