Godaido Temple, Matsushima Bay, Miyagi Prefecture

This Buddhist temple is located on a small island (Godaidojima) in picturesque, island-studded Matsushima Bay. It is connected to the mainland by a dramatic red-laquered footbridge. A temple was first erected on the site in 807 by Jikaku Daishi. The current structure was built in 1604 by the feudal lord Date Masamune. Statues of the five great Myoo, or five wisdom kings of Buddhism, are enshrined in the temple and are put on public display only once every 33 years. (The next time won’t come around until 2039.) The perimeter of the temple’s main hall is decorated with carvings of the twelve animals of the lunar calendar. The site has been designated a national treasure.

The Tohoku region sustained substantial damage from the tsunami on March 11, 2011. Fortunately the Godaido temple, even though it sits on an island in Matsushima Bay, only received minor damage – a few stone lanterns were overturned.

Japan Mad Family (Urutora no Hi): http://urutoranohihi.blogspot.com/2011/03/godaido-island-temple.html
Japan-i: http://www.japan-i.jp/explorejapan/tohoku/miyagi/matsushima/d8jk7l0000002apk.html