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Shimane

Home of Izumo-Taisha, Matsue Castle and the Oki Islands

About Shimane

Things to do in Shimane

Around Shimane

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Shimane Top 10

  1. Japan's Oldest Hot Springs
    1

    Japan's Oldest Hot Springs

    Matsue
  2. Tamatsukuri Onsen, Shimane
    2

    Tamatsukuri Onsen, Shimane

    Matsue
  3. Hinomisaki Lighthouse in Izumo
    3

    Hinomisaki Lighthouse in Izumo

    Culture
  4. Shimane Prefecture
    4

    Shimane Prefecture

    Matsue
  5. Yabusame Horse Archery Tsuwano
    5

    Yabusame Horse Archery Tsuwano

    Culture
  6. Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine
    6

    Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine

    Culture
  7. Sunset Over Lake Shinji
    7

    Sunset Over Lake Shinji

    Matsue
  8. Matsue Castle
    8

    Matsue Castle

    Matsue
  9. Sunset at Hinomisaki Lighthouse
    9

    Sunset at Hinomisaki Lighthouse

    Photostory
  10. Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine
    10

    Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine

    Culture

Tours and experiences

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Where to eat in Shimane

Okigyu 8
Food

Okigyu

Sherilyn Siy

Beautifully marbled beef richer than its commercial counterparts in monosaturated fats, omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids and lower..

2
Ajinokura 6
Food

Ajinokura

Sherilyn Siy

The Oki Islands is a sushi and sashimi afficionado's paradise. One of the best local restaurants to enjoy the freshest catch..

1
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Places to stay in Shimane

Fukuma-kan
Japanese

Fukuma-kan

Lester Goh

Located in the Mihonoseki Harbour on the Northern tip of Shimane Peninsula, Fukuma-kan is a ryokan offering magnificent views of..

3
Reso Oki Rosage 8
Western

Reso Oki Rosage

Rory Jackson

Reso Oki Rosage is a large oceanside resort with comfortable rooms, a karaoke room, and a great view you can't escape.

1
Kuniga-so 7
Ryokan

Kuniga-so

Sherilyn Siy

Of the many places we visited in the Oki Islands, Nishinoshima is home to one of the most memorable travel experiences I've..

1
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Tamatsukuri Onsen
Beauty & Spa

Tamatsukuri Onsen

Featured

Matsue has two areas famous for its natural hot spring water – Tamatsukuri Onsen and Shinjiko Onsen.

2
En-musubi in the Izumo Region
Culture

En-musubi in the Izumo Region

Featured

Izumo Taisha, or Izumo Grand Shrine, is one of the most famous and most significant Shinto shrines in Japan. Though the date of..

2
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About Shimane

Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Chugoku
Island Honshu
Capital Matsue
Population 717,397
Area 6708.23 sq. km

Located in western Honshu, Shimane Prefecture (島根県, Shimane-ken) is an unfairly underrated tourist destination; there’s more to see and do here than what some people might tell you. 

Shimane is most noted for the Izumo-Taisha, which is one of Japan’s can’t-miss sites and is a surprisingly popular date spot; it houses the Shinto deity of marriage, attracting couples from all over the country. Matsue Castle and Kamosu Jinja are two of Matsue City’s most prominent features, along with its many hot springs.

The Oki Islands have some of Japan’s most pristine coasts, while the Adachi Museum of Art is renowned for its breathtaking Japanese garden. The Iwami Ginzan, the largest silver mine in Japanese history, is a World Heritage Site.  

Around Shimane

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