松島（まつしま）の松影を訪ねて

Together with Principal 劉永順 and our fellow teachers from Yanping High School, I visited Matsushima（松島／まつしま）, one of Japan’s celebrated Three Scenic Views（日本三景／にほんさんけい）.

The moment we arrived, the sea opened quietly before us. Hundreds of small islands（島々／しまじま）, each crowned with dark green pine trees（松／まつ）, seemed to float upon the blue water. Some rose sharply from the sea, while others rested gently beneath the open sky. Wind, waves, rocks, and pines had shaped a landscape that appeared more like an ancient ink painting（墨絵／すみえ）than a place in the real world.

We boarded a sightseeing boat（遊覧船／ゆうらんせん）and sailed slowly among the islands. White waves spread behind us, and seabirds（海鳥／うみどり）followed above the boat. As each island came into view and then quietly slipped away, the scenery continually changed—sometimes grand and dramatic, sometimes delicate and peaceful.

Standing on the deck with Principal Liu and my fellow teachers, I felt a happiness that was difficult to express. In our daily school life（学校生活／がっこうせいか）, we were occupied with lessons, students, meetings, and responsibilities. Here, however, we could temporarily put those duties aside and simply enjoy the sea breeze（潮風／しおかぜ）, the distant mountains, and one another’s company.

Matsushima is closely associated with the great haiku poet Matsuo Bashō（松尾芭蕉／まつおばしょう）and his famous journey, The Narrow Road to the Deep North（『奥の細道』／おくのほそみち）. Faced with such extraordinary beauty, legend says that even Bashō struggled to find sufficient words.

Looking across the bay, I understood that feeling. Some scenery is too spacious for language. It asks us not to explain, but simply to look, breathe, and remain silent（静けさ／しずけさ）.

We also felt the deep historical atmosphere surrounding Zuiganji Temple（瑞巌寺／ずいがんじ） and Godaido Hall（五大堂／ごだいどう）. Ancient temples, weathered stone paths, pine trees, and the calm sea seemed to preserve memories from many generations. The beauty of Matsushima was not only natural; it was enriched by history（歴史／れきし）, faith（信仰／しんこう）, poetry（俳句／はいく）, and time.

What touched me most was not one particular island or monument, but the harmony（調和／ちょうわ）of everything—the pine trees rooted firmly in the rocks, the changing reflections upon the water, and the islands separated by the sea yet belonging to one complete landscape.

It reminded me of our lives as educators（教育者／きょういくしゃ）. Each teacher has a different character, experience, and responsibility, just as every island has its own shape. Yet when we work together for our students, we become part of something larger and more meaningful.

As the afternoon light softened, the islands became dark silhouettes against the shining water. Our conversations grew quieter, as though none of us wished to disturb the peaceful beauty before us.

Travelling with Principal Liu Yongshun and the teachers of Yanping made this visit especially meaningful. We were not merely colleagues sharing a journey; we were friends sharing a rare moment of beauty, far away from the classrooms and routines of everyday life.

Long after leaving Matsushima, I could still see those pine-covered islands floating in my memory（思い出／おもいで）. The boat returned to shore, but a part of my heart remained upon that quiet sea—among the green pines, silver waves, and timeless islands of Matsushima.