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Unzen-Amakusa NP, Kumamoto
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These islets are former mountain peaks, not little volcanoes: after a ridge formed, parts of the land sank and left its higher ground above the sea. The result is a drowned mountain landscape scattered across the bay.
The 5 bridges connecting the islands use 4 structural designs. When they opened in 1966, Tenmon Bridge’s 300-metre main span was the world’s longest for a continuous truss bridge.
Sengan Mountain was once called Tejakushi-yama, “Hand-Ladle Mountain.” Local tradition says Amakusa Shiro and his followers shared sake there by ladle before the 1637 uprising—a story preserved in the old name.
The name Amakusa Pearl Line came from pearl farming in this island-dotted bay. Cultivation began in Matsushima’s Amura area in 1952—14 years before the 5 bridges connected the route to the mainland.
The bridge dream began in 1936, when Oyano’s former mayor Mori, then a prefectural assembly member, proposed linking Amakusa to the Uto Peninsula. The project was approved in 1962; the 5 bridges opened in 1966.
When the bridges opened in 1966, a regular car paid ¥800 and passengers aged 12 or older paid ¥20. Repayment was expected to take 39 years, but tolls covered the cost in about 9, and the road opened to free travel early.
The island pines that give Matsushima its signature look have been damaged by pine wilt. Since 2003, Japan’s Environment Ministry has removed affected trees and planted pines selected for resistance to the disease.
Sengan (162 m) and Takabuto (117 m) mountains were designated together as a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1935. The protected scene includes Sengan’s piled-up rocks and the sweeping island panorama.
Behind the island views, Matsushima’s 50-plus-hectare early-rice plain was made by reclamation, not nature. Work began in 1674 and continued through 5 stages until 1838, fitting fields between the sandstone hills.
In Matsushima’s Chijū area, Dago Stone is a 5-by-3-metre boulder perched above the road. Its seemingly precarious position inspired a local belief that it brings luck to students taking entrance exams.
At Chijū Kannon, mothers once sought help for babies who drooled persistently, believing a visit could stop it. The city records this small, very practical piece of local folk belief along the Matsushima course.
Dozens of small islets and shallow reefs dot Amakusa Matsushima like stones in a garden. The bay is counted among Japan’s “Three Matsushimas,” alongside Miyagi’s Matsushima and Nagasaki’s Kujukushima.
