Matsushima

Hi, I'm thinking about travelling to Matsushima and Higashi Matsushima really soon. I was wondering how well they are going with the cleanup/recovery operations. I know you can take the boat tours now, but how about going to the beach? What're the towns going to be like now?

The situation is very different between Matsushima and Higashi Matsushima.

Matsushima experienced only relatively minor damage along the waterfront. Most shops, hotels and tourist sights are back in business. Almost no buildings were destroyed.

However, Higashi Matsushima was less fortunate. The tsunami caused much more damage there. I am not sure about the details of the current state, but I believe that most of the debris has been cleaned by now. However, lots of buildings have been completely destroyed, and reconstruction of these coastal areas will take a long time.

I don't know about the beaches.

Thanks for that. I thought Higashi Matsushima would be pretty bad, but dunno how bad it would be still. Does anyone else have any recent firsthand sights of these locations?

Not recent but none the less a blog report of Matsushima after Mar 11:

http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/schauwecker/110421.html

With Google Earth you can look at places before and after the earthquake/tsunami (use the history slider in the top).
So you can look at the places and get a good idea about the damage.
As far as i now none of the devastating area's (were houses were 'moved') are rebuilt. Just cleaned up.
We went to Matsushima in may and could visit the museum and temples (did not go to the beach). The train from Sandai at that time did not go further than Matsushima.
Have a nice trip.
B. Slager

I can only report on Matsushima.I was there last week and it was pretty much OK. As far as I could see the coastal area was cleaned up and the shops were open and running. At present almost all these shops all have photo displays with the situation shortly after March 11. Pretty shocking I can tell you. Matsushima itself indeed appeared to have escaped the worse and can be visited easily. I enjoyed my recent (short) stay there.

Thanks for the info guys!

Bumping up this thread as I'm thinking of travelling to Matsushima in early May. This might seem stupid as it's been a while since the disaster, but I'm worried about being a burden on resources in the area as a 'non-essential' traveller. Would this still be a concern?

You won't be a burden. There are no shortages of material resources in Matsushima or anywhere else along the coast. The only shortage in Matsushima is the shortage of tourists (although they are returning too). So, to the opposite, the locals will be happy to see foreign tourists return.

How likely is it that, on 3/11, some of the cruises will be closed since it will be a solemn day? I've tried to reach them, but I can't get a response.

It will be a Sunday. It is hard for me to imagine that a cruise company (and there are four of them in town) will bar tourists from participating in the town's main sightseeing activity on any Sunday. Even if it is March 11. There are definitely going to be ceremonies. But I get the feeling that tourism won't be negatively affected by them.

Uji, I had someone phone the only one of the four companies with an English-section website and she told me they told her that day was "reserved" and wouldn't take reservations. She didn't ask why, for it's rude to press on an issue that's not going to change, but she thought it may be because they were going to use the boats for other purposes, or perhaps for the local population to use, or maybe they could have even been told not to use them out of respect. Whatever the reason, that company wouldn't accept reservations. And if they won't, I'm willing to be the other 3 companies will do the same. Without the cruise, I think a visit of a few hours wouldn't be worth it. That will just give me more time in Ishinomaki, the main reason I'm heading up there on the 11th.... I'll put Matsushima on hold until my next visit in October '13, when I bet the weather will be more favorable as well....