BBQ, beer, and Matsushima Bay: We visit Japan’s most relaxing beer garden during a trip up north

You’ve still got a little time left to enjoy stunning views of the ocean before the rooftop beer garden closes for the season.

Any visitor to the northeastern city of Sendai should make sure to build a visit to Matsushima into their itinerary. Only a 20-minute train ride from Sendai Station, Matsushima is traditionally known as one of the Three Most Scenic Views (Nihon Sankei) in all of Japan. True to its name, which literally means “pine islands,” Matsushima Bay is dotted with hundreds of small, rocky outcroppings covered in pine trees that visitors can explore via a boat tour. There are plenty of other things to do as well, from exploring the nearby temples (including what is perhaps my favorite temple in all of Japan, Entsuin) to shopping and dining at places featuring the local specialty–oyster.

Our travel-loving Japanese-language reporter Saya Togashi recently found herself traveling up north and decided to swing by Matsushima for a few hours to take in the scenery one afternoon. Upon arrival, she was intrigued by the Miyagi Prefecture Matsushima Rikyu visitors’ complex, which opened in 2020. It’s conveniently located just steps away from JR Matsushima-Kaigan Station on the Senseki Line and houses a variety of facilities including eateries, souvenir shops, hands-on crafting activities, and plenty of places to rest.

Her first order of business was to grab a map and see which parts of the building she wanted to explore. Most areas are free to enter, but a few charge for admission.

The outdoor plaza called to her, so she strolled through the lovely space that was dotted with tables and chairs to relax and eat outside.

A corner of the site is dedicated to the Matsushima Rikyu Shrine. She noted a sign that shared its status as a “Holy Place for Lovers” and admired the surrounding stone.

Actually, the more she walked around, the more she noted different stone structures everywhere. The natural stone of the landscape had been deftly incorporated into the manmade landscaping as well. In particular, this shallow basin designed to resemble a miniature version of the surrounding bay and its islands caught her eye. The somewhat unusual structure on the right was also built to pay homage to the center portion of the iconic Matsushima Park Hotel built during the Taisho period (1912-1926).

Saya then made her way up to the rooftop observation deck, which charges a small fee for admission (600 yen [US$4.16] for junior high school students and older; 300 yen for younger children). The building isn’t that tall at only three stories high, but since Matsushima doesn’t have any high-rise buildings, it offers up some of the best and most expansive views in town. There were lots of couples relaxing in the garden chairs as they gazed out over the water.

Besides the views, one other thing about the rooftop deck had captured her interest–the presence of a beer garden limited to the summertime. The cost per adult begins at 2,800 yen and includes the price of a BBQ-it-yourself food plan and one drink. That sounded like a bargain to Saya compared to what some hotels charge for similar deals.

She could choose from either a meat or seafood food plan. The meat plan on the day of her visit included Sendai’s famous gyutan (cow tongue), pork shoulder loin, pork belly, sausage, and two kinds of vegetables, and she decided to opt for that. The assortment of foods arrived on a tray in individually packaged containers and bags.

As she was unpacking her food, she couldn’t stop marveling at the stunning sights of the bay right before her eyes, especially enjoying the sightseeing boats as they came and went.

Sadly, she wouldn’t be able to imbibe any beer since she had come by car, but she was determined to enjoy a Coke to the fullest instead.

Before long Saya was grilling the food on her small personal BBQ. She had chosen the most reasonable food plan that didn’t come with rice, but that didn’t bother her at all since the first floor of the building sold local Matsushima specialties like oysters and sasakama [bamboo leaf-shaped fish cakes] that she could always indulge in later. Eating a little bit of this and a little bit of that was her favorite eating-while-traveling strategy anyway.

As the meat finished cooking, she gathered some seasonings from the table and this tent, which is where diners can also go for drink or stove gas refills as well.

As she sat back and prepared to take her first bite, all while being caressed by the gentle sea breeze, she couldn’t help but feel that she had landed in heaven.

There was nothing especially striking about the BBQ menu itself, but it had turned into a delicious feast with an exquisite atmosphere.

She continued to gaze over the bay, watching the color of the sky change slowly as she lazily ate her BBQ. The time of day had certainly reached the magic hour.

It was probably just Saya’s imagination, but the time actually seemed to be passing more slowly. There weren’t any crowds at this particular moment and no one was rushing her out of her seat. There was barely even a noise coming from the surrounding tables to distract her. It occurred to her that she had never before been to a beer garden with this kind of reflective calmness. The quietness was a far cry from the noisy, bustling, and flashy beer gardens that she usually goes to in the Tokyo area, and so she savored the moment for as long as she could.

This season’s beer garden on Matsushima Rikyu’s rooftop observation deck is open through Sunday, September 1, so as of this writing, visitors have only about one more week to enjoy the special ambiance until next year. Regardless of what time of the year you visit, however, you can still enjoy the view from the roof and sample a Hagi no Tsuki, one of our favorite food souvenirs from Sendai, on a floor below.

Building information
Miyagi Prefecture Matsushima Rikyu / 宮城県松島離宮
Address: Miyagi-ken, Miyagi-gun, Matsushima-machi, Matsushima Namiuchihama 18
宮城県宮城郡松島町松島字浪打浜18番地
Open: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (rooftop observation deck in general); 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (lunch at beer garden); Saturday evenings only (dinner at beer garden)
Duration: The beer garden is available until September 1
Website

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