How to Get to Matsushima Bay from Sendai and Tokyo

Every way to reach the bay at a glance

This table covers every leg. All attractions and the boat pier sit within walking distance of Matsushima-Kaigan Station, so no local transport is needed once you arrive.

Step by step

1. Go to JR Sendai Station and find the Senseki Line platforms. 2. Buy a ticket or tap an IC card through the gate. 3. Ride about 40 minutes and get off at Matsushima-Kaigan Station. 4. Walk 7 minutes to the Central Sightseeing Pier, where the large bay cruise boats leave.

If you are joining a tour from Sendai, the meeting point is usually Sendai Station itself, so you may not need this train at all.

Which station is right?

Get off at Matsushima-Kaigan Station, not Matsushima Station. Matsushima Station on the Tohoku Main Line is about 25 minutes from Sendai but sits far from the tourist attractions, roughly a 20 minute walk from the pier area. Matsushima-Kaigan puts you beside the bay, the temples and the boats.

The full journey

Ride the JR Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station or Ueno Station to Sendai. The shortest travel time is about 1 hour 32 minutes, per Sendai city tourism. At Sendai, follow the signs to the Senseki Line and ride 40 minutes to Matsushima-Kaigan Station.

If you want to make a full day of it without managing the connections yourself, the 1-Day Tour from Sendai with a scenic boat cruise bundles the train leg planning, the cruise and the temples into one booking.

Is it worth the trip from Tokyo?

Travellers who make the trip usually say yes for one full day, especially in season. Oysters are at their peak between October and March, and the autumn leaf colour at Matsushima Rikyu normally peaks from late October to late November. Coming from Tokyo, start early, since the last bay cruise sailings run through the afternoon and the boats finish by around 16:00 in high season, with the last sailing at 15:00 in winter.

Cruise fares and options

The tourist association lists two scheduled cruises: a loop of the bay and a one-way run from Matsushima to Shiogama. Both take 50 minutes. The large Nioumaru boats hold 400 seats and need no reservation, but booking in advance gives 10 percent off, a discount also offered by Matsushima Marubun Kisen.

On Marubun boats you can upgrade: Green class on the 2nd floor is $13.35 (¥2,100) for adults and 1st class on the 3rd floor is $18.44 (¥2,900). Departures on Marubun run hourly from 10:00 to 15:00, and the Nioumaru sails hourly from 9:00 to 16:00 all year, with the 16:00 sailing cancelled in winter.

The Shiogama loop, step by step

1. Take the Senseki Line from Sendai to Hon-Shiogama Station, 20 to 30 minutes. 2. Walk about 10 minutes to Marine Gate Shiogama, the passenger terminal on the harbour. 3. Board the cruise across the bay to Matsushima, 50 minutes, $9.54 (¥1,500) for adults. 4. Explore Matsushima on foot, then return to Sendai on the Senseki Line from Matsushima-Kaigan.

From Shiogama you can also ride the city ferries to the Urato Islands. The ferry reaches Katsurashima in under half an hour, and the one-way fare from Shiogama is $3.31 (¥520). Note there is no Sunday or holiday service on those city ferries.

Viewpoints and how to reach them

From Matsushima-Kaigan Station, the easiest sight is Godaido temple beside the Central Pier, 7 minutes on foot, free to enter and open until dusk. Oshima island sits 6 minutes away over the vermilion Togetsu bridge and costs nothing to cross. Fukuurajima island, 15 minutes on foot, is reached over a 252-meter red bridge for $1.91 (¥300) for adults.

For the higher views, Ogitani shows the whole bay and is 25 minutes on foot from the station or 5 minutes by car. Otakamori on Miyato Island is 15 minutes by car from Nobiru Station plus a 20 minute walk. Saigyo Modoshi no Matsu Park frames cherry blossoms and the islands together from its platform, 5 minutes by car from the station.

Walking distances from Matsushima-Kaigan Station

Central Sightseeing Pier for the large cruise boats, 7 minutes. Godaido temple, 7 minutes, next to the pier. Zuiganji temple, 10 minutes, admission $6.36 (¥1,000) for adults. Entsuin temple, 7 minutes, open 9:00 to 16:00, adults $3.18 (¥500). Kanrantei tea house, 6 minutes, admission $1.91 (¥300) with tea sets from $3.82 (¥600). Fukuurajima island, 15 minutes over the red bridge.

There are four ticket offices for the cruises: near the station, at Matsushima Green Plaza, at the Central office closest to the large-boat pier, and at the Godaido office. If you arrive by boat from Shiogama, you land in the same pier area and can walk the same circuit.

Visiting practicalities

The gate opens at 8:30 all year. Closing moves with the seasons: 17:00 from April to September, 16:30 in March and October, 16:00 in February and November, and 15:30 in January and December. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Admission is $6.36 (¥1,000) for adults and $3.18 (¥500) for children.

Pair it with Entsuin right next door, 7 minutes from the station, open 9:00 to 16:00 with adults at $3.18 (¥500). Both temples fit easily between morning and afternoon cruise sailings.