Hero Flutes

A collection of genuine handmade Japanese flutes used in the ritual and festivals of the Iwami Kagura dance, a dramatic musical ritual that originated in the town of Iwami in Shimane prefecture as an appeasement dance for the Shinto gods.

With its long tradition, simply beauty, and pure tone, let the easy-to-play Iwami Kagura flute bring the magic of ancient Japanese dance music to your own fingers, lips and ears.

由志園

Yuushien Garden is a beautiful Japanese walking garden with restaurants on the small island of Daikonshima in the Nakaumi lagoon near Matsue. Famous for its peonies, the garden has plants flowering in all four seasons. May is the time to see peonies en mass.

A classic Japanese circuit garden with pine trees, carp-filled ponds, island and bridges; there are beautiful camellias in spring, hydrangeas and iris in summer, red maples in autumn and, of course, snow-covered scenes in winter.



Yuushien Garden has 3 restaurants (Tel: 0852 76 2255 open -11am-4pm) "Zen", "Momiji" and "Shobu" which offer a variety of tasty set courses made from local ingredients: maguro donburi, beef donburi, soba noodles, eel, tempura, seafood. Ginseng, a Daikonshima specialty is used in many dishes.



There is also a shop selling local Japanese food delicacies including peony jam, rice crackers (senbei) and Japanese confectionary.

Yuushien Garden
1260-2 Yatsuka-cho
Matsue City
Shimane
Admission to the garden: 600 yen
Hours: 8.30am-5.30pm



Daikonshima is connected to the mainland by bridges. Buses from Matsue Station take about 25 minutes. The nearest station is JR Sakaiminato and then a bus.

The images for this article were kindly summitted by a reader and if you have an attraction in Japan you would like to see presented on this site please contact us with the details and any photos you may have, we'd be happy to publish them.

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Matsue Shimane Japanese Gardens

断魚渓

During the hot summer days of August we can but dream of the cooler weather to come in the autumn. One place to really enjoy the season's colors is at Dangyokei (Dangyo Gorge) in Shimane Prefecture.



Dangyo Gorge is located off Route 261 south of Imbara Station on the JR Sanko Line. The area and the limestone gorge is part of the Dangyo Gorge Kannondaki Prefectural Nature Park. The river running through the gorge is the Nigori River, a tributary of the Go River.



Paths lead down from Route 261 to the gorge and there is an onsen and campsite nearby. If you are driving from Hiroshima on the Hamada Expressway take the Oasa Interchange.



Not far north from here is the Kannon Waterfall, ideal for cooling off at this time of year. The waterfall is close to Shikaga Station on the JR Sanko Line.


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Dangyokei Shimane Dangyo Gorge

旧JR大社駅

Not far from Izumo Taisha in Izumo is the Old JR Taisha Station. The station is modeled on the design of Izumo Shrine itself and was built in 1924.



The station was converted to a free museum in 1990 and you can wander the old buildings and gaze at a rusting locomotive.




The interior wood panelling is beautifully decorated and evocative of the Taisho Period when the station was built to ferry pilgrims to Japan's second most important shrine - Izumo Taisha.


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Izumo Shimane

JR出雲市駅

JR Izumo-shi Station is built in the style of the nearby Izumo Taisha shrine.



The station connects to Matsue on the JR San-in Line. The station building has a small tourist information office, a convenience store and within the station complex is a supermarket, small department store and restaurants.

Izumo Station is surrounded by hotels and outside the south exit is the pleasant Ranpu-no-Yu Ekimae hot spring bath house. Just here too is the very good value Super Hotel with single rooms around 5,000 yen with breakfast.


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Izumo Shimane Izumo Taisha

出雲ー松江の電車

Izumo and Matsue in Shimane Prefecture in south west Japan are connected by two railway lines.



The JR San-in Line runs south of Lake Shinji and the Ichibata Railway Kitamatsue Line runs to the north of Japan's 7th largest lake. The JR San-in Line is the quicker of the two routes between the cities and is handy for Tamatsukuri Hot Springs and the small town of Shinji near Izumo Airport.



