Journey to Japan: Taking it slow in Matsushima

Day 5

Waking up in Matsushima, I was already feeling a little wistful about having to check out by 10 a.m. A part of me really wished we had booked another night here. Tokyo was our next destination, an exciting prospect, sure, but also one that promised to be so much busier and faster. Matsushima, by contrast, was still quiet and peaceful. The gulls were calling outside, and our room had a stunning view of the bay with its iconic pine-clad islands. It was the perfect setting to slow down, unwind, and just be.

I had briefly toyed with the idea of going for an early morning run along the coast to soak in the scenery one last time, but my legs and particularly one aching toe argued otherwise. Instead, we opted for another round of breakfast and a visit to the bath, this time without rushing. Passive recovery over active strain. In case you were wondering why Japan is sometimes called the land of the rising sun: sunrise today was at 4:30 a.m. Not quite in sync with my circadian rhythm just yet.

This little coastal town had already become a highlight of our trip. Sendai had been great, it got us started on our Japan adventure and kept us busy with recovering from the race, replacing lost luggage, and exploring the city itself. I appreciated that it wasn’t overwhelmingly crowded and that you only saw a handful of western faces. It was vibrant without being stressful. But Matsushima felt like the exhale after all that. A place I could definitely imagine returning to, either after arriving in Japan to decompress or after a more intense stretch through Tokyo or Osaka.

Anyway, time for breakfast. It turned out to be fancier than expected, many small dishes, artfully arranged, and it took longer than we had anticipated. That meant no second bath before checkout, but we still had a bit of time to take some final pictures and pack up.

After checking out, we crossed the bright red bridge next to the hotel and explored the small island it connected to. From there, we mingled briefly with the wave of day tourists gathering near the tour boats, visited a nearby shrine, and got a bit lost while wandering through a quiet neighborhood. That detour unexpectedly brought us to the local fish market, an accidental discovery, but a good one.

One of the unexpected highlights of the morning was the Retro Museum, a charming collection of vintage Japanese memorabilia and toys. Unlike most museums, this one encouraged you to interact with the exhibits, turn knobs, press buttons, pull levers. It felt delightfully hands-on, like stepping back into a childhood you never had, but instantly recognized.

We took a snack break at 7-Eleven, because how could you not?, and grabbed an ice cream to enjoy on the way back. From there, we caught a taxi to the train station. We arrived just in time to miss the train by ten minutes and had to wait about forty more for the next one. But honestly? It was fine. We were still in a relaxed mood, unbothered by the minor delay. After all, our only real goal for the day was to arrive in Tokyo.

Once back in Sendai Station, we had to switch gears. Suddenly we were rushing again, finding and navigating the ticket machines to get our Shinkansen tickets, grabbing some bento boxes for lunch, and racing to the correct platform. With two minutes to spare, we boarded the train to Tokyo. Our first ride on the Shinkansen!

The ride itself was smooth and peaceful, about two hours of quietly unwinding, eating our bentos, and reflecting on the journey so far. The Shinkansen definitely offers more legroom than a Deutsche Bahn ICE, but, strangely enough, I think I still find the ICE seats more comfortable. Then again, I might just be biased. The important thing was: the train was punctual, and for once, I actually believed we’d arrive on time.

We arrived at Ueno Station aboard the Shinkansen, stepping out into the vibrant, fast-paced energy of Tokyo, quite the change from the peaceful calm of Matsushima. After transferring to a local train, the crowd thickened noticeably, giving us our first real experience of the city’s rush-hour buzz.

At the hotel, we took some time to unwind from the journey before heading out for a short walk around the neighborhood. The streets were alive with neon signs, vending machines humming softly, and narrow alleys offering glimpses of local life, a perfect introduction to Tokyo’s unique charm.

For dinner, we opted for McDonald’s, a familiar and comforting choice after a day full of travel and new experiences. Satisfied and a little amused by our simple meal, we returned to the hotel to rest up, knowing that tomorrow we’d dive deeper into everything Tokyo has to offer.