Shinjo (Okayama)
Understand
[edit]Tourist information site
[edit]The village has an official Japanese-only guide site.
Get in
[edit]If you have a car, Shinjo is on Route 181 (also called the Izumo Kaido after the ancient pilgrimage path), which travels from Yonago in the north to Maniwa where it branches off from the Chugoku Expressway.
There are no train stations in Shinjo, but there are options for those without a car. From Chugoku-Katsuyama Station, there are four buses per day that travel to Shinjo with departures at 08:22, 12:12, 16:02, and 18:59 from Apr to Sep and 18:22 from Oct to Mar. It takes 40 minutes to reach Shinjo from the station. There are also four return buses. By taxi, Shinjo is 20 minutes from Neu Station on the Hakubi Line in Hino.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]- 1 Shinjo-juku (出雲街道新庄宿 Izumokaido Shinjō-juku), 2008-1 Shinjoson, ☏ +81 86-756-2626. Shinjo was one of the stops along the Izumo Pilgrimage Route (Izumo Kaido) that connected Himeji to Izumo where people would visit Izumo Shrine. The Shinjo-juku, also known as the Kishiro-tei (木代邸) is the former wakihonjin used during the Edo Period. Daimyo from Matsue once stayed here.
- 2 Shinjo History and Folk Museum (新庄村歴史民俗資料館), ☏ +81 86-756-3178. 08:30-17:00. The museum building is a historic site, built as a residence during the Edo Period. It houses objects and artifacts from the town with displays about its history. Because the town is small and does not get a lot of tourists, reservations (which can be made by phone) are necessary to enter. ¥100.
Do
[edit]- 1 Gaisen Cherry Blossom Road (がいせん桜通り). Shinjo is most known for its cherry blossoms, the Gaisen cherry blossoms that align its historic street. These are some of the latest-blooming cherry blossoms in the region blooming around mid-April. The cherry blossoms were planted here in 1905 after Japan's victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, so they are aptly named gaisen-zakura, Triumphant Cherry Blossoms.
- 2 Mount Kenashi (毛無山). A mountain popular for hiking, nature, and pure water. It is known for its beech forest and Asian fawnlilies. From the summit, you can see Mount Daisen and the Hiruzen Highlands.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]Hime-no-mochi is one of Shinjo's local specialties. Translated as "Princess mochi", the large difference in day and night temperatures and the purity of the local water are said to contribute to the overall taste and purity of the mochi.
- 1 Meruhen (メルヘン), ☏ +81 86 756-2908. 09:00-17:00. Meruhen is known for its gyumochidon, with the famous local himemochi for ¥650. All of the typical donburi are also available.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Ichirimatsu (一里松), ☏ +81 86-756-3044. An inn on the historic street. Apr-Oct ¥3500, Nov-Mar ¥4000.