During the Battle of the Yellow Sea of 10 August, "Matsushima" shadowed the Russian fleet, but was unable to close to combat distance. After the end of the Battle of Port Arthur, "Matsushima" was reassigned to Hakodate for patrols of the Tsugaru Strait. During this time, she captured the British-flagged steamship "Istria" with a cargo of contraband coal attempting to run the Japanese blockade into Port Arthur, but her capture was overturned in a Japanese prize court. On 28 February, she was briefly trapped in sea ice off of the island of Kunashir, but managed to break free, losing her right propeller and damaging some of her armor plating. She was repaired from March–April 1905 at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal.