No opening hours or admission are shown: the sources we checked on 2026-09-13 were used for the route only. Check the official site
Our guide
Matsushima is a group of some 260 small islands covered in pines — matsu — which is where the name comes from, and it is counted as one of the Three Views of Japan. Close by are several cultural properties, among them Zuigan-ji Temple, Entsū-in, Kanrantei and the Satohama shell mound.
It is an easy trip from Sendai. Take the Tōhoku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Sendai (about 1 hour 30 minutes), then the JR Senseki Line to Matsushima-Kaigan Station (about 40 minutes). Alternatively, the Tōhoku Main Line reaches Matsushima Station in about 25 minutes, and the centre is about 20 minutes on foot from there.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- 211030 Kameshima Matsushima Miyagi pref Japan01n — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 20091011松島 — BehBeh at Japanese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- 211030 Kanrantei Matsushima Miyagi pref Japan03s3 — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 211030 Saigyo Modoshi no Matsu Park Matsushima Miyagi pref Japan01n — 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Chōmei-ana 2006 — Kazunori Matsuo · CC BY 2.0 · source · resized
- Kaerujima — pastaitaken · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Matsushima (松島) is a group of islands in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. There are some 260 tiny islands (shima) covered in pines (matsu) – hence the name – and it is considered to be one of the Three Views of Japan. Nearby cultural properties include Zuigan-ji, Entsū-in, Kanrantei, and the Satohama shell mound.
Visitor information checked: 2026-09-13 · Matsushima Tourism Association: access
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Island
Getting there by public transport
- Tōhoku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Sendai, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- From Sendai, the JR Senseki Line (trains for Ishinomaki, Matsushima-Kaigan or Takagimachi) to Matsushima-Kaigan Station takes about 40 minutes.
- Or the Tōhoku Main Line (for Matsushima, Kogota or Ichinoseki) to Matsushima Station, about 25 minutes, then about 20 minutes on foot to the centre.
Route checked: 2026-09-13 · Matsushima Tourism Association: access · Timetables change — check the operator before you travel.
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