Above, Godaido temple with Matsushima Bay businesses in the background. Photo by Armand Vaquer.The latest article on the state of tourism in the Tohoku region of Japan has been posted by Mysinchew.com.
The article starts with:
Seagulls flock around passengers on the deck of a cruise boat, hoping for scraps; hotels and inns show no-vacancy signs and fresh oysters are served in seaside restaurants.
But despite an appearance of normality, business is far from booming in Matsushima, where serene pine-covered islands have attacted generations of tourists to an area classed as one of Japan's three most beautiful spots.
The guesthouses and hotels -- in a district the Michelin Blue guide gives its maximum three stars -- owe most of their business to workers helping to rebuild coastal communities shattered by the March 11 tsunami.
Matsushima escaped the worst of the disaster, its island-dotted bay breaking up the ferocity of the giant waves that devastated hundreds of kilometres (miles) of picturesque Pacific coast.
But the tourists on whom Matsushima's economy depends are few and far between.
The article blames the state of Matsushima's tourism on the ongoing problems of the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. The article goes on to state:
Fears about the effect of leaking radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant 110 kilometres (70 miles) south have all but stopped the influx of visitors from China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan.
Matsushima is one of the most picturesque towns in Japan to visit. It is often compared to Carmel, California in beauty.
As the Fukushima nuclear power plant is 70 miles from Matsushima, it is silly to by-pass Matsushima when visiting Japan. People should visit Matsushima as well as nearby Sendai. I had a great time visiting both in 2006. Sendai Station was featured in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II in 1993 and in Gamera 2: Advent of Legion in 1996. [See The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan for details.]
To read the full article, go here.
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