Eight Views of Matsushima  Shiogama Bay

Kyōwa era (1801–04)

Donated by Tanba Tsuneo

Located southwest of Matsushima Bay in Shiogama City, Miyagi Prefecture, Shiogama Bay —also known as Chiganoura — was the site of Mutsu no Utamakura, a place many from the ancient capital (Kyōto) had longed to visit since the Heian period. 

“Utamakura” broadly refers to a category of poetic words — often geographically allusive — used in poetry to convey mystery, depth, and beauty, and express ideas and themes without sacrificing brevity.