Matsushima
Encyclopedia
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. There are some 260 tiny islands (shima) covered in pines (matsu) – hence the name – and is ranked as one of the Three Views of Japan
Three Views of Japan
The is the canonical list of Japan's three most celebrated scenic sights, attributed to 1643 and scholar Hayashi Gahō. The views are of the eponymous pine-clad islands of Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture; the pine-clad sandbar of Amanohashidate in Kyoto Prefecture; and Itsukushima Shrine in...
.
A well-known apocryphal haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
often attributed to Matsuo Bashō
Matsuo Basho
, born , then , was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as a master of brief and clear haiku...
indicates that the poet is at a loss for words:
Nearby cultural properties include Zuigan-ji
Zuigan-ji
is a famous Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in Matsushima, Japan—of the Myoshin-ji branch.-Overview:The temple, commonly referred to as Zuigan-ji, was originally founded in 828 by Jikaku Daishi, but was rebuilt by the feudal lord Date Masamune from 1604 onwards using lumber brought from Mount Kumano in...
, Entsū-in
Entsū-in (Matsushima)
is a Myōshin-ji Rinzai school Zen temple in Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It was founded next to Zuigan-ji in honour of the grandson of Date Masamune. His mausoleum of 1647 is decorated with motifs inspired by contact with the West and has been designated an Important Cultural Property...
, Kanrantei
Kanrantei
is the only building to survive from a mansion complex of the Date clan in Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It is said to have originated as a teahouse in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Fushimi Castle, to have been moved to Edo by Date Masamune, and finally to have been brought to Matsushima by his son...
, and the Satohama shell mound
Satohama shell mound
The is a late Jōmon shell mound in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. 293 items of bone, 91 of shell, 168 of stone, and 38 of earthenware were found during excavations. These were designated an Important Cultural Property in 2000. Finds from the site are exhibited at the Historical...
.
Four views of Matsushima
There are four well-known spots to view the Matsushima, known as the , , , and .Transportation
The town is only a short distance (thirty minutes) from prefectural capital SendaiSendai, Miyagi
is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tōhoku Region. In 2005, the city had a population of one million, and was one of Japan's 19 designated cities...
and is easily accessible by train
Senseki Line
The is a rail line in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company system, it runs from Aoba-dōri Station in Sendai to Ishinomaki Station in Ishinomaki, and provides access to the central coast areas of Miyagi Prefecture, significantly the Matsushima area...
. Matsushima-Kaigan Station
Matsushima-Kaigan Station
is a JR East railway station located in Matsushima, Miyagi, Japan.-History:* April 18, 1927: Station begins operation as Matsushima Kōen Station* May 1, 1944: Station is renamed Matsushima-Kaigan Station.-Adjacent stations:...
is near the attractions such as Zuiganji
Zuigan-ji
is a famous Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple in Matsushima, Japan—of the Myoshin-ji branch.-Overview:The temple, commonly referred to as Zuigan-ji, was originally founded in 828 by Jikaku Daishi, but was rebuilt by the feudal lord Date Masamune from 1604 onwards using lumber brought from Mount Kumano in...
and the harbor. Matsushima Station
Matsushima Station
Matsushima Station is a railway station located on the JR Tōhoku Main Line in Matsushima, Miyagi.-History:*July 9, 1956: Station begins operation as Shin-Matsushima Station...
, on a separate line is on the opposite side of the town.
Earthquake of March 2011
Despite the proximity of Matsushima to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
, the area was protected by the islands and suffered little damage. Nevertheless, 6 persons were confirmed killed.
See also
External links
