History / Culture / Tour Spots in Shimane Area

  • Hanzake Nature Museum of Mizuho
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    3.5
    4 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Ochigunonanchou Kamikamedani 475
    "This Japanese giant salamander museum is located an approximately 20-minute drive from the Oasa Interchange on the Hamada Expressway. It is also called ""hanzake"" in Shimane Prefecture and more commonly ""living fossils,"" the museum has a Japanese giant salamander breeding exhibit. Besides the large water tank where they are bred that is about five meters wide and reproduces the river in Onan-cho, there is a corner there you can learn about the behavior of the giant salamander by experiencing their smell and other things. In addition, it is also a facility where you can learn about the rich nature of Onan-cho. In addition, they also sell cute souvenirs of Japanese giant salamander figurines."

    島根県ではオオサンショウウオのことを「ハンザケ」と呼んでいるそうです。今年9月に生まれたばかりの赤ちゃんから、30年前に動物園から譲り受けたお父さんまで、「3千万年前の化石と今の姿がほとんど変わっていない世界最大の両生類」を見ることができました。

  • Hamada Castle Ruins
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Hamada Tonomachi 123-10
    A five-minute drive from the Hamada Interchange on the Hamada Expressway and a 20-minute walk from JR Hamada Station. The ruins of Hamada Castle stand on a small, 70-meter-high hill. During the approximate 250 year span from when it was constructed in the early Edo period until it fell during a battle with the forces of Choshu Domain, the castle served as the main stronghold for the Hamada Domain government. Today, the stone base and walls of the castle still remain, and a park has been built around them. This park is also a popular cherry blossom viewing destination in spring. The site has been designated a Cultural Property by Shimane Prefecture and was also selected as Continued series of Japan's Top 100 Castles in 2017.
  • Mii-jinja Shrine
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    4.5
    2 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Izumoshi Hikawachounaoe 2518
    The Mii Shrine, which is mentioned in some of Japan’s oldest historical records, including the Kojiki (“Records of Ancient Matters”) and the Fudoki (local gazetteers), is dedicated to the worship of Konomata-no-kami, a deity who is also mentioned in these ancient records. Konomata-no-kami is the god of childbirth and water, and so the Mii Shrine became famous as a place to come to pray for a safe and trouble-free birth. There are three wells at the Shrine which are said to be among the oldest in Japan: the Iku-i Well, dedicated to the water god of safe childbirth, the Saku-i Well, dedicated to the water god of children’s wellbeing, and the Tsunaga-i Well, dedicated to the water god of children’s longevity.

    日曜日の午後に参拝。 駐車場も広く社務所も有人なので、境内は清浄。 ご祭神は木俣姫。 口伝では、この姫は八千矛王と八上姫の子で下照姫という。鳥取県の倭文神社のご祭神にもなっている。勿論こちらも安産の神様。 古事記にあるように、木の又に子を挟んで出て行く母なんているはずがないので、こちらの方が信憑性がある。 神社は水田に囲まれたのどかなところにあり水気も多く、境内の古木さえも生命力を感じる所だった。

  • Kashima Museum of History and Folklore
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    3.5
    2 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Matsue-shi Kashimacho Myobun 1355-4
    This museum opened in 1987 as a base for promoting regional culture. It preserves and exhibits materials and excavated artifacts to tell the story of Kashima's ancient history. The cross-section of the stripped shell layer of the largest Jomon shell mound in the San'in region, the Sada Kobu shell mound, is a sight to behold. The museum also houses many buried cultural properties such as the ruins of the Koura Sand Dunes, known as a mass grave from the early Yayoi period (300 BC-300 AD), and artifacts from the Horibe I Site, a prefectural historic site. There is also video of the Sada Shinno, registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, allowing anyone to easily experience traditional culture and local history.

    弥生時代前期には出雲の海の玄関口として、朝鮮半島との交流があったそうです。朝鮮半島の土器など、海を通じた交流にかかわる資料が展示してありました。この地方の、古代の歴史について知ることができました。

  • Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine & Ryugenji Mabu
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Odashi Omorichou
    The only such tunnel that is open to the public is among the remains of the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine which has been designated as a World Heritage Site. This is a tunnel which was developed in the middle of the Edo period and was one of five silver mine tunnels which were directly managed by the Edo period prefectural governor. The tunnel has an overall length of 600 meters, and out of this total, 273 meters are open to the public; only the traces left by the miners at that time remain on the walls of the tunnel. Remembering back the severity of the work at that time, it is said that “Horiko” (a mining worker) could dig only about 30 centimeters in a day. In 2007, it was registered as Asia’s first World Culture and National Heritage site as a mining site.
  • Adachi Art Museum Shinkan
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Shimane Yasugi-shi Furukawacho 353
  • Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine World Heritage Site
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Odashi Omorichou
    A silver mine once one of the largest in Japan and the world, today the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a tourism destination located in Ohda City, Shimane Prefecture. The mine’s prime extended from the late Warring States period to the early Edo period, and the facility played an important role in the trade of East Asia. A portion of the mine’s tunnels are open to the general public for viewing. Nearby, the Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center and the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Museum present historical materials relating to the mine.
  • Iwami Adachi Museum
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    4.0
    1 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Shimane Hamada Kushirocho 1655-28
    This museum stands on the border between Hamada City and Gotsu City. The white-walled building holds a collection of ancient art like swords and pottery centered on pieces from the Iwami region. A single-story steel reinforced concrete building standing amidst white sand and green pines, it was registered as the prefecture's third museum in 1979 in accordance with the Museum Act. To this day, it stands as a hall of arts in Iwami in both name and fact. It offers clear introductions to the cultural history of the Iwami region, including ancient art, folk crafts, and more. Their collection of Iwami Nagahama dolls has a reputation for its number and is particularly impressive.

    安達啓二氏のコレクションを中心にして5世紀ころからの石見地方の出土品である刀剣、陶磁器などを展示しています。石見地方の古美術、民芸など長浜人形を見られます。これは博多人形の技法を使っているそうです。福岡に住む自分には興味深いものでした。

