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MATSUSHIMA |
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The modern town of MATSUSHIMA is little more than a strip of resort
hotels and souvenir shops, but its origins go back to 828 AD, when Zen
priests founded a temple overlooking the bay. Though Zuigan-ji has been
rebuilt many times since then, it still retains a compelling sense of
history and boasts some magnificent works of art, many of which are
stored in the temple museum. Other religious buildings followed Zuigan-ji,
such as much-photographed Godai-do , a tiny pavilion accessed by three
red-lacquer bridges, while the nearby island of Oshima is pitted with
caves and carvings left by Buddhist monks.
All Matsushima's main sights lie within easy walking distance of both
the central tourist pier, where boats from Shiogama dock, and the train
station (Matsushima-kaigan), ten minutes' walk to the southwest. Halfway
between the two, a grove of 400-year-old cedar trees makes a suitably
grand approach to Zuigan-ji (daily: April-Sept 8am-5pm; Jan-March & Oct-Dec
8am-3.30/4.30pm; ¥700). Though deceptively plain from the outside,
Zuigan-ji's main hall bears the unmistakable stamp of Daté Masamune, the
first lord of Sendai , who oversaw its reconstruction in the early
seventeenth century. He employed the best craftsmen and the highest-quality
materials to create a splendid monument of intricately carved doors and
transoms, wood-panelled ceilings and gilded screens lavishly painted
with hawks, chrysanthemums, peacocks and pines.
A number of these screens and other items on display are replicas, but
you can see some of the originals in the modern Seiryu-den (included in
the ticket), to the left as you exit Zuigan-ji's inner compound.
Alongside the normal array of temple treasures, there are statues of the
one-eyed Masamune, in full armour and in an uncompromising mood, and his
angelic-looking wife and eldest daughter. Note that his daughter,
dressed in black, is clutching a rosary; she was a firm Christian who
refused to renounce her faith at a time when it was strictly prohibited
in Japan.
In front of Zuigan-ji, just north of the ferry pier, two tiny islands
are threaded together with arched vermilion bridges. No one knows why
the bridges were built with precarious gaps between the planks, but one
suggestion is that it kept women, in their awkward kimono, from
despoiling the sacred ground. The object of their curiosity was the
Godai-do , a picturesque pavilion built by order of Masamune in the
early 1600s. It houses statues of five Buddhist deities which can only
be viewed every 33 years - so come back in 2006. Meanwhile, you'll have
to make do with the charming carvings of the twelve animals of the
zodiac decorating the eaves, starting with the rat on the north side.
If time allows, there are a couple of larger, less-frequented islands
along the seafront, of which Oshima , five minutes' walk south, is the
more interesting. On the way you'll pass Karantei (daily
8.30am-4.30/5pm; ¥200), a famous teahouse with a beautiful name - "place
to view the ripples on the water" - but little else to recommend it.
Instead, press on to where another red-lacquered bridge leads to 4shima.
Once a retreat for Buddhist priests, the island's soft rock is pocked
with caves, tablets and monuments; from its east side you get attractive
views of Matsushima Bay. The second island, Fukura-jima (daily
8am-4/5pm; ¥200), lies north of Godai-do across a 250-metre-long bridge.
A natural botanical garden, it's inhabited by more than 250 native plant
species, and makes a good picnic spot.
The hills around Matsushima town provide plenty of opportunities for
panoramic views of the bay. Of the four main lookout points , southerly
Sokanzan is reckoned to offer the best all-round views, including both
Shiogama and Matsushima itself; take a taxi (¥2000 return fare) to avoid
the thirty-minute climb on a busy road. Otherwise, Saigyo
Modoshi-no-matsu is a more pleasant, fifteen-minute scramble west of the
station, or allow a few minutes more for Shintomi-yama, on the northwest
edge of town above Fukura-jima.
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