- TOP
- Matsue City
- Sightseeing Spots
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Completed in 1611 and one of the few remaining original castles in Japan, Matsue Castle was built over a five-year period by Yoshiharu Horio, founder of Matsue City. The central tower is the only such remaining in the San-in Regionand visitors are treated to a panoramic view from its top floor. Beautiful camellia and cherry blossoms fill the castle grounds during spring.
Discount available for international visitors. 
<ADMISSION DISCOUNT>
Adult, ¥280. Elementary school student, ¥140.
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| Address | 1-5, Tono-machi, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 10 minutes by Ichibata bus from JR Matsue Station, get off at Kencho mae bus stop and walk 5 minutes. |
| Opening hours | [Entry to Main Castle] Apr.-Sept. 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Oct.-Mar. 8:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m. [Entry to Castle Tower] Apr.-Sept. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (Entry by 6:00 p.m.) Oct.-Mar. 8:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m. (Entry by 4:30p.m.) |
| Admission | ¥550 (International visitors 50% off) |
| Closed | Open every day |
| Tel | 0852-21-4030 |
| URL | http://www.matsue-tourism.or.jp/m_castle/m_castle.htm |
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A small boat takes passengers around Matsue Castle and through the city's canals. Along the way, passengers will pass under 16 bridges - some low enough so that the boat's awning must be lowered to pass - a fun experience for all. Kotatsu heaters are placed in the boat during winter and passengers can literally experience the "warmth" of Japanese tradition.
Discount available for international visitors.
<ADMISSION DISCOUNT>
Adult, ¥800. Elementary school student, ¥400.
DATA
| Board from | (Three locations available) Horikawa Fureai Hiroba (Kuroda-cho) Karakoro Hiroba (Kyomise) Otemae Hiroba (Tono-machi) |
|---|---|
| Address | 507-1, Kuroda-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
| Tel | 0852-27-0417 |
| Opening hours | 01 Mar-30 Jun, 9:00-17:00 01 Jul-31 Aug, 9:00-18:00 01 Sep-20 Oct, 9:00-17:00 21 Oct-30 Nov, 9:00-16:00 01 Dec-End of Feb, 10:00-15:00 |
| Closed | Open every day |
| URL | http://www.matsue-horikawameguri.jp/en/ |
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This is one of those samurai residences where a middle-ranking samurai of the Matsue domain lived about 270 years ago. Items and furniture used in the samurai's daily life, such as the sword drawer and makeup kit for Ohabugo (painting one’s teeth black) are also on display. The elegance of the entrance and parlor contrasts with the plainness of the private quarters, from which you may see the distinction between the public and private lives of samurai.
Discount available for international visitors.
<ADMISSION DISCOUNT>
Adult, ¥150. Elementary school student, ¥80.
DATA
| Address | 305 Kitahori-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 15-minute ride by Lake Line Bus from JR Matsue Station, get off at Shiomi-Nawate bus stop. |
| Opening hours | Apr.- Sept. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (entry by 6:10 p.m.) Oct.- Mar. 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (entry by 4:40 p.m.) |
| Admission | Adults ¥300, Elementary school students ¥150 |
| Closed | Open every day |
| Tel | 0852-22-2243 |
| URL | http://www.matsue-tourism.or.jp/buke/buke_yashiki.htm |
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Lafcadio Hearn, a writer well known for Miminashi-Houichi and Yuki-onna, accepted a position at a junior high school in Matsue as an English teacher in 1890 then spent his happiest six months here with his wife Setsu from May of 1891. The silent presence of the dwelling, a room with a garden view from three sides, and the verdant gardens Hearn lovingly described remain preserved and still have a unique appeal.
