Unnan, Okuizumo
Located in the mountainous region in the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. The area is famous for local dishes and the bell-shaped bronze vessels from the Kamoiwakura Ruins and Tatara Seitetsu, a traditional Japanese iron manufacturing method used to create iron for blades and guns. Nita-mai, the locally produced rice in Okuizumo, is a famous brand.

<Tatara Iron Making>
Tatara is a traditional Japanese iron making technology. In this method, iron sand and charcoal are mixed together in a clay furnace and the iron sand dissolves as the charcoal is burned with the air from the bellows, resulting in a very pure ferrous metal. Nittoho Tatara (Okuizumo-cho) is the only place in the world where Japanese "tamahagane" steel, the material used to make Japanese swords, is manufactured using the direct iron making method that enabled mass production. Each year, Nittoho Tatara runs for three days and three nights – three times in the winter season – to provide steel to about 250 sword makers in Japan.

Facilities of Tatara Seitetsu
Cherry blossom trees along the Hii River bank

Touring by a car is recommended due to the inconvenient public transportation services such as JR and buses.