Shimane Hidden Gems
14 spots
Izumo Taisha — Ancient Shrine of Marriage & Destiny
Izumo Taisha is one of Japan's oldest shrines, maybe the oldest depending on who's counting. It's dedicated to Okuninush…
Matsue Castle — Original Black Castle National Treasure
Matsue Castle (松江城) is one of Japan's 12 surviving original castles, built in 1611 and never destroyed by war or fire. T…
Adachi Museum of Art — World's Best Japanese Garden
Adachi Museum of Art has been ranked the #1 Japanese garden in Japan by the Journal of Japanese Gardening for over 20 co…
Iwami Ginzan — UNESCO Silver Mine Heritage
Iwami Ginzan is the remains of Japan's biggest silver mine, which from 1526 to 1923 pulled enough silver out of these mo…
Izumo Soba — Three-Tier Warigo Bowl Tradition
Izumo Soba (出雲そば) is Shimane's signature noodle dish, served in a unique warigo (割子) style: three small stacked lacquere…
Lake Shinji Sunset — Ranked Top 100 Sunsets in Japan
Lake Shinji (宍道湖) is Japan's seventh-largest lake, famous for its spectacular sunsets ranked among the nation's top 100.…
Horikawa Moat Boat Ride — Roofed Boat Through Castle Town
Horikawa Sightseeing Boat (堀川めぐり) navigates the 3.7km moat surrounding Matsue Castle, passing under 16 bridges (some ext…
Matsue Wagashi Sweets — Tea Culture Capital
Matsue is ranked among Japan's top wagashi (和菓子, traditional Japanese sweets) cities, with per-capita wagashi consumptio…
Tsuwano — Little Kyoto of San'in & Carp Canal
Tsuwano (津和野) is a preserved castle town nicknamed 'Little Kyoto of San'in' for its traditional architecture, samurai di…
Yuushien Garden — Floating Peony Paradise Island
Yuushien Garden (由志園) is a Japanese stroll garden on Daikonshima Island featuring 10,000+ peony flowers in a 40,000 m² l…
Hinomisaki Shrine & Lighthouse — Sacred Sunset Cape
Hinomisaki (日御碕) is a dramatic cape at Shimane's western tip featuring Hinomisaki Shrine (vermillion shrine buildings) a…
Tamatsukuri Onsen — 1,300-Year Beauty Hot Spring
Tamatsukuri Onsen (玉造温泉) is a 1,300-year-old hot spring resort famous for beautifying waters rich in sulfate and chlorid…
Lafcadio Hearn Residence — Ghost Story Writer's Home
Lafcadio Hearn (小泉八雲, Koizumi Yakumo, 1850–1904) was a Greek-Irish writer who moved to Japan in 1890, married a samurai'…
Oki Islands — UNESCO Geopark Cliffs & Sea Caves
Oki Islands (隠岐諸島) are a remote archipelago in the Sea of Japan, 40–80km north of mainland Shimane. The islands form a U…