DATA
| Address | 315 Kitahori-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 10 minutes by Lake Line Bus from JR Matsue Station, get off at Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum |
| Opening hours | Mar. - Nov. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (entry by 4:40 p.m.) Dec.- Feb. 10:00 a.m. - 4:40 p.m. (entry by 4:30 p.m.) |
| Admission | Adult 350 yen, Elementary school student 180 yen |
| Closed | January 1, December 16 -29 |
| Tel | 0852-23-0714 |
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Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum is located adjacent to the author's former residence on Shiominawate Street. The museum boasts about 200 display items out of over 1000 articles belonging to Hearn, who is well known for his writings introducing Matsue City to the world, with his most treasured articles, such as a writing desk, tobacco pipe, and manuscripts, as well as the belongings of his wife Setsu.
Discount available for international visitors.
<ADMISSION DISCOUNT>
Adult, ¥150. Elementary school student, ¥80.
DATA
| Address | 322 Okudani-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 15-minute ride by Lake Line Bus from JR Matsue Station, get off at Shiomi-Nawate bus stop and walk for 4 minutes |
| Opening hours | Apr.- Sept. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (entry by 6:10 p.m.) Oct.- Mar. 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (entry by 4:40 p.m.) |
| Admission | Adult ¥300, Elementary school student ¥150 |
| Closed | Open every day |
| Tel | 0852-21-2147 |
| URL | http://www.matsue-tourism.or.jp/yakumo/yakumo_k.htm |
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A famous teahouse built by Harusato Matsudaira (Lord Fumai), the founder of the Fumai Style of Tea Ceremony, is located on a hill with a panoramic view of Matsue Castle. Under the thickly thatched roof, the teahouse has a framed calligraphy of Meimei-An in Lord Fumai’s original handwriting. Tourists will be entertained with green tea in the teahouse with a view of the beautiful garden.
DATA
| Address | 278 Kitahori-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 15-minute ride by Lake Line Bus from JR Matsue Station, get off at Shiomi-Nawate bus stop and walk for 4 minutes |
| Opening hours | 9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. |
| Admission | Adult 400 yen, college and high school students 300 yen, free for children under the age of junior high school students |
| Closed | Dec. 29 -Jan. 1 |
| Tel | 0852-21-9863 |
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The museum was established by the late Choemon Tanabe, who played an active role as the governor and an intellectual. It features a variety of tea ceremony utensils, local ceramic wares, such as Rakuzan yaki and Fujina Yaki, as well as the favorite collections and utensils used by Fumai-ko. Inside the building you can enjoy green tea in the coffee shop.
DATA
| Address | 310-5, Kitahori-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 10 minutes by Lakeline Bus from JR Matsue Station. Get off at Koizumi Yakumo Kinenkan-mae Bus Stop. |
| Opening hours | 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Entry by 4:30 p.m.) |
| Admission | Adults ¥600, College and high school students ¥400 |
| Closed | Closed on Mondays (except for national holidays), Dec. 29 窶笛an. 01, *May close irregularly due to exhibition changes. |
| Tel | 0852-26-2211 |
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With its location on the eastern shore of Lake Shinji, the Shimane Art Museum is famous for its beautiful sunsets. The museum stays open an extra half-hour past sundown from March through September so visitors can enjoy the setting sun. Both the standard and special exhibitions change periodically throughout the year.
Discount available for international visitors.
<ADMISSION DISCOUNT>
Adult, ¥500. College student, ¥300. Elementary, junior-high, high school students ¥150.
<ADMISSION for STANDARD EXHIBITION>
*No discount applied Adult, ¥300. College student, ¥200.High school students and under, FREE.
DATA
| Address | 1-5, Sodeshi-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 40 minutes by Lakeline Bus from JR Matsue Station to Kenritsu Bijutsukan-mae stop |
| Opening hours | Oct.- Feb.. 10:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Mar.- Sept. 10:00 a.m. until 30 minutes after sunset *Entry to the Exhibition Hall at least 30 minutes prior to closing |
| Admission | Special Exhibition ¥1,000, Standard Exhibition ¥300 (International visitors 50% off for the Special Exhibition) |
| Closed | Every Tuesday and Dec. 28 - Jan. 01 |
| Tel | 0852-55-4700 |
| URL | http://www1.pref.shimane.lg.jp/contents/sam/ |
Shimane's sightseeing symbol, Lake Shinji, is the seventh largest lake in Japan and has a circumference of 45 km. The brackish water supports an abundance of aquatic life, including sea bass and shijimi clams, which are among the seven delicacies of Lake Shinji. The little shijimi boats that dot the lake in the early morning paint a poetic picture, and the image of the sun sinking behind the tiny island of Yomegashima is not to be missed. Sunsets are best enjoyed on board a pleasure cruise or from the grounds of the Shimane Art Museum.
