Shimane Attractions: Shinto Gods, Surreal Gardens, and an Austere Black Castle
A Japanophile who has survived 15 solo trips to Japan. Ced's visits focus on discovering the country’s lesser-known attractions.
Autumn sightseeing at the most famous Shimane Prefecture attractions.
All images by Ced Yong
In Japan, remote Shimane Prefecture (島根県) has long been renowned for two historical attractions.
The first is Stately Matsue Castle—one of the few remaining original (i.e. unreconstructed) castles in the country and widely beloved for its austere, jet-black keep.
The second is Izumo Shrine, believed to be the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan and heavily associated with the most important Shinto creation myths. For example, the ones endorsing the reign of the current Japanese Royal Family.
A big fan of all things Japanese, I’ve long wanted to visit Shimane Prefecture. However, the lack of swift transportation from Japan’s major cities kept me away for over 20 years.
In the autumn of 2018, though, I finally made the journey, traveling over three hours by train from Okayama City to Matsue, the regional capital of Shimane. The next day, I embarked on a whirlwind tour of key Shimane attractions, a day trip that included the above-mentioned landmarks as well as the Adachi Museum of Art. The museum, itself, internationally famous for its collection of stunning Japanese gardens.
Without further ado, here are my pictures from that hectic autumn day trip. My summary for this visit, it was indeed a day steeped in Japanese culture, history, and oriental-style aesthetic perfection.
Izumo Shrine (出雲大社, Izumo Taisha)
At the crack of dawn, literally with the first rays of sunlight hitting JR Matsue Station, I hopped onto the local train service that would ferry me from Matsue to nearby Izumo City (known as Izumo-Shi in Japanese).
The ride lasted slightly more than half an hour and although I managed to grab a seat, I can’t say it was enjoyable as the whole carriage was full of noisy students heading to school. The chatter did, however, remind me of the many high-school rom-com Anime series I’ve binged on in recent years. Correspondingly, it brought on a few smiles on my face.
Murals at Izumo-Shi Station. One look and I knew I had arrived in the heartland of Shinto mythology.
To go into a bit of history, Izumo means "out of the clouds" in Japanese and was previously the name of an ancient province encompassing the eastern part of modern-day Shimane Prefecture. Believed by historians to have once been an independent political entity, Izumo was absorbed into the expanding Yamato Empire around the 4th century, Yamato being the dynastic name of the current Japanese Royal Family.
The grand walkway connecting the town and Izumo Shrine.
What’s interesting is that despite academic theories, within Shintoism, Izumo is still widely believed to be the setting for numerous key creation myths.
For example, Izumo is said to be the resting place of Izanami, mother of numerous Shinto Gods. The ancient province was also supposedly where Storm God Suzanoo battled the eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi, thereafter finding the grass-cutting sword (Kusanagi no Tsurugi). The mythical sword is as of today, still one of the Three Imperial Regalia of the Japanese Royal Family.
As for Izumo Shrine itself, it is revered as one of the most sacred shrines of Shintoism and dedicated to some of the most important deities in the faith. Naturally, it is also considered the most religiously significant Shimane attraction.
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Of note, because of the shrine’s association with Okuninushi-no-Mikoto, a god who went through many hardships to win the hand of his spouse, Izumo Shrine is doubly famous as the place to pray for love. So I’ve been told, many Japanese women make the journey to the shrine each year to pray for a good husband.
Furthermore, up till 1744, the structures of Izumo Shrine were regularly rebuilt according to classic Shinto traditions. Also, the 10th to the 17th day of the 10th lunar month is said to be when all Shinto gods convene at Izumo Shrine for an annual meeting.
The 10th lunar month is thus known as “Kamiarizuki” or "month with deities" in Izumo. Correspondingly, the same month is referred to as “Kannazuki” or “month without deities” everywhere else in Japan.
Matsue Castle (松江城, Matsue Jou)
Returning to Matsue via the same route I used earlier, I hopped into a cab and made my way to the world-famous Matsue Castle. The comfortable ride took but 10 minutes.
Now, I’ve mentioned several times in my other Japan travel write-ups that Japanese castles are often best appreciated from outside rather than from within, no thanks to steep steps, the disallowing of shoes, and so on. Figuring that I wouldn’t be returning to Matsue anytime soon, though, I made an exception and hiked up the austere keep to its highest level.
Overall, while I can’t say the view I was rewarded with was unforgettable, there was little else to complain about. The day was exceptionally clear. The keep itself was also uncrowded and easy to enjoy.
Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum (小泉八雲記念館, Koizumi Yakumo Kinenkan)
From Matsue Castle, it was an easy 15-minute walk to the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum. This small but well-managed museum is probably low on most international visitors’ checklists. However, if you are fond of Japanese horror stories and folklore, as I am, I dare say this museum is an even bigger must-visit than the castle when in Matsue.
Hearn also goes by his Japanese name of Koizumi Yakumo.
Born in Greece in 1850, journalist and writer Lafcadio Hearn resettled permanently in Japan in his middle age, following which he wrote various retellings of classic Japanese folktales and ghost stories. The most famous of which being Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things.
Apart from introducing Japan to the western world back then, these collections eventually became staples in Japanese horror storytelling. Yokai such as the Snow Woman, the Long Neck Lady, and the Faceless Tribe are still regularly depicted in movies, Anime, Manga, and video games today.
In other words, a visit to Hearn’s memorial museum is much more than a historical or literary pilgrimage. For a Yokai fan like me, it was also a homage to the wicked tales that have delighted and terrified me since young.
Adachi Museum of Art (足立美術館 Adachi Bijutsukan)
Somewhat worn out by all the walking, I briefly considered skipping the Adachi Museum of Art after returning to JR Matsue Station.
How unforgivable this would have been had I given in to that dreadful notion! While the journey from Matsue Station to the museum was rather dreary, I was immediately enlivened on entering this world-famous Shimane attraction.
Simply put, the gardens here are not only visually gorgeous—they are positively ethereal and completely worthy of their reputation of being among the best Japanese gardens in the world. Appreciating them from the dedicated viewing windows of the museum, the experience is akin to staring into another world. No matter how exhausted you are, you will immediately feel uplifted.
Appendix: How to Travel to Shimane Prefecture When in Japan
Japan’s various airlines have numerous domestic flights to Izumo Airport and Yonago Airport daily. These two airports are the regional air transportation hubs of Shimane prefecture.
From JR Okayama Station, the Super Yakumo Limited Express train service also travels directly to JR Matsue Station. The trip takes approximately three hours and is usually uncrowded. JR Okayama Station itself is also a major Shinkansen stop on the Shinkansen Sanyo Line.
Notably, the Super Yakumo service stops at Yasugi Station, this being the pick-up point for the free coach service to Adachi Museum of Art.
© 2019 Ced Yong
