Izumo, Iwami Ginzan Travel Guides

Izumo and Iwami Ginzan are home to tourist attractions such as Izumo Taisha Shrine, Hase Temple, and Komyoji Temple; tourist events such as the Izumo Taisha Shinzai Festival, the Izumo All Japan University Ekiden Race, and the Wabukari Ritual; and local delicacies such as Izumo soba noodles, sesame oil, and shijimi clam soup.

Izumo is an area in eastern Shimane Prefecture where the "Izumo Taisha Shrine" is located. It is known as the Land of Gods and is also famous for this. Recently, it has become clear that there is no doubt about the reality of the place where the Hanging Garden is located. It is located in the central-eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. Together with the neighboring city of Ota, it is the center of the central part of the prefecture.

Izumo City is known throughout Japan as "Izumo, the Land of Myth. Blessed with abundant historical sites and cultural heritage such as Izumo-taisha Shrine, Susa Shrine, Nishitani Tomb Group, and Aragamitani Ruins, Izumo City has formed an ancient historical culture. It is also the birthplace of the Izumo Minamoto clan, which was active in the Middle Ages.

Located in the southeastern tip of Shimane Prefecture, Okuizumo Town was created through the merger of the former Nita Town and the former Yokota Town, and borders Hiroshima and Tottori Prefectures in the Chugoku Mountains, and is located at the headwaters of the Hii River, which is famous in mythology.

This Okuizumo area is the birthplace of the Izumo myth of Susanoo-no-mikoto and the slaying of the eight-forked serpent in the Kojiki and Nihonshoki chronicles. Tatara iron manufacturing, made famous in Hayao Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke," is the only traditional tatara iron manufacturing process in the world, producing tamahagane, the raw material used to make Japanese swords.

Nita rice, Nita beef, Okuidumo shiitake mushrooms, Okuidumo sake brewery, and high-sugar tomatoes are among the locally produced gourmet foods.

In addition, there are abundant sightseeing spots with blessed nature, such as Itohara Memorial Museum and Kaburo Shuseikan to foster the history of iron in the future, as well as the Okuidumo Orochi Loop, which is a prefectural nature park and a national natural treasure, and the best trust arch bridge in Japan, Funadsuyama in Hiba Dogo Teishaku National Park.

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, located in Ota City, Shimane Prefecture, is also the largest silver mine in Japan. At that time, Japan produced about 1/3 of the world's silver. Iwami Ginzan accounted for a considerable amount of that silver.

This silver mine was called Omori Ginzan (Omori Silver Mine), and other copper and other metals were mined there after the Meiji period (1868-1912). Eventually, the scale of the mine spread to the towns of Nima and Onsenzu, and the site was designated as a historic site as one of the representative mining sites in Japan.

In 2007, the site was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Generally, silver requires a large amount of timber for refining, but the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine was recognized for its achievements in proper forest management during its use.