Profiles of Miyagi Prefecture

Miyagi is both the commercial and cultural center of Tohoku, the northeast region of Japan, and a major rice producer. Its capital, Sendai, has flourished since the 1600s, when the visionary lord Date Masamune laid out the plans for the city. Sendai is proud both of its sophisticated urban facilities, including international convention and trade fair venues, and of its friendly small town atmosphere.

Its many shopping arcades, restaurants, tree-lined streets and other attractions, such at the magnificent Zuihoden Mausoleum and Osaki Hachiman Shrine, make it a popular destination for travelers. A major transportation hub served by railways, expressways, and an international airport and port, Sendai is also a natural gateway to Tohoku and to the rest of Miyagi prefecture, rich in diverse attractions.

In winter the tree-lined runs of the Zao Mountain Range draw skiers from around Japan, while the Izunuma Marsh, a resting place for thousands of migrating swans and geese, is popular with bird watchers. In summer hikers head for the magnificent forests of Mt. Kurikoma, a quasi-national park, and vacationers flock to the ocean to swim or fish or simply to enjoy the jaggedly rocky beauty of the Miyagi coast.

Matsushima, whose island-dotted bay is one of Japan's three most scenic sites, is also home to Zuiganji, the biggest Zen temple in the Tohoku region. Nearby Shiogama is known both for its hillside shrine and its fish market. The Pacific fishing grounds off Miyagi, among the richest in the world, yield abalone, oysters, scallops, and fish of all kinds. Be sure to try hoya (sea squirt), a tangy specialty of the region.

Lacquer ware, tansu (chests), inkstones, bamboo ware, and many other traditional crafts still thrive in Miyagi. But the prefecture is best known for the simple yet captivating handpainted wooden dolls called kokeshi. At the old-fashioned hot spring town of Naruko, whose gorge is famed for both its spring and autumn tints, see traditional kokeshi makers at work. Or try painting a doll yourself at the Akiu Handicrafts Village, in Akiu, which has one of Japan's three biggest waterfalls.

Whether it is eating fine seafood, relaxing at a hot spring, skiing or fishing, or browsing the many shopping streets of Sendai, there is much to do and enjoy in Miyagi prefecture.
(Jacqueline Ruyak)