In this series, we would like to get your opinions and tips regarding still popular, but not first choice destinations in Japan, including advice about sights to see, accommodation, restaurants and eateries, onsen experiences, public transport, hikes and other activities in the area.
Today we focus on [Izumo](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5830.html) and [Matsue](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5800.html) region, which was one of the most important regions in the early history of Japan. Izumo Taisha is still one of the most important shrines in Japan that is typically associated Imperial family and Matsue serves as a good base to visit sights boths historical (castle) and modern like Adachi Museum of Art. [Mt. Daisen](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e8150.html) on Tottori side of the area is also still a major pilgrimage and hiking destination. Not to mention that visiting the area may give your Sunset Izumo ride a distinct purpose.
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3 comments
There is a [500 yen bus](https://www.kankou-shimane.com/en/travel_information/7948) from Hiroshima to Matsue.
I enjoyed Matsue and Izumo. It’s a nice area – probably won’t knock your socks off or anything, but it has a very good (original) castle, and Izumo shrine has a lot of history. The lighthouse was closed when I went, but it’s a very nice lighthouse and pretty coastline. I also greatly enjoyed the Yayoi no Mori museum, which is about prehistory Japan and the ancient tombs in the area.
It probably shouldn’t be high up many people’s priority lists of places to go as it’s out of the way and there’s a lot of places that are just a bit more spectacular – but if you’ve got the time it’s worth a look.
I was very pleasantly surprised by Matsue. I had only 1.5 days and wished I could’ve stayed longer. For me the highlight was the castle and surrounding complex.
There is a hop-on/hop-off loop bus that will bring you around the main attractions in Matsue: https://www.visit-matsue.com/info/moving/bus
On my recent visit, between Izumo and Matsue, along the Ichibata line, there were two stops. First, Shimane Winery (Hamayamakoen-Kitaguchi Station) and second, Matsue Vogel Park (Matsue Vogel Park station). The winery was basically self-guided for both the factory ‘tour’ and the tasting, but this makes it easier to visit flexibly and proceed through the attractions in your own time. The ice cream at the on-site cafe was reasonably tasty.
Matsue Vogel Park is a bird-focused zoo with a discount for foreigners. I guess this may be hit and miss depending on how you perceive the various enclosures, but for me it was mostly fine.
For Izumo itself, I don’t think I did anything off the beaten path, but I would recommend the izakaya ‘Daishime’. It’s one of the only places open late in the immediate area and when I went the staff and other patrons created a super friendly atmosphere (though I’m a Japan resident and can speak Japanese). The food was good too.
I’d also recommend renting a cycle to get around Izumo during the day. Maybe no need for heading to the grand shrine, but for quickly getting around the beach and other spots, it was pretty handy and cheap.
For Matsue, the main destination on my trip was Daikonjima. If you’ve ever seen the pictures of the ‘super steep’ bridge (Eshima Ohashi), Daikonjima is where they were probably taken from (e.g. [https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/features/japan-focus/20210508-62433/](https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/features/japan-focus/20210508-62433/)). You do need a pretty long zoom lens to capture the famous view, otherwise it’s pretty small in the distance, but the island itself has a bunch of other small attractions (inc. caves that need booking to enter) related to its volcanic geological history, some cool restaurants/cafes, and flower gardens/parks. The island can be explored on foot, but certainly personal transportation is best for actually getting there. I think there is a bus that goes out there, but a rental car might be best. For my trip I rented a bike from GIANT Matsue and used that to explore.