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<Lake Shinji Pleasure Boat for Sightseeing, HAKUCHO>
Provides a 60-minute sightseeing tour around Lake Shinji. The sunset cruise of the last boat is especially popular.
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| Admission | ¥1,300 |
|---|---|
| Hours | 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Group reservations required during winter) |
| Board from | Two locations available |
| Tel | 0852-24-3218 (Hakucho Tourism Limited Company) |
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Famous for its beautiful hydrangeas in June, this temple is also known as the San-in Hydrangea Temple.
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| Address | 179, Nakahara-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 20 minutes by Lakeline Bus from JR Matsue station, get off at Gessho-Ji Temple bus stop. |
| Opening hours | Apr.- Oct. 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Nov.- Mar. 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Admission | ¥500 |
| Closed | Open every day |
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A marriage shrine dedicated to Susano-no-mikoto and Inada-hime. The mirror pond, where special paper is floated to discover one's romantic fortunes, is popular among young women.
DATA
| Address | 227, Sakusa-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 15 minutes by city bus from JR Matsue Station, get off at Yaegaki Jinja bus stop |
| Opening hours | 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Admission | Free, *Fortune Telling Papers:¥100 |
| Closed | Open every day |
| Tel | 0852-21-1148 |
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The oldest remaining Taisha-zukuri style shrine in Japan, Kamosu Shrine has been designated a national treasure of Japan. It is dedicated to Izanami, mother of the Japanese archipelago.
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| Address | 563, Oba-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 48 minutes by city bus from JR Matsue Station, get off at Kanbe-no-Sato bus stop and walk for 3 minutes, or walk for 10 minutes from Fudoki-no-Oka Iriguchi bus stop of the Ichibata Bus |
| Admission | Free |
| Tel | 0852-21-6379 |
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A traditional English style garden composed of 10 sections. Lead by the concept of an English head gardener, 500 kinds of flowers, plants, and trees are grown and arranged with care, designed to display their natural beauty.
DATA
| Address | 330-1, Nishi-hamasada-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 5 minutes walk from Matsue English Garden mae station of Ichibata Railway |
| Opening hours | Apr.-Sept. 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Entry by 5:00 p.m.) Oct.- Mar. 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Entry by 4:00 p.m.) |
| Admission | Free |
| Tel | 0852-36-3030 |
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This is one of the few parks in Japan featuring a large display of flowers and birds from around the world. Visitors can interact with the birds and enjoy begonias and fuchsias year-round inside one of the world's largest greenhouses. The owl flight show is especially popular.
Discount available for international visitors.
<ADMISSION DISCOUNT>
Adult, ¥1,050. Elementary, junior high-school students, ¥530.
DATA
| Address | 52 Ogaki-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 1-minute walk from Ichibata Railway's Matsue Vogel Park Station |
| Opening hours | Apr.-Sept. 9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (Entry by 5:45 p.m.) Oct.- Mar. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Entry by 4:15 p.m.) |
| Admission | Adults 1,500 (International visitors 30% off), Elementary and junior high school students 750 yen |
| Closed | Open every day |
| Tel | 0852-88-9800 |
| URL | http://www.vogel.jp/ |
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Located in Daikonoshima, Yuushien's gardens encompass 33,000 square-meters and are home to flowers in all four seasons. Of special interest is the garden's Japanese peony. In the House of Peony, large flowered peony can be viewed in bloom year-round. Yuushien's restaurant can seat 600 and provides patrons with a lovely garden view whilst enjoying fine cuisine utilizing local ingredients such as the wildly popular Daikonoshima Ginseng.
Discount available for international visitors.
