Shimane Prefecture (島根県 Shimane-ken) is in the western Chugoku region of the main Japanese island Honshu.
Understand
[edit]Shimane and neighboring Tottori prefecture are known as the San'in (山陰) region, meaning "the shady side of the mountains". There is a mountain range separating these two prefectures from Hiroshima and Okayama, called San'yo (山陽, the bright side) region. Since prevailing winds blow in from the Japan Sea, trapping the moisture on the San'in side, the weather here is drastically wetter than further to the south.
With some 650,000 souls in 2023, Shimane is the 2nd least populous prefecture in Japan, although it may soon cede this crown to neighboring Tottori since it's also the most rapidly shrinking prefecture in the country, losing some 5% of its population each and every year. The few hardy tourists who make it here tend to make a beeline for Matsue's castle and the famed shrine of Izumo.
Tourist information
[edit]The prefecture has an official multilingual Tourism Guide site.
Cities
[edit]- 1 Matsue — Japan's smallest prefectural capital, Matsue has an original (not reconstructed) castle.
- 2 Izumo — Site of Izumo Taisha, one of Japan's most famous shrines.
- 3 Hamada — Fishing port and recreation area.
- 4 Tsuwano — Referred to as "Little Kyoto," home to a steam train and the birthplace of Mori Ogai.
- 5 Masuda — The westernmost city in Shimane and long-time home of Sesshu, a famous historical Japanese artist.
- 6 Gotsu — A small industrial city between Hamada and Ōda.
- 7 Oda — A midsize city close to Iwami Ginzan and Mt. Sanbe.
- 8 Yasugi — Site of the Adachi Art Museum, Yasugi borders Yonago in Tottori Prefecture. On a clear day you can spot the snow-capped Mt. Daisen to the north.
Other destinations
[edit]
- 3 Oki Islands
- 4 Okuizumo
- 5 Unnan
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]Shimane's main airport is 1 Izumo Airport (IZO IATA), which has flights to Japan's main cities and serves both Izumo and Matsue. 2 Miho-Yonago Airport (YGJ IATA), just across the border in Tottori, is also a viable alternative and has a few international flights to Seoul and Taipei as well.
3 Iwami Airport (IWJ IATA) at the far western end of the prefecture near Yamaguchi has a solitary flight to Tokyo, while the remote Oki Islands are served by 4 Oki Airport (OKI IATA) with flights to Izumo and Osaka-Itami.
By train
[edit]Shimane is on the Japan Rail San'in Main Line, which runs along western Honshu's sea coast between Kyoto and Shimonoseki.
Japan Rail's Sunrise Izumo night train runs between Tokyo, Matsue and Izumo. Prices vary depending on the accommodation booked, which range from simple berths to private cabins.
The Super Yakumo express train connects Matsue and Izumo to Okayama.
The Super Oki JR train line originating in Shin-Yamaguchi stops at a number of cities and town in Shimane prefecture.
By bus
[edit]Get around
[edit]The best way to get around Shimane is to drive. Most towns and cities, especially those on the coast, can also reached by train. Buses go pretty much everywhere, but some places may only have a few buses a day.
To reach the Oki Islands, you can either fly from Izumo or catch the Oki Kisen ferries from Shichirui (七類) or Sakaeminato (境港), both closer to Yonago than Matsue.
See
[edit]
Do
[edit]There are many ski resorts in the prefecture. Most will blow snow when it hasn't fallen, giving a reliable season from late November until late March.
Mizuho Highland is the biggest (10 slopes, 5km longest run) and probably best (the only half-pipe in the region) resort.
The Yabusame (horse-back archery) festivals of Shimane are quite famous, especially that of Tsuwano, which holds the oldest Yabusame range in all of Japan (some 1000+ years old). They usually are held in early April. If one is particularly lucky, the festival will coincide with the cherry blossoms blooming, for the consummate Japanese cultural experience.
During the year there are numerous festivals. Many towns and cities have a fireworks show in August.
Eat
[edit]To get a taste of Matsue and the area around Lake Shinji, you should try to sample the famous Seven Delicacies of Lake Shinji: Shijimi clams, icefish, eel, sea bass, among others. For the most authentic soba in Izumo, make sure to try Warigo Soba served in triple-stacked lacquerware. Hamada serves a specialty fishcake made with red pepper powder called Akaten ("red tenpura", in this case meaning fried fishcake).
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- For cheap accommodations, the prefecture has a number of youth hostels.