Miyagi Prefecture

Miyagi Prefecture is located in the southeastern part of Japan’s Tōhoku region, with its capital in Sendai City. The prefecture has a population of about 2.25 million, making it the most populous in Tōhoku. Sendai City, with approximately 1.1 million residents, is the only designated city and million-plus city in the region, serving as Tōhoku’s central hub of economy, culture, and transportation. Around 70% of the prefecture’s population is concentrated in the Sendai metropolitan area.

Miyagi faces the Pacific Ocean to the east, with Matsushima, renowned for its scenic bay dotted with islands, celebrated since ancient times as one of the “Three Views of Japan.” To the west lies the Ōu Mountain Range, including notable peaks such as Mount Kurikoma and the Zao Mountains, which are snowy in winter and pleasantly cool in summer thanks to ocean breezes. Overall, Miyagi’s climate belongs to the Pacific side type: plains receive little snow, abundant sunshine, and mild conditions. The Kitakami River in the north and the Abukuma River in the south run through the prefecture, forming the fertile Sendai Plain and Ōsaki farmland. These are major rice-producing areas, known for premium varieties such as Hitomebore and Koshihikari. Agriculture also includes strawberries, pears, and Sendai cabbage, while livestock farming is represented by the famous Sendai beef.

Miyagi is also one of Japan’s most important fisheries, located near the Sanriku offshore waters. The three major fishing ports of Kesennuma, Ishinomaki, and Shiogama are all designated as Class 3 Special Fishing Ports, making Miyagi the only prefecture in Japan with three of them. The catch includes bonito, Pacific saury, tuna, and swordfish, along with aquaculture products such as nori seaweed, oysters, scallops, sea squirts, and silver salmon.

Historically, Miyagi has been influenced by the Yamato court since the Kofun period, with archaeological remains such as the Raijin’yama Kofun. During the Nara period, Tagajō was established as the political and military center of the Mutsu Province. In the medieval era, local powers such as the Ōsaki and Kasai clans held sway, until Date Masamune built Sendai Castle, laying the foundation for the Sendai Domain as a powerful feudal clan in Tōhoku. After the Meiji Restoration, following administrative reorganization, “Sendai Prefecture” was renamed Miyagi Prefecture in 1872, a name that remains today.

Tourism resources are abundant. Matsushima Bay, together with Zuiganji Temple, has received the highest three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. Other attractions include Akiu Great Falls, one of the “100 Famous Waterfalls of Japan,” and the Okama crater lake of the Zao Mountains. Traditional gardens such as the former Ōsaki Hōbikan Garden in Ōsaki City and the Saitō Garden in Ishinomaki also highlight Japanese horticultural beauty. In terms of cultural heritage, the Tagajō ruins are designated a Special Historic Site, while Ōsaki Hachimangū Shrine and Zuiganji Temple are designated National Treasures.

Miyagi also boasts a wealth of traditional crafts, including Naruko lacquerware, Sendai papier-mâché, Shiroishi washi paper, and Sendai hira textiles. Festivals such as the Sendai Tanabata Festival attract large numbers of visitors from across Japan and abroad.