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Shimane

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

About Shimane
Photo: maso11 / Shutterstock.com

Top Attractions in Shimane

Around Shimane

Matsue

Matsue

Matsue is the capital city of Shimane Prefecture, with a population of around 200,000, and there are many reasons for the vis...

Shimane
Oki Islands

Oki Islands

Have you ever heard of Shimane Prefecture? Probably not…That’s what most people say, not just travelers from overseas, but pe...

Shimane
Tsuwano

Tsuwano

Tsuwano (津和野) is a castle town nestled in a valley in western Shimane prefecture, bordering Yamaguchi. Tsuwano's town cent...

Shimane

Top Articles

Upcoming Shimane Events

Heron Dance

Heron Dance

Denes Perlaky

The Heron dance is a longstanding tradition in Tsuwano, protecting people from illnesses since about 400 years ago. The white...

Shimane
Tsuwano's Obon Dance

Tsuwano's Obon Dance

Denes Perlaky

Tsuwano dance is a unique obon dance, in the small castle town of Tsuwano, Shimane, that has been performed for over 400 year...

Shimane

Where to eat in Shimane

Oki Sannana 7

Oki Sannana

Sherilyn Siy

What is comfort food like in the Oki Islands? The freshest seafood you can get, which includes the prized turban shell, known...

Shimane
Okigyu 8

Okigyu

Sherilyn Siy

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

Shimane

Places to stay in Shimane

Kuniga-so 7

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 h...

Shimane
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...

Shimane

Latest Shimane 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 ho...

Shimane
Izumo Airport

Izumo Airport

Kim

The Izumo Enmusubi Airport is conveniently located in close proximity to the cultural centers of Izumo and Matsue in Shimane.

Shimane
Nima Sand Museum

Nima Sand Museum

Kim

Shimane's Nima Sand Museum lays claim to being the home of the world's largest hourglass - it takes a full year from the sand...

Shimane
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About Shimane

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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