Matsushima Bay
About the Matsushima Bay Camera
This camera looks out over Matsushima Bay in Miyagi, counted since the seventeenth century as one of the Nihon Sankei — the three great views of Japan, alongside Amanohashidate and Miyajima.
What makes it distinctive is the scale of repetition: over two hundred small islands, most of them tufted with pine, scattered across a shallow bay. They are the eroded remnants of a drowned landscape, and the soft tuff they are cut from is why so many have been undercut into odd shapes at the waterline.
Those islands also acted as a partial breakwater during the 2011 tsunami, and Matsushima suffered less damage than neighbouring stretches of the Sanriku coast — though it was far from unaffected. The bay is worth watching for light and weather: mist between the islands at dawn is the classic Matsushima image.
Highlights & Nearby
- •Watch for: the pine islands, boat traffic across the bay, mist at dawn, seasonal light
- •Nearby: Zuiganji, Godaido, Fukuurajima, Matsushima-Kaigan Station
- •Note: dawn mist between the islands is the view Matsushima is best known for
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Matsushima Bay camera live?
Yes. Matsushima Bay in Miyagi Prefecture streams live 24 hours a day.
What can I see on this camera?
The pine-covered islands of the bay, boat traffic crossing between them, and the changing light and mist over the water.
Why is Matsushima famous?
It has been counted since the seventeenth century as one of the Nihon Sankei, the three great views of Japan, along with Amanohashidate and Miyajima.
How many islands are there?
Over two hundred. Most are small, pine-topped remnants of a drowned landscape, cut from soft tuff that erodes into distinctive shapes at the waterline.
