Matsushima tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 13:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are Asia/Tokyo local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Last spring tide on Thu 07 May (range 1.1m). Next spring tide on Wed 13 May (range 0.9m). Next neap on Mon 11 May.

Spring tides cluster around new and full moons (biggest swings). Neap tides land on quarter moons (smallest swings). See the spring tide and neap tide glossary entries for the why.

Matsushima Bay sits 20 kilometres northeast of Sendai, where the Miyagi coast breaks into 260 pine-covered islands of volcanic rock rising from relatively shallow water. The bay has been considered one of the canonical 'three views of Japan' (Nihon Sankei) since the Edo period — a designation shared with Amanohashidate in Kyoto Prefecture and Miyajima in Hiroshima. The tidal regime is semidiurnal and mesotidal with a mean range of approximately 1.3 metres above MLLW. That range is sufficient to alter the scene considerably: at high water, the smallest islands in the bay reduce to isolated rock crowns barely above the surface, while at low water the inter-island channels and the shelving sand between islands become wading shallows and the full vertical rock faces are exposed. Five viewing pavilions around the bay approach the scene from different angles. Saigantō-ji temple (founded 828, rebuilt 1609) sits directly on the waterfront at the town centre, its grounds running to the seawall. Godaidō Hall (1604, national cultural property) occupies a tiny islet 50 metres from shore, connected by two arched wooden bridges — accessible at all tidal states but dramatically framed by the surrounding islands and water. The Zuiganji temple complex (1609, national treasure) sits 200 metres inland, its cedar-lined approach and cave cells carved into the hillside preceding the main hall. The bay's sheltered water and nutrient-rich conditions support oyster aquaculture: rows of rope-suspended oyster cages mark sections of the bay through winter, typically harvested between October and March. The oysters grown here are sold as Matsushima-gaki; the waterfront has a cluster of small restaurants and stalls specialising in them, typically grilled over charcoal and served with lemon. Kayaking through the island channels is the most direct way to read the tide's effect on the bay. At high water, paddling is unobstructed across the flat surface; at low water, sandbars and rock shelves create navigation around, and the closer-in islands reveal their geology. Several local operators run guided kayak tours that time the route to catch low water in the narrower inner channels. Fishing from the bay's rocky points targets flounder (hirame) and black sea bream (kurodai) in the shallower sections at higher tidal states; shore casters work the exposed rock platforms at low water for smaller reef species. The bay is not a surf destination — the island geometry breaks up swell before it reaches shore. Tide predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local pressure gauge. For authoritative Japanese tide tables, consult the Japan Meteorological Agency at jma.go.jp. The JMA also operates Japan's tsunami warning system; see the FAQ below for an important distinction between tidal prediction and tsunami warning.