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Matsue

Shimane's lakeside, coastal capital city

About Matsue
Photo: hayakato / Shutterstock.com

Things to do in Matsue

Upcoming Matsue Events

Matsue Water Light Road 2024

Matsue Water Light Road 2024

Late Sep - Mid Oct

Now in its 20th year, the Matsue Water Light Road event brings a variety of beautiful illuminations to Shimane's capital. Various..

Free Entry

Shimane Top 10

Where to eat in Matsue

Kissa Kiharu Cafe

Kissa Kiharu Cafe

Kim

If you're headed to the Matsue History Museum, you have to pay a visit to the on-site cafe known as Kissa Kiharu. The cafe serves..

Ramen Dining Naseba Naru Kakeru

Ramen Dining Naseba Naru Kakeru

Kim

Ramen Dining Naseba Naru Kakeru is located inside Matsue Station, and provides an easy to navigate menu and experience - particularly..

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Places to stay in Matsue

Fukuma-kan

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..

4

Latest Matsue Reports

Matsue's Kounkaku

Matsue's Kounkaku

Kim

Matsue's Kounkaku was built to entertain the Emperor of Japan in the early 1900s. Since then, it's been a venue for events..

3
Shimane Art Museum

Shimane Art Museum

Kim

The Shimane Art Museum has a wealth of art on display from both Japanese and international artists. Of particular interest are works..

3
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About Matsue

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 Japan’s socio-political identity emerged there prior to and during the Yamato period. The water city concept comes from the magnificent Lake Shinji and the Japan Sea.

From our editor:

I dislike comparing one place to another but on my first visit to Matsue I was reminded of Rochester, New York. While the Japan Sea is quite a bit bigger than Lake Ontario, it is easy to envision the foreign lands that are on the other side of the horizon. In Rochester’s case it’s Canada, while Matsue’s overseas neighbors are Korea, Russia and China.

Coming into Matsue on the bus as I did, I looked out of the window and recognized the aspects of life you see in most cities: businesses opening and closing, company employees going out for a drink, and the hustle and bustle of major boulevards.

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