Article

04401 ／まつしままち

Miyagi Prefecture 宮城郡

Matsushima Town

Two tunnels under a hill, all hand-dug.

Genroku Senketsu, marsh drainage

Photo by Oriorigamigami4 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

01 ／ Bridge and hall

The girders leave gaps where waves show through,hence the name Sukashibashi.

The town says the Sukashibashi bridge at Godaido has gaps between its girders, so the waves below can be seen through them, which gave it its name. It is said to have once been a bridge of pine logs only, later built with planks. Godaido dates from 1604 and was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1901.

Sukashibashi: gaps between the girders
Godaido, 1604
Important Cultural Property, 1901

02 ／ Mausoleum

Western-style designs appear in the shrine'spainted patterns, notes the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

This is the mausoleum hall of the heir of Date Tadamune, second lord of the Sendai domain, built in 1647 and designated an Important Cultural Property in 1985. The online heritage database of the Agency for Cultural Affairs calls a stately three-bay mausoleum like this a rare survival in the Tohoku region, and notes Western-style designs among the painted patterns of its inner shrine. The photo shows the exterior.

1647
Important Cultural Property, 1985
Western-style designs in the shrine's painted patterns

03 ／ Shell mound

Lower jawbones from 25 boars, laid out in a row,have been found in the shell mound.

A large shell mound on the north shore of the central part of Matsushima Bay, formed mainly in the late Jomon period. It was designated a national historic site in 1974. Besides human burials, stone clusters and hearth traces, a feature of the lower jawbones of 25 wild boars laid out in a row has been found; the online heritage database calls it a standard example of a horseshoe-shaped shell mound in eastern Japan.

Formed mainly in the late Jomon period
Jawbones of 25 wild boars
National historic site, 1974

Matsushima Town from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot May 2020)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

Seven stations; half the area is forest.

about 10,000 people
Rural district town

Matsushima Town lies on the central coast of Miyagi Prefecture, about 20 km northeast of Sendai City, the town says. Half of its 53.50 km² area is forest centered on the Matsushima hills, and seven stations of the JR Senseki Line and Tohoku Main Line lie within the town.

People living here: 13,323people
Area: 53.56km²
Households: 5,017households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 1 hospital ／ 5 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —3 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

Shape

Borders 5 municipalities.

Matsushima Town in Japan38.380°N 141.067°E

Territory of Matsushima Town

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.Lakes: National Land Numerical Information (Lake Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari. Prepared with the approval of the Director-General of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, using its Digital Map 25000 (Spatial Data Framework) and Digital Map 25000 (Place Names and Public Facilities). (承認番号平27情使、第585号)

North to south

11.1km

Higashimatsushima City, Osato Town, Osaki City, Rifu Town, Misato Town

Travel times per leg are not published by the municipality, so they are not shown.

Matsushima Town isthis kind of town.

01The Genroku Senketsu are two unlined tunnels begun in 1693 and finished in 1698 to carry water from Shinainuma marsh to Matsushima Bay; the prefecture's document says they were dug entirely by hand
02Godaido (1604) and the Entsuin mausoleum (1647) are both Important Cultural Properties; the town says Sukashibashi lets waves be seen through gaps between its girders
03Nishinohama Shell Mound is a national historic site where a feature of 25 boars' lower jawbones laid in a row has been found; half of the town's 53.50 km² is forest

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Matsushima Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

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