Shiogama City is the second smallest municipality in Miyagi Prefecture by area. However, it has the longest history of any city in Tohoku, and tracing its history back, it played an important political and economic role as a military and commercial port. In the Heian period, it was famous as a utamakura (place name with poetic associations) for nobles, and Minamoto no Tōru, said to be the model for Hikaru Genji, was captivated and loved the beautiful scenery of Shiogama. In this column, we will introduce tourist spots in Shiogama, a city full of such famous places. Why not take a walk through the city and feel the townscape and atmosphere loved by historical figures?
This is the terminal for sightseeing cruises from Shiogama to Matsushima and regular ferries to the Urato Islands. It was established in 1996 and has been bustling with citizens and tourists. The facility is well-equipped with a restaurant area where you can enjoy seasonal seafood while overlooking the port, a direct sales shop for marine products, and souvenir shops, making it usable as a hub for sightseeing. On the rooftop, there is an observation deck where you can overlook the cityscape of Shiogama and Matsushima. The Marine Deck pedestrian bridge connecting Hon-Shiogama Station to Marine Gate also offers a great view of the port and is recommended for night viewing.
An archipelago consisting of islands such as Nonoshima, Katsurashima, Samusawajima, and Hojima scattered throughout Matsushima Bay. On these islands, rich in nature and surrounded by beautiful seas, "island hopping" using ferries to visit each island is a popular sightseeing style. Katsurashima: Swimming beach, Nonoshima: Camellia tunnel walk and lavender viewing, Samusawajima: Historical site tour, Hojima: Rapeseed flower field viewing, etc. There are many highlights. If you have a full day, you can fully enjoy the activities on each island.
The closest island to Marine Gate Shiogama is Katsurashima. It is an island with a population of 200, located about 20 minutes by boat from Marine Gate Shiogama. It's a perfect place for a date, or even for a solo change of pace to gaze at the ocean scenery. There are hiking trails on the island, where you can fully enjoy the observatory and the magnificent nature of Katsurahama.
There are fishing spots scattered throughout the island, so fishing enthusiasts can enjoy island time along the coast of the island surrounded by the sea.
This is Miyagi's representative wholesale market, with about 100 shops lining a vast sales floor of nearly 5,000 square meters. Inside the lively market, you'll find a wide variety of ingredients, including fresh tuna and other seafood from Sanriku, salted and dried processed foods, delicacies, dried goods, and frozen foods, all available at wholesale prices. Professional chefs and local shop owners also come here to buy, creating a great buzz from morning until early afternoon.
Inside the market, a rice and miso soup set is sold for 400 yen, but here's a secret tip. Buy your favorite seafood at the market and combine it with white rice right there... and you've got your own original seafood bowl! I personally enjoyed combining sea urchin and tuna.
Shiogama, which flourished as a temple town for Shiogama Shrine, attracted many worshippers, and it is said that the taste of sake was refined there due to the large consumption of alcohol.
The brewery, Saura-san, was founded in 1724 (Kyoho 9), 300 years ago, and since then, as the sacred sake brewery of Shiogama Shrine, they have been committed to producing high-quality sake. In the store, they display and sell Urakasumi products limited to Miyagi Prefecture, as well as ceramic and glass sake vessels.
Urakasumi was not produced from the time of its founding in the Edo period. Its birth was in 1925, at the end of the Taisho era. It was the name of the sake presented to Emperor Showa during his regency when he visited, and it was named after Minamoto no Sanetomo's waka poem, "Shiogama no ura no matsukaze kasumu nari Yasoshima kakete haru ya tatsuran" (The pine breeze on Shiogama's bay is hazy, and spring seems to be arriving over the eighty islands), taking the characters "Ura" and "Kasumi." It was named with the wish that people would enjoy the pleasant feeling of intoxication like the spring haze.
The "Junmai Ginjo Urakasumi Zen," with its harmonious blend of gentle aroma and rice umami, is a famous sake representing Miyagi. It's a food-pairing sake that you won't get tired of, and according to the staff, it pairs exceptionally well with white fish, vegetables, and cheese! Sake lovers should definitely try it. There's also a rich selection of seasonal products, and you can enjoy brewery tours and sake tasting (*).
Brewery tour: Held twice a day. Takes about 15 minutes, where staff guide you through the brewery buildings and history from the exterior. Sake tasting counter: Purchase an original Urakasumi sake cup (300 yen) to enjoy monthly rotating sake for tasting. *Currently suspended during the COVID period.
The number one historical spot in Shiogama. Shiogama Shrine has a long history of over 1200 years, and since the Heian period, it has been treated as the shrine with the highest status in Mutsu Province.
The current Shiogama Shrine was begun to be rebuilt by Date Tsunamura, the 4th lord of the Sendai Domain, and later completed by Date Yoshimura, the 5th lord. The main hall and worship hall are designated as important national cultural properties.
Shiogama Shrine, affectionately known as "Shiogama-sama," is famous for granting blessings for "maritime safety," "bountiful catches," and "safe childbirth." It attracts a large following as one of Miyagi Prefecture's top power spots, and many visitors come to pray for safe childbirth.
The large torii gate at the entrance was dedicated to commemorate the rebuilding by Date Tsunamura, the 4th lord of the Sendai Domain. The Omotezaka (front slope) visible beyond the torii gate is famous for its 202 stone steps, and the stones for its construction were reportedly transported about 100km from Ichinoseki in Iwate Prefecture. During annual events, a mikoshi (portable shrine) weighing a staggering 1 ton ascends this Omotezaka.
From the shrine grounds, you can overlook the cityscape of Shiogama and Matsushima. This scenery became widely known as a "utamakura" (place name with poetic associations) by famous people from Heiankyo, including Minamoto no Tōru and Murasaki Shikibu, and many poems were composed about it. It's clear that it has continued to captivate people's hearts since ancient times.
The shrine where salt was first made in Japan. It is also the origin of the place name "Shiogama." It is a subsidiary shrine (small shrine attached to the main shrine) of Shiogama Shrine and enshrines Shiotsuchi-no-Oji-no-Kami, the deity who taught how to make salt. Matsuo Basho, a haikai poet of the Edo period, also visited Okama Shrine and recorded his experiences there in "Oku no Hosomichi." The "Moshioyaki Shinji" (Seaweed Salt Burning Ritual) held every July is a ritual designated as an intangible folk cultural property of Miyagi Prefecture. You can observe the actual process of burning seaweed salt in a cauldron, so please see the traditional salt making with your own eyes.
How was it? Shiogama, which flourished as a salt-producing region since ancient times and was bustling commercially and politically, is packed not only with fresh seafood but also with historic buildings and the culture that accompanies them. In addition to these, you can experience the history of town development everywhere in Shiogama. Please enjoy each of the tourist and historical spots.
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