<ADMISSION DISCOUNT>
Adult, ¥300. junior-high school student, ¥150. Elementary school student, ¥100.
DATA
| Address | 1260-2, Yatsuka-cho Hanyu, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 45 minutes by city bus from JR Matsue Station, 5-minute walk from Yatsuka Chuo bus stop Or 15 minutes by car from Yonago Airport |
| Opening hours | 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
| Admission | ¥600 (International visitors 50% off) |
| Closed | Open every day |
| Tel | 0852-76-2255 |
| URL | http://www.yuushien.com/ |
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The unusual and beautiful architecture known as the Miho style combines two Taisha-zukuri style structures. The shrine is devoted to Ebisu, the god of wealth.
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| Address | 608 Mihonoseki, Mihonoseki-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 40 minutes by Ichibata Bus (Mihonoseki) from JR Matsue Station, get off at Mihono-seki Terminal. Change buses to Mihonoseki Line. About 30 minutes. |
| Admission | Free |
| Tel | 0852-73-0506 |
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Based on a French design, the Mihonoseki Lighthouse is considered among the top 100 historic lighthouses in the world. Visitors can enjoy a sweeping panoramic view from the observation deck.
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| Address | Jizouzaki, Mihonoseki-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 40 minutes by Ichibata Bus (Mihonoseki) from JR Matsue Station, get off at Mihono-seki Terminal bus stop. Change buses to the Kasaura Line. 8 minutes by bus and get off at the Kitaura bus stop. |
| Admission | Free |
| Tel | 0852-72-2811 |
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The museum features Abe Eishiro, the late human national treasure who created Izumo Mingei shi (folk craft paper) to establish Izumo Washi (Japanese paper) as one of the traditional art techniques. His books and study material on washi, including paper products used during his lifetime are on display. An optional activity for making handmade washi (Japanese paper) is also available (extra charge).
DATA
| Address | 1754 Higashi Iwasaka, Yakumo-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
|---|---|
| Access | 30 minutes by Ichibata Bus from JR Matsue Station, get off at Yakumo shako. Change buses bound for Akiyoshi/ Besho. 10 minutes by bus and get off at Bessho bus stop. 5-minute walk. |
| Opening hours | 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Entry by 4:30 p.m.) |
| Admission | Adults ¥500, college and high school students ¥300, Elementary and junior high school students ¥200, Handmade washi art work experience ¥500 |
| Closed | Tuesdays (except for national holidays, then closed on the following Wednesday), year-end and New Year holiday, before and after special exhibitions. |
| Tel | 0852-54-1745 |
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Situated on the north shore of Lake Shinji, this hot spring district offers an incredible view of the surrounding area and is an ideal base for sightseeing and shopping in Matsue City. Guests are able to enjoy the spring gushing forth at 77℃ from 1,250 m below ground and dine on freshly caught shijimi clams, one of the seven delicacies of Lake Shinji.
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| Spring Type | sodium/calcium chloride and calcium sulfate spring |
|---|---|
| Benefits | nerve pain, chronic skin and digestive ailments |
| Address | Chidori-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
| Access | 10 minutes by car from JR Matsue Station, right beside Ichibata Railway's Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station |
| Tel | 0852-21-7889 (Matsue Lake Shinji Hot Spring Association) |
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One of the oldest hot springs in Japan, Tamatsukuri Hot Springs has a history dating back to at least 733 AD, where it was introduced as "The Bath of the Gods" in the Ancient Chronicles of Izumo. You can stay at any one of the 22 traditional Japanese inns that line the banks of the Tamayu River, which runs through the heart of this picturesque hot spring town, or if you prefer, there are luxury hotels available able to accommodate up to 700 guests.
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| Spring Type | alkaline thermal hot springs |
|---|---|
| Benefits | rheumatism, gastrointestinal disorders, various skin conditions |
| Address | Tamatsukuri, Tamayu-cho, Matsue-City, Shimane-Prefecture |
| Access | 5 minutes by car from JR Tamatsukuri Onsen Station |
| Tel | 0852-62-0634 (Tamatsukuri Onsen Ryokan Association) |
