Matsushima, one of Japan's Three Views, painted by ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige. Does the island in the painting still exist? [Miyagi Prefecture]

Utagawa Hiroshige was a famous Edo period ukiyo-e artist who produced masterpieces such as "The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō . "

In his later years, Hiroshige published a series of 70 illustrations of famous places called "Famous Views of the Sixty-Odd Provinces ," in which he left behind a few precious landscape paintings of the Tohoku region. One is "Mogami River , Distant View of Mount Gassan (Dewa Province)," and the other is "Matsushima Landscape, Sketch of View of Toyama (Mutsu Province) . "

This time, I looked into a question that suddenly popped into my head while looking at the "Mutsu" Matsushima Landscape Sketch from Toyama: "Do the islands in the painting still exist today?"

Hiroshige's view of Matsushima began with "Toyama: Reikan," one of the four great views of Matsushima

This is undeniable from the title of the painting ("Mutsu: A Sketch of Matsushima Landscape and View from Toyama "). Hiroshige is looking south towards Matsushima Bay from this "Toyama: Beautiful View" painting

Incidentally, the Four Great Views of Matsushima refer to famous spots where you can get a panoramic view of the islands floating in Matsushima Bay. In addition to the beautiful view from Tomiyama , there are other spectacular spots such as the magnificent view from Otakamori , the magnificent view from Tamonzan , and the secluded view from Ogidani

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

If you want to see the whole view of Matsushima, try the "Four Great Views" - a detailed guide to the spectacular views! [Miyagi Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/9722

Matsushima's four scenic spots are known as the Four Great Views. Surrounding Matsushima Bay from the east, west, north, and south, they are called the Grand View (Otakamori), the Reikan (Toyama), the Ikan (Tamonzan), and the Yukan (Ogidani). These names are said to have been coined by Funayama Mannen, a Confucian scholar from the Sendai domain, who praised them as follows: "The Grand View of Otakamori in the east, the Yukan (Ogidani) in the west, the Ikan (Tamonzan) in the south, and the Reikan (Toyama) in the north." So, let's introduce each spot, one by one, with photos, in the order we visited them. [South] The Ikakan (Ikadani) of Tamonzan...

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Does the island depicted in the painting still exist today?

Returning to the main topic, there are a total of 11 characters written in the painting that appear to be the names of islands or places

• Nacome
• Moon Star Island
• White Hama
• Monkey Forest
• Fun
• Naka(me?)shima
• Komachi Island
• Ishihama
• Ka (ro?) ketashima
• Hanabushi
• ？？？

At the very top of the picture, in the dark blue area above "Hanabushi" there appears to be some writing. I couldn't make out this part at all... so I'll look into the other parts!

"Nakome" is Nagome

The place name still exists today: Matsushima-cho Tetarunakago.Based on the relative positions in the illustration, this is definitely the correct location.

"Tsukihoshishima" is Tsukishima and Hoshijima

This was also discovered quickly. Off the coast of Nakago Fishing Port, there was a small island that looked like the moon with a star beside it. Its names wereTsukishima (Moon Island)andHoshijima (Star Island).

"Shirahama" is Shirahama Island

"Shirahama"alsoShirahamajima. For some reason the name didn't come up, but the slightly larger island visible below Koshirahamajima on the map isShirahamajima.

"Monkey Forest"

"Sarubayashi"Forest)... However, since the area in question is now a dense forest, it probably means "a forest where there were many monkeys." Probably.

"Tanoshima" is Kunoshima Island

The island referred to as "Tanoshima" is likely Kunoshima . This is just speculation, but perhaps Hiroshige misheard when he asked a local for the island's name? The dialect of the Mutsu region, mixed with the coastal dialect, was probably quite different from that of Edo.

Or perhaps the character "ku" was mistakenly written as "ta" when drawing

Is "Naka ​​(Me?) Shima" Rakan Island?

Judging from the relative positions in the painting, the island corresponding to the location of "Naka(me?)shima" is called Rakanjima . This is also just speculation, but it seems that Hiroshige may have misheard Rakanshima as Naka(n)shima, just like with the aforementioned Kunoshima

"Komachishima" is Komachi Island

Although very small, "Komachi-shima" also exists as Komachi-jima . The relative locations are roughly correct

"Ishihama" is the name of a place on Katsurashima Island called "Ishihama"

Based on its location and size, "Ishihama" is thought to refer to Katsurajima Island , and indeed, the place name "Ishihama" exists on the island

"Ka(ro?)Ketashima" is Kaketajima Island

Like Komachijima, it is a very small island, butKaketajima. Incidentally, this island is located within Shiogama City in terms of address classification.

"Hanabushi" is located in Hanabuchihama, Shichigahama Town

This is immediately obvious from the relative locations. It appears to be Hanabuchihama in Shichigahama Town

Surprisingly, the place names and islands remain exactly as they were back then!

After doing some research, I discovered that the place names and islands remain exactly as they were when Hiroshige painted them! It's quite moving to think that we can still see the same scenery today as people of the Edo period did

If you ever have the chance to visit Matsushima and see the "Toyama: Beautiful View" of the Four Great Views of Matsushima, try comparing it with Hiroshige's "Mutsu" Matsushima Landscape: A Sketch of the View from Toyama on your smartphone while you admire the scenery.

Aoiwa

Traveling around the Tohoku region, I enjoy drinking delicious sake and exploring the local history, traditions, and customs. I write articles based on my interests. I'm currently interested in folk performing arts, local toys, and folk beliefs