The Ichibata Railway Kitamatsue Line is good for Matsue Vogel Park, Matsue Water Village Museum & Garden and the terminus at Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station is slightly nearer to Matsue Castle, the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum and Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence.



The JR San-in Line actually runs between Kyoto and Shimonoseki via Fukuchiyama, Tottori, Yonago, Matsue, Izumo, Yunotsu, Hamada, Masuda and Hagi.



The Ichibata Electric Railway has two lines. The 40km line between Izumo and Matsue and an 8km spur from Kawato Station (on the Kitamatsue Line) to Izumo Taisha-mae Station, near Izumo Taisha. The Ichibata Railway Izumo Station is to your right as you exit the main JR Izumo Station.




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Matsue Shimane

立久恵峡

Tachikue Gorge is located on the Kando River about 8km south of Izumo City in Shimane Prefecture. It is a National Scenic Spot because of the dramatic cliffs and rock formations sculpted by erosion. There are two pedestrian suspension bridges across the river and several kilometers of footpath.



Before the Meiji Era (1868-1912), the gorge was a retreat for Yamabushi, the "mountain-warriors" of Shugendo, but all that remains now is Reiko-Ji temple with its pair of huge straw sandals (waraji).



The highlight of the gorge are the 1,500 Buddhist statues, many with vermillion caps and bibs, that can be found clustered around the bases of huge cedars, along the foot of the cliff, in small caves in the cliff wall, and in almost every nook and cranny.



There is a recreation area with barbecues, a campsite, and cabins for rent.

There is a Youth Hostel in the gorge, but since storm damage in 2006 it is currently closed. (Tel: 0853-45-0102).



There is a hot spring with rotenburo (outdoor bath) that is open daily from 07:00 to 22:00. The onsen also has accommodation.

Tachikue Gorge is 30 minutes by bus from JR Izumo Station.



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Tachikue Gorge Shimane Shimane Buddhism

城山稲荷神社, 松江, 島根県

If you are visiting Matsue in Shimane Prefecture, almost certainly a visit to Matsue Castle will be first on the list of sights to see.

Probably after that you will head for the Shiomi-Nawate, the street along the castle moat with a cluster of other tourist sites such as the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum and Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence.



The best way is to walk 10 mins through the Jozan Park. At any time of the year it's a pleasant walk, but in April when the cherry blossoms are blooming it's astounding as there are several hundred cherry trees in the park.



After leaving the castle keep and descending the hill on the north side, the path joins a small road. Passing the large torii (gate) on your left that leads up to the Gokoku Shrine, you soon see a group of vermillion torii on your right.



Pass through the torii and you see the steps leading up to Jozan Inari Shrine. Don't be put off by the long flight of stairs, as the climb will reward you with a gallery of hundreds of fox statues.

Sometimes erroneously called the "fox god", foxes are in fact the messengers of Inari. There are hundreds of the tiny white ceramic foxes, and dozens of larger stone statues, green with age, camouflaged by the greenery.

This was Lafcadio Hearn's favorite shrine, and Hearn's house is just a stone's throw away across the moat.



One your way out you may want to stop off at the priest's house and buy an ofuda. Ofudas for most shrines are simple, narrow strips of paper with writing on, but the ofuda here is large and illustrated with a unique design. An unusual souvenir or gift.

Jozan Inari is the home of the Shikinnenn Shinkousai Festival, one of three greatest boat festivals in Japan, involving more than 100 decorated boats. The festival only occurs every 12 years and the next one is from 16th May to 24th May this year (2009).

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Matsue Castle Matsue Shimane Jozan Inari

松江郷土館（興雲閣),島根県

The Matsue Kyodokan (local history museum) is located in the grounds of Matsue Castle.



The museum features displays of local history including old black & white photos of Matsue, local crafts and documents etc. The collection is hardly earth-shattering, but worth the entance price (which was free when I last visited).



The building itself is far more interesting, and is a wonderful example of Meiji Period architecture that incorporated Japanese design elements combined with western architecture.



It was built in 1903 for the princely sum of 13,489 yen by architect Risaburo Izumi, who also designed a bathouse in Yunotsu that now houses the Shinyu Gallery.



Local people referred to it as the "Russian Palace".



