Shimane » Matsue, Tamatsukuri Onsen
The Matsue area is located in the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture and is surrounded by the Shimane Peninsula, Lake Shinji, and the Nakaumi Sea. The main attractions in Matsue include Lake Shinji and the Shimane Art Museum.
Lake Shinji is a brackish lake with a circumference of 47 km and is known as a lake influenced by the tides of the sea. The lake is also famous for its fishing industry, and whitebait, which accounts for 90% of the catch in Lake Shinji, is a nationally recognized brand.
Lake Shinji is also a very popular tourist spot, and one of the reasons for this is the sunset. The sunset over Lake Shinji is said to be the most beautiful in Japan and is registered as one of the 100 best sunsets in Japan. In the evening, sunset cruising can be enjoyed in conjunction with the sunset, attracting many tourists in search of the sunset over the Land of the Gods.
The Shimane Prefectural Art Museum is the largest of its kind in the San'in region, facing Lake Shinji. The museum's exhibits are composed of works of art and artifacts from major genres such as paintings, prints, crafts, photography, and sculpture, and it is known as a museum that is popular among many art lovers. The museum is also a popular spot for viewing beautiful sunsets, as it faces Lake Shinji.
Tamatsukuri Hot Spring Area is located in Tamatsukuri, Tamayu-cho, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, and is known as one of the most popular hot spring resorts in the San-in region. Major nearby attractions include Matsue Castle and the Izumo Tamasaku Museum.
Matsue Castle was built in 1611 by Tadashi Horio, the first lord of the Izumo Matsue Domain, and the castle ruins are designated as a national historic site.
The castle tower is designated as a national historic site. The castle tower is a national treasure, and it is said that Matsue Castle is the only castle tower that still retains its original form, which was passed down from Oda Nobunaga's Azuchi Castle to Hideyoshi's Osaka Castle. It is famous as the only one of the 12 existing castle towers in Japan that is a national treasure, and is visited by many tourists to see it.
The Izumo Tamasaku Museum is the only museum in Japan dedicated to the ancient art and traditions of tama-making. Inside the museum, visitors can see exhibits of mined articles excavated from Paleolithic ruins, as well as exhibits that provide historical background on how Izumo agate crafting began again at the end of the Edo period (1603-1868). There is also a nearby spot where visitors can try their hand at making agate, which is popular among tourists.
Matsue Castle is one of Japan’s most important surviving feudal castles. Located in the heart of Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, it is also known as Chidorijo, or “Plover Castle.” Built in the early 17th century, Matsue Castle is one of only 12 original castle towers remaining in Japan. The castle...»
Matsue Vogel Park is an all-weather theme park dedicated to flowers and birds in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. Located along the northern shore of beautiful Lake Shinji, the park covers approximately 32 hectares and combines enormous flower greenhouses, bird aviaries, outdoor event areas, and observat...»
Tamatsukuri Onsen, located in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, is one of Japan's oldest hot spring resorts, with a history stretching back more than 1,300 years. Closely connected with the mythology and culture of ancient Izumo, the hot spring has long been known as a sacred healing bath and a “beauty ho...»
Shinjiko Shicchin Cuisine is a collection of traditional local dishes made with seven types of fish and shellfish caught in Lake Shinji in Shimane Prefecture. Located in northeastern Shimane, Lake Shinji is a brackish lake, where freshwater mixes with seawater. The lake has a shoreline of approxima...»
Ago Noyaki is a traditional local specialty from the Izumo region of Shimane Prefecture. In the local dialect, “ago” means flying fish. Fresh flying fish is made into a smooth fish paste, shaped around a long skewer, and grilled over charcoal until the outside becomes beautifully browned and fragran...»
Shijimi Clam Soup is one of Shimane Prefecture’s most beloved local dishes, made with shijimi clams harvested from Lake Shinji. The clams found in the lake are mainly Yamato shijimi, or freshwater Asiatic clams, which are known for their dark shells, relatively large size, tender meat, and rich umam...»
Suzuki no Hosho-yaki is one of the traditional local dishes of Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. A whole sea bass caught in Lake Shinji is wrapped in traditional Japanese hosho paper and slowly grilled, creating a distinctive dish in which the fish is gently steamed and roasted inside the paper. Sea...»
Dojo cuisine is one of the traditional local foods associated with Yasugi City in Shimane Prefecture. Yasugi is famous not only for dishes made with dojo, or loaches, but also for Yasugi-bushi, a traditional folk song and dance performance featuring the well-known “dojo-sukui,” or loach-catching dan...»
Matsue Ramen is a local style of ramen that has long been enjoyed in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture. It is characterized by medium-thick, slightly curly noodles and a light, salty broth. With very little oil floating on the surface, the soup is often almost transparent, offering a clean and refresh...»
Sasa-maki is a traditional food from Shimane Prefecture made by wrapping rice-flour dumplings in the leaves of Kumazasa bamboo grass and boiling them. It is traditionally prepared from early May to around mid-June, when the fresh bamboo leaves have grown large, and is an important seasonal food for ...»
Tofu Meshi is a traditional home-style dish from Shimane Prefecture, traditionally prepared during the cold season, especially around the time of the winter solstice. It is a simple yet nourishing rice dish made by cooking rice together with lightly fried tofu, wild mountain vegetables, and seasonal...»
Yakuzen cuisine is a style of cooking that combines a variety of foods and traditional herbal ingredients while making the most of the individual characteristics of each ingredient. In Shimane Prefecture, restaurants serving yakuzen-style dishes can be found in various areas, often incorporating sea...»
