This brightly coloured shrine is dedicated to the gods Amaterasu and Susano. As it lies in the west, it was established as a shrine to protect the country after nightfall. It later became a holy site from which to worship the evening sun, and such rituals are held throughout the year. See more details Special [...]

Izumo Taisha is one of Japan’s most well-known and important shrines, and attracts worshippers from all over the country. It is dedicated to the god Okuni-nushi and was built for him in return for him giving up the land to the Yamato rulers. The shrine complex is vast and contains many halls and shrines. The [...]

Iwami Ginzan opened in 1526, and for around 400 years was an active mine. It flourished between 1500 and 1700, and was fought over by many rulers in the area. It came under strict control around the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. At one period, Japan produced a third of the world’s silver, and most [...]

It is said that Tamatsukuri hot spring was discovered 1300 years ago by the god Sukuna-hikona, who appears in Japanese mythology and accompanied Okuni-nushi around  Japan developing the land and industry. The hot spring appears in the ancient chronicles as “the water of the gods”. The sun god Amaterasu, had three sacred treasures, the sword, the mirror [...]

Mt. Yakumo is just behind Suga Shrine in Daito, Unnan, and is famous for being the birthplace of the poetry form “waka”. The mountain spring water is said to be sacred and bring longevity and prevent aging. Getting There: Take the Ichibata Bus bound for Daito from JR Matsue Station. Get off at Suga (approx. [...]

Kezo-ji Temple is located at the top of Mt. Makuragi (456m) in the northern area of Matsue. It was founded over 1000 years ago, but fell into disrepair over the years. The temple was later revived by the ruling clan of Matsue when the castle was built. The temple lies directly north-east of Matsue Castle, [...]

Kumano Taisha Shrine is located just south of central Matsue in the town of Yakumo. Since ancient times it has been known as the highest ranking shrine in the Izumo region. The main shrine is dedicated to Susano, and the other two shrines are dedicated to Inada-hime and Izanami. The shrines precinct is large and [...]

Jozan Inari Shrine was one of Lafcadio Hearn’s favourite places in Matsue. He would pass by the shrine every day on his way to the school where he was teaching, very often stopped to admire the thousands of kitsune statues that used to surround the shrine building. At the behest of the ruling clan of [...]

Senju-in Temple is famous for its 200 year drooping cherry blossm tree. The blossoms bloom fully for around three days and attract many visitors throughout the day and also into the night. The best time to visit is from the end of March to early April. The temple itself was originally located  in Yasugi, however [...]

Located in Tsuwano, this temple is the resting place of 12 generations of the Tsuwano ruling clan. It was built in 1420. It used to be a large temple which trained over 200 monks. The important historical relics of the temple can be viewed freely. Admission tickets are on sale to the right of the [...]

A shrine dedicated to the deity Takemikajichi who acted as negotiator between Okuni-nushi, to whom Izumo Taisha is dedicated, and Amaterasu, the sun goddess who received the land from Okuni-nushi. Access: 25 minutes on foot from Izumo Taisha-mae Station. It is around 15 mins from Izumo Taisha and is opposite Chokoku-ji Temple.

A small and peaceful Inari Shrine not far from Izumo Taisha. Access: 15 minutes on foot from Izumo Taisha-mae Station.