It was built for Emperor Meiji, who in the early years of his reign conducted six grand tours of Japan. Many towns built places for him to stay on the off-chance that he would visit. He never did come to Matsue.

Matsue Local History Museum
1-59 Tono-machi
Matsue-shi
Shimane
Open daily 08:30 to 17:00
Tel: 0852 22 3958

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Matsue Castle Matsue Shimane Kyodokan

松江島根県



Situated on the shore of Lake Shinji, Japan's 8th largest lake, and with the large Matsue Castle moat (horikawa) connecting to the Ohashi, Kensaki, Kyohashi, Yonago, and Kitada Rivers, Matsue, the Prefectural capital of Shimane, is known as the "City of Water."



While comparisons to Venice are a little far-fetched, the waterways of the city are very pleasant and contribute to the ambiance of the city.



One of the best ways to view Matsue is by boat, and there are 3 points around the town where one can board the Horikawa Boat Tour; in front of the main entrance to Matsue Castle, at Ohashi Bridge south-east of the castle, and Horikawa Fureai Square, north-west of the castle. The round trip takes 40 minutes, though one can get off at any point and reboard later.



The trip circles the castle and passes other tourist sites such as the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum, Matsue Buke Yashiki and Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence. The long, narrow boats are covered against inclement weather, and in the cold months there are kotatsu to keep you warm.

The boats pass under 16 bridges, though be warned some of them are very low and so the roof of the boat is lowered, forcing the passengers to lie down!



The boats depart every 15 minutes, though in the off-season you may get a boat all to yourself.

The cost is 1,200 yen for adults, 600 yen for kids, though as with most tourist sites in Matsue there is a 50% discount for foreign visitors.

January – June, 9-5
July – August, 9-6
September – October, 9-5
November – February, 9-4.
Tel: (0852) 27 0417

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Horikawa Matsue Shimane Boat

メリークリスマス

Season's greetings to all our visitors and friends from JapanVisitor.com

Thank you for all your comments, support and suggestions throughout the year.




Click on the image to enlarge it

Photograph of the Gonokawa River, Shimane Prefecture with snow © Jake Davies & JapanVisitor.com



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Christmas Gonokawa Shimane Japan image

温泉津

The UNESCO World Heritage site of Yunotsu (it's Chinese characters are "onsen port") is a small, historic port in Shimane Prefecture.



It was from Yunotsu harbor that silver, from the nearby Iwami Ginzan mines, was shipped to Edo (now Tokyo) in the 16th and 17th centuries. Yunotsu also handled supplies that were needed to develop the mines and support the thousands of miners, and those that served them (including a large number of prostitutes to satisfy the miners' carnal needs and monks to deal with the many funerals, as an Iwami Ginzan miner's life was usually very short).




The silver from this area was traded overseas as well as used domestically and Japanese silver coin "Soma Silver" could even be found in Europe. The Iwami Ginzan mines were directly controlled by the Tokugawa regime and the whole area was fenced off to deter intruders.

Nowadays, Yunotsu port is a small fishing port and also transports fine sand from the area to the Mazda car factory in Hiroshima to be used in making engine moulds.




The main village of Yunotsu has become a growing tourist area, known for its historic buildings and onsen hot springs, since the UNESCO World Heritage listing. The hot water in the village was forced to the surface following an earthquake in 1872.

The most famous of the onsen in town is Yakushiyu, which dates from 1919. The original, wooden Taisho-era bath-house is now the rather posh Shinyu gallery and cafe, which serves excellent curry and pasta, by the way, but no alcohol.

The Yakushiyu bath house next door to the gallery was recently awarded the highest ranking by the Japan Spa Association for its water quality and management. Only about a dozen onsen hot springs in Japan have received the top ranking.

After taking a bath on the ground floor, visitors are invited to walk up to the roof-top terrace to relax and take in the lovely view of the town below.

Yakushiyu bath house
Hours: 5am - 9pm daily
Admission: 300 yen adults; 150 yen children.

Shinyu gallery
Hours: 9am - 9pm
Admission: Free
Tel: 0855 65 4894

The one, narrow road through Yunotsu can become jammed with traffic, so it might be wise to park near the harbor and walk up to the onsen area past some picturesque temples.




