For an off the beaten path travel experience, Shimane's capital city of Matsue has plenty to offer. Whether it's a visit to the iconic Matsue Castle, or the serene views of Lake Shinji that you soak up, there's something for just about every traveler to enjoy.
If you're a tea lover in particular, Matsue has a number of beautiful teahouses to enjoy. Meimei-an is one of those, and the scenery from the gardens outside the teahouse is breathtakingly beautiful. You can see Matsue Castle from the garden itself, completely unobstructed on the horizon.
For more details about what there is to see and do in and around Matsue, check out the following link.
Getting there
Matsue is accessible via Shimane's Izumo Airport. Both ANA and JAL fly to the region, with a flight time of around 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Alternatively if you're trying to save some dough, overnight buses by Willer Express travel from Tokyo to Yonago in Tottori, then onto Matsue and Izumo.
A hop-on, hop-off tourist bus is available from Matsue Station, with departures approximately every 20 minutes.
