Matsushima Bay — pine-covered islets, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
Photo: Makoto_Lab via FIND/47 · CC BY 4.0
宮城TŌHOKU
TŌHOKU · 宮城県 · Japan

Miyagi

Home to lively Sendai and one of Japan's 'three great views' at Matsushima Bay.

Miyagi, in Japan's Tohoku region, is famed for Matsushima Bay—one of the "Three Most Scenic Spots of Japan," with around 260 pine-clad islets—and for its lively capital Sendai, the "City of Trees" known for grilled beef tongue (gyutan) and the giant paper-streamer Tanabata festival each August.

Miyagi (宮城) is the domain of Date Masamune (伊達政宗), the one-eyed warlord who founded Sendai (仙台) in 1600 and shaped its culture, from cuisine to the Tanabata festival.

Sendai-shi 仙台市Matsushima 松島Tashirojima 田代島
Where it isMiyagi, TŌHOKU
Zuiganji Temple, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
Zuiganji Temple
Sendai Castle Ruins, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
Sendai Castle Ruins
Akiu Otaki Falls, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
Akiu Otaki Falls

Photos: Zuiganji Temple — 雷太 via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 · Sendai Castle Ruins — Ashlw2 via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Akiu Otaki Falls — Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

01

Getting there

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Sendai is ~1h30m from Tokyo by Tōhoku Shinkansen — the easiest Tōhoku city to reach.

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02

What to see

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Matsushima Bay, Miyagi Prefecture, JapanTop pick

Matsushima Bay (松島)

One of the 'Three Views of Japan', with around 260 pine-clad islands; ~1 hour from Sendai, reachable by sightseeing cruise.

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Zuiganji Temple, Miyagi Prefecture, JapanTop pick

Zuiganji Temple (瑞巌寺)

National Treasure Zen temple rebuilt by lord Date Masamune in 1609 as the Date family temple, near Matsushima; famous for gold-leaf sliding doors and the…

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Sendai Castle Ruins, Miyagi Prefecture, JapanTop pick

Sendai Castle Ruins / Aoba Castle (仙台城跡)

Hilltop site of Date Masamune's castle with the iconic mounted statue of Masamune and sweeping views over Sendai; only stone walls and a turret remain.

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03

What to eat

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Gyutan, Miyagi Prefecture, JapanMust-eat

Gyutan (grilled beef tongue / 牛タン)

Sendai's most iconic dish, said to have originated in the 1940s. Charcoal-grilled, served with barley rice, oxtail soup and pickles; also as gyutan don, katsu…

Zunda mochi, Miyagi Prefecture, JapanMust-eat

Zunda mochi (ずんだ餅)

Mochi topped with a bright-green sweet paste of mashed young edamame; a signature Sendai sweet also found as zunda shakes, daifuku and manju.

Matsushima oysters, Miyagi Prefecture, JapanMust-eat

Matsushima oysters (松島の牡蠣)

Plump oysters from Matsushima Bay, a winter delicacy celebrated at the February Oyster Festival and eaten grilled, fried (kaki fry) or raw.

04

Miyagi at a glance

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05

Say it in Miyagi

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Ask a local
Osusume wa nan desu ka?
What do you recommend?
Test yourself
Local word
gyū-tan
grilled beef tongue, a Sendai specialty
Test yourself
One more
subarashii keshiki desu ne
What a wonderful view, isn't it?
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Zuiganji Temple, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan

Sleep in Miyagi

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07

Next door

IwateA vast, rugged prefecture of temples, coastline, and cold-soba traditions.FukushimaSamurai history, hot springs, and fruit orchards in a large, scenic prefecture.Play the 47-prefecture mapUnlock Miyagi in the RPG-style explorer.

Links marked PR are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Photos: Matsushima Bay — pine-covered islets — Makoto_Lab via FIND/47, CC BY 4.0 · Zuiganji Temple — 雷太 via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 · Sendai Castle Ruins — Ashlw2 via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Akiu Otaki Falls — Raita Futo from Tokyo, Japan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 · Matsushima Bay — Alexandre Breveglieri via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 · Zuiganji Temple — 雷太 via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 · Sendai Castle Ruins — Yamaguchi Yoshiaki from Japan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gyutan — Nullumayulife via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 · Zunda mochi — Σ64 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 · Matsushima oysters — LBM1948 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Map: Geolonia (MIT).