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Shimane Yunotsu UNESCO Iwami Ginzan onsen

小泉八雲記念館

Just up the street from the Lafcadio Hearn Old Residence in Matsue is the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum.



The building displays a selection of Hearn's original manuscripts, including a letter he wrote on the day he died in Tokyo - to a Japanese friend at the front during the Russo-Japanese War. Also on view is Hearn's specially-designed desk, his quills and inkpot and a number of his treasured Japanese pipes.

The displays have both Japanese and English explanations and the museum provides an excellent insight into the writer's life, especially if combined with a look at Hearn's former house a few doors away.



The Japanese-style building was built in 1984 and replaced a smaller, western-style museum first erected in 1935.

Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum
322 Okudani-cho
Matsue
690-0872
Tel: 0852 21 2147
Hours: 8.30am-6.30pm April 1-September 30; 8.30am-5pm October 1-March 31
Admission: 300 yen; 150 yen for foreigners

Take a bus from Matsue Station to Koizumi Yakumo Kinenkan-mae bus stop.

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Matsue Lafcadio Hearn Shimane

島根県立しまね海洋館アクアス



I visited Shimane prefecture recently. Shimane is in the west of Japan, towards the south-western end of the main island, Honshu, and faces the Japan Sea. Shimane is Japan’s second least populated prefecture.

Shimane prefecture is very picturesque, and is the ideal place to escape the bustle of the big city and unwind – driving through the rolling countryside, or relaxing in one of the many hot springs, or onsen, that dot the region.

I also visited the Aquas Shimane Aquarium (Shimane Kenritsu Shimane Kaiyokan) in Hamada City. The Aquas Shimane Aquarium is a modern, extensive marine life attraction opened in 2000. It features over 10,000 fish and mammals covering over 400 species.

Check out the video above of jellyfish at Shimane Aquarium.

The Aquas Shimane Aquarium occupies Iwami Seaside Park, facing the Japan Sea. Iwami Seaside Park is a camping and leisure area that stretches along 5.5 kilometers of mainly white sanded coastline. It has cabins for rent, an autocamp, and the basic facilities for the independent traveler. The Aquarium and the Aquas Land amusement area are its main tourist facilities.

The Aquarium is barrier free, and multiple entry on the same day is possible. It is 1,500 for adults, and 500 yen for juniors up to and including high school age. There is a 50% discount for the disabled.

Access by car is from the Hamada interchange on the Hamada Expressway, driving eastwards for 5km. From the Hiroshima interchange it takes about 90 minutes.
By train, it is 10 minutes walk from JR Hashi Station.
By bus, it is 15 minutes from JR Hamada station.

The Shimane Aquarium is open 9am – 5pm every day except Tuesday. (Open till 6pm between July 20 and August 31. Open every day between April 29 and May 5.) When Tuesday is a holiday it opens on Tuesday, and closes Wednesday.

Aquas Shimane Aqarium website (English page)

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小泉八雲旧居

Across the moat from Matsue Castle and next door to the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum, is Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence - a delightful, small samurai house and gardens, where the writer lived from May-November 1891.



It was here that Hearn began work on two of his most famous books: Kwaidan, a collection of ghost stories, and his classic Glimpses of Unfamilar Japan.

The tatami mat rooms are left open to the gardens when the weather is fine. Hearn's writing desk is preserved near the smaller of the two gardens, with a pond, at the back of the house.



"There are large rocks in it, heavily mossed; and divers fantastic basins of stone for holding water; and stone lamps green with years. There are miniature hills, with old trees upon them; and there are long slopes of green, shadowed by flowering shrubs, like river banks; and there are green knolls like islets." Glimpses of Unfamilar Japan, Vol II

The atmosphere is genuinely one of the late nineteenth century when Hearn lived in the house. The peaceful place lends itself to contemplation, as you sit on the floor and gaze at the beautiful gardens.



Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence
9am-5pm (March-November); 10am-4.40pm (December-February)
Admission: 350 yen

Take a bus from Matsue Station to Koizumi Yakumo Kinenkan-mae bus stop.

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Matsue Lafcadio Hearn Shimane