Godai-dō Audio Guide

Godai-dō: what does the audio guide cover?

1. 01

   Welcome to Godaidō Temple

   Welcome to Matsushima, and to one of its most photographed corners. Godaidō Temple is a small Buddhist hall standing on an islet right beside the pier, and it has become the symbol of the whole bay. Its local name is 五大堂, which you may spot on signs as you arrive. Matsushima's name means pine tree islands, and the bay is counted among Japan's Three Scenic Views. It lies on the Pacific coast of Miyagi Prefecture, about 50 kilometers northeast of Sendai, and you can reach it from Sendai by train in under 30 minutes. That makes it easy to arrive, wander on foot, and let the scenery do its work. Over the next few minutes we will look at this little hall from several sides: its traditional beginnings in the year 807, the warlord who rebuilt it in 1604, and the red bridges that make you think twice about every step. Settle in, look out across the water, and let's begin.

2. 02

   Godaidō Temple and the Legend of 807

   Godai-dō: That large project was completed in 1609, and Zuiganji's Main Hall was later designated a National Treasure in 1953.

   Tradition places the beginnings of Godaidō Temple in the year 807. The story says that five statues were enshrined here by the same priest who went on to found Zuiganji Temple, the great Zen temple a short walk away. Legends connected with Ennin and with the Five Wisdom Kings, the five guardian figures of Buddhism that give the hall its name, have grown up around this islet. Those statues are not on show for passersby. They are carefully preserved as hidden Buddhist statues, which adds to the quiet mystery of the place. What you see from the shore is the hall; the sacred images stay out of view. There is also a family relationship worth knowing. Godaidō Temple is an outlying hall of Zuiganji, a temple of the Myōshinji branch of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. So when you look at this tiny island sanctuary, you are looking at a satellite of the larger temple, one set apart on the water, where the bay itself becomes part of the setting for devotion.

3. 03

   Date Masamune and the Momoyama Hall of Godaidō Temple

   Godai-dō: Picture the building in that vivid color against the green pines and the blue bay, and you will understand why it became the symbol of Matsushima.

   The building in front of you today dates from 1604, when Date Masamune, the first lord of the Sendai domain, had it reconstructed. It is regarded as the oldest surviving example of Momoyama period architecture in the Tohoku region, and it was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 1950. The timing is interesting. Masamune is said to have worked on Godaidō Temple before the major restoration of Zuiganji. That large project was completed in 1609, and Zuiganji's Main Hall was later designated a National Treasure in 1953. So this little island hall may be seen as an early chapter in Masamune's rebuilding of Matsushima's religious landscape, and it preserves the architectural culture of the late Momoyama and early Edo periods. There is a lovely contrast here. Zuiganji impresses with its imposing temple architecture, while Godaidō Temple offers a small hall on a small island. Visiting the two together gives you a fuller picture of Matsushima's history and Buddhist culture, one grand and one intimate.

4. 04

   Bridges, Zodiac Carvings and Faded Red at Godaidō Temple

   Godai-dō: Kanrantei, a tea house remembered as a moon-viewing pavilion linked to the Date family, offers another look at the bay.

   Now look closely at how you reach the island. The red bridges connecting it to the shore are known as sukashibashi, which means see-through bridges. The gaps between the boards are deliberate, and they are intentionally precarious. Their purpose is to compel worshippers to concentrate as they cross, so that you arrive at the hall with your attention gathered rather than wandering. Glance down through the planks and you will see exactly why it works. Once you are at the hall, walk around it and look up at the transom, the band of carving beneath the eaves. Animals of the Chinese zodiac are carved into it all the way around the building, so you can hunt for your own birth year. Here is one more detail to imagine. The hall was once painted bright red. That paint has long since worn away, leaving the weathered wood you see today. Picture the building in that vivid color against the green pines and the blue bay, and you will understand why it became the symbol of Matsushima.

5. 05

   Before You Head Off

   Before you leave the islet, turn around and take in the view of the bay. Pine-covered islands scatter across the water, and from this little hall you can see why the place has been admired for centuries. There is plenty more to explore nearby. Zuiganji Temple, with its great halls, is a short walk away. Kanrantei, a tea house remembered as a moon-viewing pavilion linked to the Date family, offers another look at the bay. If you enjoy a hilltop view, Saigyo Modoshi no Matsu Park is about 15 minutes on foot from Matsushima station, named for the monk and poet Saigyo, who lived from 1118 to 1190. So as you cross those gappy red bridges once more, ask yourself what you notice now that you did not before. Perhaps it is a zodiac animal on the transom, or the faint memory of red paint, or simply how the whole scene sits on the water. Matsushima rewards slow looking.