Fukuurajima Audio Guide

Fukuurajima: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Fukuurajima

   Welcome to Fukuurajima, a island in Matsushima Bay in Miyagi Prefecture, in northeastern Japan. Reaching it is half the pleasure, because you cross a long vermilion bridge from the Matsushima waterfront and step onto the largest island of the archipelago. It is uninhabited, and it feels like a garden set down in the middle of the bay. A quick word on what this guide covers. The written record of this particular island is modest, so I will tell you what is well established about the island itself, which is its bridge, its flowers, its viewpoints and its quiet. I will also tell you the story of the bay around it, which is where the island's fame comes from. I will always make clear which is which. One local visitor's tip sets the mood: even when Matsushima fills with day-trippers, this island feels like an oasis of calm. Let's go and find out why.

2. 02

   Crossing the Red Bridge

   Begin at the waterfront. The bridge you cross today is a rebuilt one. It was reconstructed following the tsunami of 2011, which is part of the bay's recent story and a reminder that this beautiful place has had to recover. Its red color stands out against the green of the pines and the blue-grey of the water. As you walk, the town recedes behind you and the island grows ahead. Take your time on the bridge, because it works like a threshold. You leave the shops and the road behind, and the pace of everything slows before your feet even touch the island.

3. 03

   A Garden Island in Bloom

   Once you are across, you will see why Fukuurajima is called Matsushima's garden island. From late winter to midsummer, flowers take turns here: camellias, cherry blossoms and tulips among them. The season you visit decides which color leads the show. The island is made for lingering. Scenic overlooks around its edge have benches where you can rest, and there is a grassy picnic area with tables, so bringing a snack is a very good idea. Instead of one famous monument to tick off, you get a loop of small pleasures. There is also a modest shrine here, dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of fortune, music and bountiful catches. In a bay that has always lived from the sea, a shrine to a goddess of good catches makes perfect sense, and it gives the island a quiet spiritual note to go with the flowers.

4. 04

   The Bay of Pines Around You

   Now look outward, because the island's real stage is the bay. Matsushima is commonly said to have about 260 small, pine-covered islands, and it ranks among the Three Most Scenic Views of Japan, alongside Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima and Amanohashidate in Kyoto. The exact number of islands depends on how you count, but the effect is the same: a landscape that looks scattered on purpose. This beauty was admired and cultivated. The warlord Date Masamune and the Sendai domain shaped much of what visitors still see. Zuiganji temple, restored under Masamune, was completed in 1609, and the Kanrantei tea house is remembered as a moon-viewing pavilion connected to the Date family. The haiku master Matsuo Bashō visited in 1689, and legend has it that the bay's beauty left him struggling to find the perfect verse. From Fukuurajima's benches you can watch boats pass between the islands. Many visitors love the late afternoon, when the light softens and the sunset sometimes glows over the town across the water.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   As you wander back toward the bridge, notice how the island changes when you look at it from the other direction, with the town ahead of you and the bay at your shoulder. Fukuurajima is a place where you can sit on a bench with a snack and let the bay do the talking. If you still have time and energy, Matsushima rewards walking. The temple of Zuiganji, the tea house of Kanrantei and the other islands around the waterfront are all part of the same story that began here with the crossing of the red bridge. Which season would you most like to see this island in: the camellias, the cherry blossoms, or the tulips? And will you stay until the late-afternoon light arrives? The island will be here, calm as ever, whichever you choose.