Matsushima, Japan
松島町
Matsushima is a town of 16,363 people in Miyagi, Japan, founded in January 1, 1928.
Why visit Matsushima
Townapedia lists 27 museums and landmarks, 45 parks and trails, 121 places to eat, 30 places to stay and 44 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include 新富山, 大島, Michinoku Date Masamune Historical Museum and Daigigakoi Shell Mound.
Weather in Matsushima
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Matsushima
Matsushima (松島町, Matsushima-machi) is a town in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the town had an estimated population of 13,804 in 5663 households, and a population density of 260 persons per km2. The total area of the town is 53.56 square kilometres (20.68 sq mi). It is most famous as the location of Matsushima Bay, one of the Three Views of Japan, and is also the site of the Zuigan-ji, Entsū-in and Kanrantei.
From the Wikipedia article Matsushima, Miyagi (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Matsushima on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do44
32 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks27
Daigigakoi Shell Mound
Monument and historic site · 8.0 km
Archaeological type site
Nishinohama Shell Mound
Monument and historic site · 2.1 km
Archaeological site in Japan
Satohama shell mound
Monument and historic site · 8.5 km
Jomon archaeological site in Japan
15 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds45
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33 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes121
Matsushima Italian Toto
Restaurant · Italian · 0.6 km
Th-Mo 11:30-15:00, 17:00-20:00; Tu 11:30-16:00
109 more on the map.
History
The area of present-day Matsushima was part of ancient Mutsu Province and has been settled since at least the Jōmon period. The Daigigakoi Shell Mound is one of the largest shell middens to have been discovered in Japan. With the establishment of Tagajō in the Nara period, Matsushima was part of the Yamato colonization area in the region. The Buddhist temple of Zuigan-ji comes to have been founded in 828 AD. During the Sengoku period, the area was contested by samurai clans before it came under the control of the Date clan of Sendai Domain during the Edo period, under the Tokugawa shogunate.
The village of Matsushima within Miyagi District, Miyagi was established on June 1, 1889, with the post-Meiji restoration establishment of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on December 16, 1963.
From the History section of Matsushima, Miyagi on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay30
Churches and places of worship46
Shopping21
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Healthcare23
Map of Matsushima
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Sendai Airport (SDJ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 29 km away.
- Shiogama 7 km south, about 7 min by car
- Rifu 9 km southwest, about 9 min by car
- Tagajō-shi 10 km southwest, about 10 min by car
- Yamoto 15 km northeast, about 15 min by car
- Tomiya 15 km west, about 15 min by car
- Wakuya 20 km north, about 20 min by car
- Sendai 21 km southwest, about 21 min by car
- Ishinomaki 21 km east, about 21 min by car
- Ōsaki 25 km north, about 25 min by car
- Natori-shi 28 km southwest, about 28 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 夏の松島 (The view of Matsushima) 08 Aug, 2010 - panoramio, Hiroaki Kaneko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mt. Ootakamori 02, neuropower, Public domain
- Entsuin2, Kumamushi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 211030 Zuigan-ji Matsushima Miyagi pref Japan09s3, 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Matsushima Godaido 4, Tak1701d, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MatshishimaHighSchool, Asasa198, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shintomi-yama in 2007-11, Kinori, Public domain
- Matsushimachu, ToshiJapon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- みちのく伊達政宗歴史館, 運動会プロテインパワー, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 松島センチュリーホテル - panoramio, alonfloc, CC BY 3.0
- Matsushima Onsen "ICHINOBŌ" Indoor-bath, 妖精書士 ( talk ), Public domain
- Miyagi-Landscape of cherry blossoms and Matsushima Bay-xl, Makoto_Lab, CC BY 4.0
- 211030 Zuigan-ji Matsushima Miyagi pref Japan11s3, 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Matsushima Miyagi Godaido 1, 京浜にけ, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 松島観光物産館, 運動会プロテインパワー, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mausoleum for Date Masamune's wife, Toshihiro Matsui, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Yotoku-in Tamaya 2015b, Tak1701d, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Yotoku-in Tamaya 2015a, Tak1701d, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Zuigan-jee temple - panoramio (1), Toshihiro Matsui, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 瑞巌寺, Kazuhiro Tsugita, CC BY 3.0
- アキノハハコグサ, Kazuhiro Tsugita, CC BY 3.0
- Zuigan-ji Temple 瑞厳寺 - panoramio, AMANO Jun-ichi, CC BY 3.0
- Date Tadamune Memorial tablet Zuiganji temple, Sakaori ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- Date Masamune Memorial tablet Zuiganji temple, Sakaori ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- Principal image Buddha of Zuigan-ji Temple, Sakaori ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- マルフク看板 宮城県宮城郡松島町松島字町内 - panoramio, marufuku_sign_collec…, CC BY 3.0
- Zuigan-jee temple - panoramio, Toshihiro Matsui, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wooden of three generations monks of Founding Zuiganji temple, Sakaori ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- Zuigan-ji 07, Tak1701d, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Zuiganji, NORITO,S at Japanese Wikipedia norito satoh, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Zuigan-ji Kuri 03, Tak1701d, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Date family of Sendai Buddhist mortuary tablets Zuiganji temple, Sakaori ( talk ), CC BY 3.0
- Japan 2024-05-09 (53891879877), Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
- Japan 2024-05-09 (53891879802), Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
- Japan 2024-05-09 (53893130879), Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
- Japan 2024-05-09 (53893131074), Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
- Japan 2024-05-09 (53893037723), Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
- Сад камней храма Энцуин, Eraevsky, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 瑞巌寺境内の桜 - panoramio, Hikomi Moneru, CC BY 3.0
- Japan 2024-05-09 (53893037548), Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
- Seiryuden museum of Zuiganji 20181007, 掬茶, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Page built November 5, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.