  • Okuizumo Tane Museum of Natural History
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Shimane Pref. Nitagunokuizumochou Sajiro 236-1
    This is a museum as well as providing accommodation and offers an original exhibition with the theme of the evolution of the universe and the history of life. The museum exhibits unique displays of the earth's history through a time tunnel, fossils of the ocean and dinosaurs and images of Japanese space exploration. Various accommodation plans are offered as well.
  • Kojindani Ruins
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Izumoshi Hikawachoukamba 873-8 In Arashi Kamiya Historical Park
    These ruins were discovered in 1983 and 358 bronze swords from the Yayoi period and other bronze ware were excavated. The discovery of six bell-shaped bronze pots and 16 bronze spearheads deepened interest of the Yayoi period. Have fun at the park with reconstructed dwellings and a museum while thinking of the ancient times.
  • Homotsuden (Treasure Hall)
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Izumoshi Taishachoukidukihigashi
    The treasure hall in the precincts of Izumo Taisha has exhibited valuable items since 1981. In 2000 the exhibition hall was renovated to commemorate the Daisen-gu Shrine of Heisei (Sengu means temporary removal of the body of god while the main shrine undergoes rebuilding or restoration.) and the pillars of the ancient Imperial main building are displayed.
  • Mankusen Shrine
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Izumoshi Hikawachouaikawa 258
    This shrine conveys the myth that it is the last stop for the eight million gods who gather nationally to worship during the Shinto festival, held every October (old lunar calendar). The gods that gather include, Kushimikenu-no-mikoto, Sukunahikona-no-mikoto, Oonamuchi-no-kami and Yaoyorozu-no-kami and visitors can receive various kinds of good fortune.
  • Otome Toge Maria Seido
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Kanoashiguntsuwanochou Ushiroda Otometoge
    This is a small Christian church, built in the land of Christian martyrdom Otome Pass. In the first year of the Meiji era (1868) when Christianity was forbidden, 153 Christians from Nagasaki Urakami were imprisoned in Korin Temple at Otome Pass. Following cruel torturing to renounce their religion, 36 martyrs had emerged by 1870, and it is said that the Virgin Mary descended to give encouragement to her believers. The eight stained glass windows in the church show the state of martyrdom at the time. A special mass is held on May 3rd as part of the “Otome Pass Festival” to remember these martyrs.
  • Nishi Amane Former Residence
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Prefecture Tsuwano Ushiroda 64-6
    This is the residence of the philosopher, Nishi Amane who was the first person to introduce Western philosophy to Japan creating words such as “Tetsugaku” (philosophy) and “Kankaku” (sense), and lived until he was 21 years old at this residence. After the Meiji Restoration, Nishi served consecutively as a bureaucrat in the Army, the Ministry of Education and at the Home Office, and he also participated in the drawing up of the Meiji Constitutional draft. Mori Ogai was a relative of Nishi Amane; his former residence sits across the Tsuwano River directly across from where Ogai’s former residence is built. The thatched main wing of the house and the Amane’s study room which was formerly a storehouse has also been designated as a National Historic Site.
  • Ogai Mori Former Residence
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Kanoashiguntsuwanochou Machida Lee 230
    Mori Ogai from Tsuwano was a literary master from the Meiji period, who was also a military doctor. The former residence of Mori Ogai is the home he lived in until he was 10 years of age. He passed away leaving a will which stated, “I want to die as Rintaro Mori from Shimane Prefecture”. From this we can also see his thoughts towards Tsuwano. In the garden there is a monument carved with Ogai’s poem “Botan” which is engraved with Sato Haruo’s writing brush. In addition, you can see pictures and letters related to Ogai at the Mori Ogai Memorial Museum which is adjacent.
  • Kigami Jinja Shrine
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Odashi Omorichou Lee 1477
    This shrine located in Ota City’s Omori town in Shimane Prefecture enshrines Okuninushi, the guardian deity of the town. The shrine which was in Umaji’s Kigamiyama was moved by the Ouchi clan to Oomorimachi Atagosan in 1434, and the Mori clan moved it to its present location in 1577. One of the sights to see is inside the haiden (worship hall). Sitting at the center of the wooden floor, you can find a colorful “crying dragon” painted above on the ceiling, and clapping your hands together creates an echo as if the dragon was howling. The shrine is famous as a place for matchmaking and there are many offerings of heart-shaped wooden plaques.
  • Ruins of Shimizudani Smelting Works
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Odashi Omorichou
    During the Meiji period, using the slopes at the foot of the mountain, the “Shimizudani Smelting Works” was built with cutting-edge technology at the time. However, as the quality of the ore deposits worsening and became unprofitable than originally anticipated, in 1896 after only a year and a half, the operation of the smelting works were suspended. Nowadays, the historic ruins of stone masonry are all that remain.
  • Washihara Hachimangu Shrine
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Pref. Kanoashiguntsuwanochou Washibara A) 632-2
    This shrine is located near Tsuwano Jozan Park in Tsuwano Town. The three principal shrine gods are Homutawake-no-mikoto (Emperor Ojin), Tamayori-hime and Okinagatarashi-hime-no-mikoto (Empress Jingu) Hchiman-mikami, and it is known as the temple adjacent to Japan's oldest Yabusame horseback archery field (a Shimane Prefecture-designated Historic Site), and the shrine is a nationally-designated Important Cultural Property depicted in the 100 Landscapes of Tsuwano. The shrine has Muromachi period (1336-1573 as a rough guide) Shinto architecture, the tower gate, front shrine and main building are in a straight line, and there are approximately 600 year-old large cedar trees on the mountain behind it. At the spring grand festival held on the second Sunday of every April, many tourists come for the Yabusame horseback archery ritual.
  • Kamo Iwakura Ruins
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Unnan-shi Kamocho Iwakura 837-24
    This site became famous in 1996 when 39 bronze ritual bells were excavated from a rural road's construction area. The items are from the middle to the late Yayoi period, and they represent the most found at a single location nationwide. Of the almost 500 bronze ritual bells that have been unearthed nationwide, about 50 of them have come from Izumo. Izumo is also close to the Kojindani Ruins, the location of Japan's biggest discovery of bronze swords. It's evidence of the powerful forces present in ancient Izumo. Kamo Iwakura Ruins Guidance, a building to the rear of the site, showcases replicas of the artifacts and a recreation of the excavation site for you to tour.
  • Hirata Honjin Memorial Museum, Izumo
    Travel / Tourism
    Shimane Izumo-shi Hiratacho 515
    This museum consists of a Matsue Domain troop headquarters which was built in 1735 and later moved here and restored. The headquarters was once located on the grounds of an estate which belonged to the Honkisa, the foremost merchant family in San'in, who built their wealth through brewing and cotton sales. The building's reception room retains its original, period architecture; there's also a Japanese garden created in the Izumo-ryu style. The Onarimon gate, which serves as the entranceway to the inner courtyard, was reserved for use by the lords of the domain at the time, and this too has been moved to the site intact. The museum hall to the right of the main building was once actually lived in by members of the Honkisa family and displays works of art which belonged to the family as well as other fine artworks and crafts.

Shimane Areas

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What Shimane prefecture lacks in size and population, it makes up for in scenery and ancient mythology. Izumo-taisha, in the middle of the prefecture, is said to be Japan’s oldest Shinto shrine, where stories that delve into the creation of the Japanese race have been passed down over centuries. The 180 Oki Islands, a 40-minute ferry ride north of Sakaiminato, offer an undiscovered paradise well off the beaten track.

Shimane Photo Album

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