My memories of the Matsushima Islands in the Miyagi prefecture of northern Tohoku, Japan are of the nice port, the interesting cruise of Matsushima Bay, and the lunch onboard the cruise boat consisting of delicious oysters, a product of the area.
The Matsushima islands consist of about 250 or so small islands of rock, soil and the namesake pine trees called “matsu” (pine) and “shima” (island).
On a family trip to Hokkaido, northernmost island in Japan, in February of 2008, after about a week of freezing cold, we were happy to be heading slowly back to Tokyo along the beautiful coastline.
The town of Matsushima consisted of about 15,000 or so residents, a fishing town with a nice port facility. The cruise boat we boarded took us from the port out into the Matsushima Bay, which seemed to be not so deep, where we viewed the many small islands. Around lunch time, we were served dishes of raw oysters, fried oysters and a hot pot of oyster stew, which was delicious, and warmed us as we cruised in the cold weather. We were told that oysters were a specialty of the area.
As this town was inundated in the quake and tsunami of 2011, one can only wonder if and when there will be rebuilding in this area. My memories of the wonderful people and beautiful sights of Matsushima bring a sadness to my heart. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Japan.
For some before and after tsunami aerial photos along the Tohoku coast courtesy of ABC News, go to http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan-quake-2011/beforeafter.htm.
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