Sagakei Gorge
#LANDSCAPE #HIGASHIMATSUSHIMA
Carved by wind, rain, and the Pacific Ocean’s surging waves, these rock cliffs look like golems that are about to wake from their slumber. The dynamic panorama of the Sagakei Gorge can be viewed from a pleasure cruise.
The Golems
OVERVIEW
Carved by wind, rain, and the Pacific Ocean’s surging waves, these rock cliffs look like golems that are about to wake from their slumber. Along with the Geibikei Gorge in Iwate and the Yabakei Gorge in Oita, Sagakei Gorge is one of Japan’s Three Great Gorges. Sagakei Gorge is on a peninsula that juts out from the southeastern tip of Miyato Island (the largest island in Matsushima Bay). In contrast to the graceful curve of the scenic bay, the gorge’s rough and dynamic panorama evokes feelings of nature’s indomitability. Pleasure cruises that last 45 minutes pass by Sagakei Gorge, allowing visitors to enjoy this fantastic sight from the water.
DETAIL
ADDRESS Shinkai site, Miyato area, Higashimatsushima
OPEN
8:30–17:00
•First departure at 8:45
•Last departure at 16:00 (April through September) or 15:00 (October through March)
CLOSE
None
PHONE （Okumatsushima Pleasure Cruise Information Center）0225-88-3997
PERIOD Year-round
Reccommend
Local Tours
Using local guides, we provide many tours that let you discover and experience
the wonders of Japan lying hidden in the “everyday” of the nearby area.
HIGASHI MATSUSHIMA city
Higashi-matsushima includes the largest island in Matsushima Bay, Miyato Island. If this is your first visit, try climbing Mt. Otakamori, which is in the middle of the island, to enjoy one of the Four Great Views of Matsushima Bay. From the summit, you can see the blue of the sea and sky, and, if you are lucky, you can see the Blue Impulse aerobatic team racing through the sky. Encounter beautiful blue scenery that will leave you mesmerized.
Key Person
The hometown of the Blue Impulse acrobatics team and nori seaweed that was presented to the imperial family!
Chanko Haginoi Co., Ltd.／Nobukatsu Omori
Higashi-matsushima is an SDGs (UN sustainable development goals) model city. In addition, through the JICA, the city’s Nobiru district has formed an ongoing partnership with Banda Aceh, which is also a city damaged by a tsunami, in Indonesia. Higashi-matsushima has also been approved to be an “Arigato” Host Town for Supporting Reconstruction for Denmark at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The Yamoto district is known as the home of the Blue Impulse acrobatics team, which is based at the JASDF Matsushima Base, and, during airshows and practice days, aviation fans from all over the country come to visit. In the Oku-Matsushima area, you can enjoy the Miyagi Olle Oku-Matsushima trail, a style of hiking that originated in South Korea, while summer sees the opening of the Miyato Tsukihama Beach. The Higashi-matsushima nori udon noodles that I developed following the disaster are very well regarded, so please come and try them for yourself.
Specialty Products
Oyster
Seaweed
Seaweed Udon
Kaguya Hime
（Rice)
Higashi Matsushima Cyoju Miso
Fresh Local Specialties
In the seas off Higashi-matsushima, mineral- and nutrient-rich fresh water that flows from the Ou Mountain Range and mixes with seawater. With these perfect conditions for marine life in place, you can enjoy all kinds of seafood here— including abundant fresh fish; thick, aromatic nori of the highest quality; and full-flavored oysters that are packed with minerals.
Natural Environment
Mt. Ootakamori
New Miyado eight beauty spots walking
Sagakei Gorge
Cherry Blossoms
Miyato Island is full of all Higashi-matsushima’s natural wonders. From Otakamori, you can see shining islands in the morning, the golden bay at dusk, and a seashore landscape that has been unchanged since the ancient Jomon era. If you take a tour around the islands by boat, you can enjoy the intricate coastline and many strange rock formations. Spend the night at a lodging house on the seashore and enjoy a leisurely time in the heart of nature.
Historical Person
Tajuro
1771 - 1806
Tajuro was one of the first Japanese to travel around the world. In 1793, he boarded a ship from Ishinomaki that was bound for Edo (present-day Tokyo), but it ran into a storm and was set adrift. After passing through Russia, the Baltic Sea, and Hawaii, he returned to Nagasaki in 1804.
Gihei
1762 - 1806
Along with Tajuro, he was one of the first Japanese to travel around the world. Like Tajuro, he was born in Fukaya Murohama, Mono District, in Mutsu Province (present-day Murohama in Higashi-matsushima).
Area Access
From Sendai Station
60min
【TRAIN】 From Sendai Station approx. 60 minutes to Nobiru Station on the JR Senseki Line