Kiyomizu Shojin Cuisine is a traditional style of Japanese Buddhist vegetarian cuisine served at a restaurant and inn located within the grounds of Yasugi Kiyomizudera Temple in Yasugi City, Shimane Prefecture. The temple is a historic site of the Tendai school of Buddhism. Enjoying this cuisine wh...»
Tsuda Turnip Pickles are a traditional winter pickle made from Tsuda turnips, a distinctive local vegetable grown around Matsue City in Shimane Prefecture. The turnips are known for their vivid reddish-purple skin and unique aroma, and they have long been enjoyed as part of the local food culture....»
Shijimi Clam Tsukudani is a traditional local specialty of Shimane Prefecture made with freshwater clams known as Yamato shijimi, harvested from Lake Shinji. Located in eastern Shimane, Lake Shinji has a circumference of approximately 45 kilometers and is a brackish lake where seawater and freshwate...»
Shinjiko Yamato clams are one of Shimane Prefecture’s most famous seafood specialties. The clams harvested from Lake Shinji are large, dark-shelled Yamato shijimi, or freshwater marsh clams, known for their distinctive mild sweetness and rich umami. They have long been enjoyed as one of the signatu...»
Matsue is the capital of Shimane Prefecture and one of the largest cities in the San'in region of western Japan. Located in the eastern part of Shimane, the city has developed as a historic castle town surrounded by a rich natural environment. Matsue is known as the “City of Water” because of its c...»
Izumo Tamatsukuri Historic Park is an important archaeological site in Tamayu, Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, where visitors can discover the ancient jewelry-making culture of the Izumo region. The park stretches across a hillside overlooking Tamatsukuri Onsen, one of the region's most famous hot sprin...»
The Izumo Tamatsukuri Museum is a specialized museum in Tamayu Town, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, located next to the Izumo Tamatsukuri Historic Park. It is the only museum in Japan dedicated exclusively to the history and craftsmanship of ancient bead-making. The museum stands on a hill on the...»
Shiomi Nawate is a picturesque historic street in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, stretching for approximately 500 meters along the Horikawa moat on the northern side of Matsue Castle. Lined with traditional samurai residences, the former home of Lafcadio Hearn, and the Meimei-an tea house, the street i...»
Lafcadio Hearn's Former Residence is a historic house in Shiomi Nawate, Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, where the celebrated writer Lafcadio Hearn, also known by his Japanese name Koizumi Yakumo, lived during his time in Matsue. The residence is designated as a National Historic Site and is one of the c...»
Tabe Museum is a museum in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, dedicated primarily to the art and culture of the Japanese tea ceremony. Located along the historic Horikawa moat, the museum offers visitors an opportunity to discover the refined tea culture that has flourished in Matsue for centuries. The mu...»
Samurai Residence is a historic house and museum in Kitahoricho, Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. It stands almost at the center of Shiomi Nawate, a picturesque street along the northern moat of Matsue Castle that preserves the atmosphere of an Edo-period castle town. The residence provides a rare oppor...»
Meimei-an is a historic tea house associated with Matsudaira Fumai, one of the most celebrated daimyo tea masters of the Edo period. Located on a hill in Kitahoricho, Matsue, the tea house stands amid the historic streetscape of Shiomi Nawate, overlooking Matsue Castle. Surrounded by greenery and q...»
The Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum is a literary museum located along Shiomi Nawate, a historic samurai district in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. The museum celebrates the life and achievements of Lafcadio Hearn, also known in Japan as Koizumi Yakumo, a writer who introduced Japanese culture, folklore...»
The Former Okudani Residence of Shimane University is a charming Western-style wooden house in Okudani-cho, Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. Built in 1924 during the Taisho period, it originally served as official housing for foreign teachers at the former Matsue Higher School. Today, the building is a R...»
Kanden-an is a historic tea house and garden in Sugata-cho, Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. It was created in the late 18th century according to the design ideas of Matsudaira Harusato, known as Lord Fumai, the seventh lord of the Matsue domain and one of Japan's most celebrated feudal lords associated ...»
The Matsue History Museum is a museum dedicated to the history and culture of Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. Opened in 2011, it stands beside the moat on the eastern side of Matsue Castle, a National Treasure. Through historical artifacts, models, videos, audio, and other interactive displays, the muse...»
KARAKORO Art Studio is a cultural and commercial complex in Tonomachi, Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, housed in the former Matsue Branch of the Bank of Japan. Opened in 2000, the building has long been a familiar landmark for both local residents and visitors. Following renovations, KARAKORO Art Studi...»
The Tawayama Archaeological Site in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, is one of the most unusual and intriguing archaeological sites from Japan's Yayoi period. Occupied from the latter part of the early Yayoi period through the latter part of the middle Yayoi period, the site offers important clues about ...»
Lake Shinji is one of the most distinctive natural landmarks in Shimane Prefecture. Located in the northeastern part of the prefecture, the lake stretches across Matsue and Izumo and is closely connected with the landscape, history, food culture, and daily life of the region. The lake covers approx...»
Lake Nakaumi is one of the largest and most distinctive lakes in the San'in region of western Japan. Stretching across Matsue and Yasugi in Shimane Prefecture and Yonago and Sakaiminato in Tottori Prefecture, it forms a vast water landscape closely connected with the lives, industries, and natural e...»
Kaga Kugedo is a spectacular coastal landmark located at Kugedobana on the northern coast of Matsue, in the former Shimane Town area. Facing the Sea of Japan, this dramatic site combines enormous sea caves carved by the power of the ocean with ancient Japanese mythology and local religious tradition...»
Daikonshima Island is a scenic island floating in Lake Nakaumi in eastern Shimane Prefecture. Administratively part of Matsue City, the island measures approximately 3.3 kilometers from east to west and 2.2 kilometers from north to south, with an area of about 5.15 square kilometers and a coastline ...»