Ito and Ina! Official City Mascots for Higashi Matsushima
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At a GlanceCreated by the merger of the towns Yamoto and Naruse - and immediately southwest of Ishinomaki - this area is home to the Japan Self Defense Force Matsushima air base, home to the Blue Impulse; Japan's aerobatics team. You can watch a free airshow on some spring and summer days!
The main road through Yamoto (Route 45), is lined with all sorts of chain restaurants. Next to Yamoto station is a lovely but expensive swimming pool/gym. In the Naruse side of town you can find Nobiru beach, and Oku-Matsushima, an island closely connected to the mainland where you can do some decent hiking or visit a museum displaying artifacts from the Jobon era of Japan. The one of the most stunning views of Matsushima Bay is on top of Mt. Otakamori! |
Restaurants
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Gen-chan's House - げんちゃんハウス
Small restaurant on Oku Matsushima Island. Good place to get some food before (or after) hiking around! Menage - メナージュ Hamburg steak restaurant next to the JSDF air base. The demiglace covered steak is supposedly the best! Kouryuu - 紅龍 Chinese restaurant located near Yamato Station. The fried rice is some of the best around. Di Tafu - ディタフ Pizza restaurant serving the classic Neapolitan pizza alongside some Japanese inspired pizzas. |
Ramen
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Enmantei - えんまん停
A very famous ramen shop in Higashi Matsushima, featured in countless news outlets in Japan and a few internationally. Opened before the great tsunami, the owner quickly reopened after the disaster and despite losing family in the event. Has some of the best seafood ramen in the prefecture, with the "big one" containing two crab claws, two whole crabs, countless mussels, and more! Ramen Kaede - ラ～メン楓 Ramen restaurant serving up ramen right proper, with thick delicious soup and chewy noodles. Ramen Kozoh - ラーメン辛蔵 Ramen shop specialising in miso broth, with plenty of charsiu toppings on all its bowls! |
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Papaiya Bakery
Small bakery located within the former Naruse section of Higashi Matsushima. Has nice desserts and croissants. Konarina - パン工房コナリナ Large bakery located within the former Yamato section of Higashi Matsushima. Has an adorable looking hedgehog bread. |
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Nagomi - 和 なごみ
A small, traditional shaved ice shop. Worth a looksee after visiting the beach! Kisakuen - きさく苑 Soba restaurant slightly off the E45 expressway. |
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Julian - ジュリアン
Small bakery located near Yamato Station. Sells Blue Impulse themed cookies, along with other baked goods. |
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Mokyun - 萌キュン
Looking for a maid cafe not in Sendai? There's one right next to Yamato Station! The owner is a very friendly middle aged woman, and all the other maids are more than welcoming as well. |
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Miyagi Lapras PokeLid - Latios
Did you know that Miyagi's Support Pokemon is Lapras? There are 35 decorative Lapras Manhole Covers all over Miyagi! You can find Latios right outside Nobiru Station where you can see the ocean! If you're looking for Latias go check in Kakuda Town! |
Monuments
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Former Tona Station
The ruins of what was Tona station up until 2011. |
Point of Interest
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JASDF Matsushima Air Base - 航空自衛隊 松島基地
The Japanese Self-Defense Force's Matsushima Air Base was heavily damaged after the Great Tohoku Earthquake as a result of flooding from the tsunami. Despite that fact, the “Blue Impulse” acrobatic flight team (4th Air wing, 11th Squadron) provides everyone with stunning acrobatic tricks during the summer festivals. Mitsubishi T-2 Display Outside of Kazuma Station is a Mitsubishi T-2 trainer painted in the Blue Impulse's colours seated on a pedestal. |
Museums
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3.11 Disaster Recovery Memorial Museum - 東松島市震災復興伝承館
If you would like to discover more about the aftermath of the 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake please visit this museum. It is a 30 minute walk from the current Nobiru station on the Senseki Line. It is in the old JR Nobiru Station. Most of this train line has been completely destroyed but you can still see some old tracks and the old station platform. Right outside is a memorial park that has been erected to symbolize the area's reconstruction. Historical Museum of Jomon Village Oku-Matsushima As the title suggests, this museum features excavated items dating back to the Jomon Period (12000BC -300BCE). You can not only look at the old stuff but also MAKE the old stuff too! They offer Cultural Classes where you can learn to make Jomon Period jewelery, pottery, and even learn how to make a fire the old Jomon way! This is a site along the Oku-Matsushima Olle Trail. |
Hiking Trails
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Oku-Matsushima Olle Trail
The Oku-Matsushima Olle Trail is one of three Olle Trails in Miyagi. Miyagi Olle Trails are sister hiking trails to the Jeju (Korea), Kyushu and Mongolia Olle Trails that were created after the Great Tohoku Earthquake to help bring tourism back to the affected areas. The Oku-Matsushima is one big loop around Miyato Island that starts at Aomina Center. Mt. Otakamori - 大高森 The best view on Miyato Island. The mountain is included as the peak point along the Oku-Matsushima Olle Trail. From the base it is an 1.2 km hike up which takes about an hour due to the steep trails. There is a patio at the top where you can collapse from exhaustion if you want. If you make it to the top it is well worth the wait just to see how far you've come. |
Boat Rides
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Sagakei Gorge Pleasure Boat
An hour cruise that takes you around one of Japan's Three Great Gorges! You can see these freshly cut cliffs that were carved by the ocean with foliage and pine trees sprouting from them. There's a small cave called the "Blue Grotto" which is named for the cave's interior during certain seasons. |
Beaches
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Tsukihama Public Beach - 月浜海水浴場
As the name implies this beach is known for it's moon-ness. The beach is shaped like a crescent moon. It is located on the southern end of Miyato Island. It is car accessible but if you take the Oku-Matsushima Olle Trail you will see this beach along the way. Restrooms, changing rooms, and a shower are available here. It's a good mid-point in the trail to take a rest. If you continue along the trail you can find Inagasaki Shrine. and even further up the trail is Inagasaki Park where you can see the entirety of Tsukihama Beach and even Matsushima Bay. On very clear days you can see Mt. Zao! |
Shopping Centers
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Don Quijote -ドン・キホーテ 石巻街道矢本店
So the sign says Ishinomaki but the address says Higashi Matsushima, so who knows. What we do know is the reason why this common Japanese shopping center is included is because it is the the only Don Quijote in Northern Miyagi (as of 2021). There is another in Ishinomaki in Iwate but it's fairly distant from the rest of Northern Miyagi. If you want funny knick-knacks as souvenirs or want an all-in-one shopping center Don Quijote is here. |
Point of Interest
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Satohama Shell Midden - 里浜貝塚
Located in the Historical Museum of Jomon Village OkuMatsushima and designated a National Historical Site, it features finds from the Jomon Period, 12000BC to 300BC. A midden is a place that people dumped their garbage waaaaaay back then. Consider it the first burnable and non-burnable dump! The Satohama Shell Midden has, you guessed it, SHELLS, that date back to the Jomon Period. |
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Blue Carp Streamers
When the anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake comes close, the people of Higashi Matsushima line the Nobiru Coast (from Nobiru Station up towards Yamato Station) with blue carp streamers representing both a hope for the future and to remember the lives of the children lost during the tsunami. Started by a teen after he found four streamers in the wreckage of his home, the number of streamers has grown to well over two thousand, with more donated every year. A simultaneously beautiful and sobering sight to behold. |
