Godaido

Godaido, with its striking vermilion bridge, is one of the most iconic landmarks of Matsushima. In 807, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro built Bishamondō Hall here during his eastern campaign. Later, the monk Ennin (Jikaku Daishi) enshrined the Five Great Wisdom Kings (Godai Myōō) there, and the hall came to be known as Godaido.
The current structure was rebuilt by Date Masamune and is designated an Important Cultural Property as the oldest surviving example of Momoyama-period architecture in the Tōhoku region. The kaerumata (frog-leg–shaped brackets) beneath the eaves are carved with the twelve zodiac animals, arranged in their traditional directional order around the compass.