Although a small countryside town, Tsuwano has festivals with a few hundred years of history. The most important of them is the Heron Dance in July. Performed on the same date every year, it draws a big crowd of spectators. As the most important cere..
Tsuwano dance is a unique obon dance, in the small castle town of Tsuwano, Shimane, that has been performed for over 400 years. It is performed on the 15th of August every year, as their annual Obon dance. The dance itself is slow paced and has 21 st..
Kagura is a dance theater with a long history in the old country of Iwami (currently west Shimane prefecture). This entertainment form is a living part of the region's summer festivals, with many preservation societies still performing. Night-kag..
Matsue is the capital city of Shimane Prefecture, with a population of around 200,000, and there are many reasons for the visitor to travel to this remote part of Japan. Matsue has been called the birthplace of Japan and the water city. The birthplace of idea comes from the fact that part of Jap..
My trip to Izumo and Japan was tied completely to a personal matter. Not visiting as a tourist. Nor planning a leisurly trip. Just following a rather cold plan to concentrate solely on this thing I had to deal with; as it had significant importance to my future. However, you just can not plan a tri..
The little historic port town of Yunotsu, known for its hot springs and the nearby Iwami Silver Mines (both are World Heritage Sites), has several cafes, inns, and bathhouses in remodeled old buildings along its single winding lane. But memories of M..
Midori, one of the four cafés at the Adachi Museum of Art (video, more photos), is elegant and modern with views looking out at the Dry Landscape Garden as well as the White Gravel and Pine Garden through a glass wall. Soft classical music flo..
Whether driving to Yasugi City or through it, you owe it to yourself to stop by Cafe Rosso on Route 9. Cafe Rosso is proudly owned and cared for by world renowned Barista Hiroyuki Kadowaki, a local native of Yasugi. In 2005, Hiroyuki took 2..
Japan is known for its quirky metropolitan cities and the contrasting beauty of its idyllic countryside towns. Where the former is easily accessible, it is difficult for visitors to decide upon a location that will live up to the massive expectations..
The Oki Plaza Hotel is a tall building conveniently located in the Saigo Port a 5 minute walk from the ferry terminal. Standing proudly at a full 10 stories high it's the tallest building in the Oki archipelago. A walk around the local area takes..
The Oki Seaside Hotel Tsurumaru known to the locals as 'Tsurumaru' is an ocean front complex with its own yacht harbor. Nearly every room faces the ocean and the environment of the Oki Islands Geopark surrounds you in a tranquil mix of salty ..
The Yoshige family was a wealthy merchant family during the Tsuwano domain, trading in a number of goods as well as starting various financial services with the Hori family from Hatagasako Their mansion now functions as a private art museum and feat..
Hatagasako Hospital was built in 1892 by Reizou Hori. Originating from the Hori clan, Reizou Hori was placed in charge of the copper mines within the Tsuwano domain where their mansion is located 300 meters uphill from the former Hatagasako Hospital ..
"Tsuwano: Then and Now: A Walk through the Hyakkeizu" (One Hundred Views); has been designated as one of Japan's National Heritage stories by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2015. The Tsuwano Hyakkeizu depicts the Tsuwano Domain at t..
