Matsushima is a group of islands in Miyagi Prefecture, Tohoku region. There are about 260 tiny islands covered in pines. It is well-known as one of the Three Views of Japan.
The town is only a short distance, around an half hour from prefectural capital Sendai and is easily accessible by train. Matsushima-Kaigan Station is near the attractions such as Zuiganji temple and the harbor side. Matsushima Station, on a separate line is on the opposite side of the town.
The most recommended way to enjoy the spot is to take a tourist boat from the harbor.
Matsushima was hit by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, but escaped major damage thanks to its protected location inside the island dotted bay. Most tourist attractions, shops and hotels reopened within a few weeks or months of the earthquake.
Ouchijuku is located in Fukushima prefecture, a former post town along the Aizu-Nishi Kaido trade route, which connected Aizu with Nikko during the Edo Period. Restrictions set by the shogunate required travelers to make their long journeys on foot and as a result, post towns developed along the routes to provide travelers with food, accommodations and rest.
Today, Ouchijuku has been restored to look as it did in the Edo Period with telephone and electricity wires buried. The unpaved main street is lined by thick thatched roof buildings, which house a variety of shops, restaurants and minshuku (small traditional Japanese inns). Soba noodles and locally caught char fish roasted on sticks are popular specialties.
Ouchijuku is one of the must-see tourist spots in this area.
Chusonji is Hiraizumi's most popular attraction, which was established in 850 as a temple of the Tendai sect of Buddhism.
The temple came to prominence when the northern branch of the Fujiwara clan moved theirbase to Hiraizumi. At its peak, the temple consisted of a large network of dozens of buildings.
With the fall of the Fujiwara at the end of the 12th century, Chusonji suffered likewise so that now only two buildings from that era remain intact.
Luckily, among these is the most spectacular, the Konjikido. Similar to Kyoto's well known Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion). Konjikido is a hall completely covered in gold.
The castle was built in 1611 by the Tsugaru Clan. A three-story castle tower, fortified moats, castle gates and some watchtowers survive or were reconstructed.
The castle is located in Hirosaki Park, a spacious public park of about 0.6 square kilometers. The park is one of Japan's best cherry blossom spots. In spring, lots of tourists visit the park to enjouy cherry blossom viewing.
The castle's original five-story keep burnt down in 1627 after being struck by lightning. Rebuilt in 1810, the present three-story keep is the only one in the Tohoku Region that was not rebuilt in the modern times.
