Matsushima 松島町 | |
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 Top left: Matsushima Port, top right: Togetsukyō Bridge to Oshima Island, 2nd left: Matsushima Marinpia Aquarium (closed), 2nd right: Zuiganji Temple, 3rd left: Godaidō, 3rd right: Entsuin Temple, bottom left: Atago Shrine, bottom right: Matsushima Kaigan Train Station | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture | |
  Matsushima | |
| Coordinates:38°22′48.6″N141°04′2.4″E / 38.380167°N 141.067333°E /38.380167; 141.067333 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Tōhoku |
| Prefecture | Miyagi |
| District | Miyagi |
| First official recorded | 807 AD |
| Town settled | January 1, 1928 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kouichi Sakurai (since October 2015) |
| Area | |
• Total | 53.56 km2 (20.68 sq mi) |
| Population (June 1, 2020) | |
• Total | 13,804 |
| • Density | 260/km2 (670/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time) |
| - Tree | Pine |
| - Flower | Sekikoku |
| Phone number | 022-354-5701 |
| Address | 10 Takagi-aza-chō, Matsushima-machi, Miyagi-gun, Miyagi-ken 981-0215 |
| Website | Official website |
Matsushima (松島町,Matsushima-machi) is a town inMiyagi Prefecture,Japan. As of 1 June 2019[update], the town had an estimatedpopulation of 13,804 in 5663 households,[1] and apopulation density of 260 persons per km². The total area of the town is 53.56 square kilometres (20.68 sq mi). It is most famous as the location ofMatsushima Bay, one of theThree Views of Japan, and is also the site of theZuigan-ji,Entsū-in andKanrantei.
Matsushima is located in east-central Miyagi Prefecture, withMatsushima Bay to the east. The town’s highest point is Mount Danyama, with a height of 178 meters.
Miyagi Prefecture
Matsushima has ahumid climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature in Higashi-Matsushima is 12.0 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1207 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 0.6 °C.[2]
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Matsushima has declined over the past 30 years.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 7,644 | — |
| 1930 | 9,155 | +19.8% |
| 1940 | 10,064 | +9.9% |
| 1950 | 15,333 | +52.4% |
| 1960 | 15,045 | −1.9% |
| 1970 | 16,004 | +6.4% |
| 1980 | 17,246 | +7.8% |
| 1990 | 17,431 | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 17,059 | −2.1% |
| 2010 | 15,085 | −11.6% |
| 2020 | 13,323 | −11.7% |
The area of present-day Matsushima was part of ancientMutsu Province and has been settled since at least theJōmon period. TheDaigigakoi Shell Mound is one of the largestshell middens to have been discovered in Japan. With the establishment ofTagajō in theNara period, Matsushima was part of theYamato colonization area in the region. The Buddhist temple of Zuigan-ji comes to have been founded in 828 AD. During theSengoku period, the area was contested bysamurai clans before it came under the control of theDate clan ofSendai Domain during theEdo period, under theTokugawa shogunate.
The village of Matsushima withinMiyagi District, Miyagi was established on June 1, 1889 with the post-Meiji restoration establishment of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on December 16, 1963.
Matsushima has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral town council of 14 members. Matsushima, as part of Miyagi District contributes one seat to the Miyagi Prefectural legislature. In terms of national politics, the town is part ofMiyagi 5th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
The economy of Matsushima is largely based on tourism, farming, andcommercial fishing, primarily the cultivation ofoysters in Matsushima Bay.
Matsushima has three public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government and one public high school operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Board of Education.
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East Japan Railway Company (JR East) -Tōhoku Main Line
East Japan Railway Company (JR East) -Senseki Line
Sanriku Expressway (Matsushima-Ōsato IC — Matsushima-Kita IC)
National Route 45
National Route 346
Isle of Pines, New Caledonia,[5] since September 4, 1980
Kisakata, Akita, since August 1, 1987Kami-Amakusa, Kumamoto (formerly known as Matsushima), since October 16, 1988
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