“Tsuwano Machiya Stay Kamishincho” was built in the early 20th century (around 1926) and endured wind and snow for about 90 years.
This townhouse can accommodate up to 10 guests with catering for dinner and breakfast available upon request.
Check-in is at the Tsuwano Tourist Association office located in front of JR Tsuwano Station.

 

【Amenities】
– Mini Kitchen
– Bathtub made from Japanese cypress
– Traditional Japanese Garden

This guest house is located in the heart of Tsuwano and was renovated from a traditional house built in the 1890s.
Catering for dinner and breakfast is available upon request.
Check-in is at the Tsuwano Tourist Association office located in front of JR Tsuwano Station.

 

【Amenities】
– Mini Kitchen
– Bathtub made from Japanese cypress
– Traditional Japanese Garden

Washibara-hachimangu Shrine was built in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) as the guardian shrine of Tsuwano Castle. On the grounds of the shrine is a horseback archery riding course that was modeled after the course at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine in Kamakura, but is currently the only original horseback archery riding course left in Japan.
The current main building and its “romon” gate* (located in front of the main building) were rebuilt in 1568 and is currently designated as a National Important Cultural Properties for its distinctive architectural style from late 16th century.
In the spring, the annual “yabusame” horseback archery festival is held at the shrine’s course, where visitors can enjoy both cherry blossoms and horseback archery.

*”romon” gate: two-storied building that acts as an entrance gate and is found in both Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine architecture.

Yabusame is a traditional horseback archery festival that is held at Washibara-Hachimangu Shrine in Tsuwano. It is held annually on the first Sunday of April as two separate events, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The archers are dressed in hunting outfits from the Kamakura period (1185-1333). Taking turns, the archers yell “in!-yo!” as they approach each of the three square 50cm (20in) targets located on the 250m (820ft) course. Each year riders from the Ogasawara School in Kamakura compete against local riders to see who hits the most targets. After the festival, the horseback archers and other involved members visit the shrine to pay homage to deity.


While admission is free, there are reserved seats available. It is recommended that you show up early if you want a good spot in the free seating area. Bringing mats, chairs, and camera tripods are not encouraged as they do take up a lot of space.


*Group reservations can be made by contacting the Tsuwano Yabusame Preservation Committee (information below)


Words to Know
Yabusame (流鏑馬、やぶさめ): horseback archery
“In!-yo!”: is a Japanese concept similar to yin-yang, light-dark
Baba (馬場、ばば): is what they call the riding course in Japanese.
Mato (的、まと): 50cm square target that the horseback archers aim to hit

Tsuwano Catholic Church was built by Father Schafer, a German, in 1931, and it features Gothic-inspired architecture. Of wood and plaster construction, the building is particularly noticeable amid the oldscape of Tsuwano’s Tonomachi area. Fitting for an old church, the interior features a tatami floor and beautiful, vividly-colored stained glass. The Otome Toge Exhibition Room adjacent to the church houses a collection of materials relating to the martyrdom of Christians.

Originally performed at the Gion Festival in Kyoto, Sagimai was brought to Tsuwano in 1542. Currently Tsuwano is the only location in Japan where the Heron Dance has been continuously practiced for over 400 years. The performance takes place every year on July 20th and 27th. Sagimai is an annual ritual that includes two herons, one male and one female, and dozens of other performers who play flutes, drums and sing. The two herons spread their wings as they dance around each other, resembling the mating dance of the actual birds. The entourage of performers visit 11 places throughout the town, starting at Yasaka Shrine on the first day(July 20th) and return back to Yasaka Shrine on the second day, July 27th. The herons are believed to protect the people from illness and disease, while the dancers with the red wigs and long staffs are to ward off evil spirits. 

The heron costume weighs around 15kg (33lbs) in total. The head piece weighs 3kg (6.6lbs) and is 85cm (2.8ft) tall, while the wings are made up of 39 individual feathers that are made out of wood. 

In June 1961, the festival was designated as an intangible folk cultural asset by the prefecture.

The Tsuwano Castle Ruins Chair Lift is a scenic sightseeing chairlift with a total length of 330m that runs between Taikodani Inari Shrine and the Tsuwano Castle Ruins. It is a convenient way of getting to the ruins. As the chair lift makes its way slowly up the steep slope, passengers get to enjoy a “stroll in the sky” while taking in the red-tiledscape of Tsuwano, which is known as “Little Kyoto,” as well as Mount Aono directly in front of them. *On foot, the round trip between the chair lift exit and the ruins takes approximately 40 minutes, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended. It is also necessary to pay attention to the operating times for the descending chair lift, particularly the final one (the chair lift stops operating at around 4 p.m.).

Iwami is said to be the birthplace of Kagura. In ancient times Kagura was a dance performed for the enjoyment and appeasement of the gods, but since the Meiji Era it has been practiced as a type of folk entertainment. There are many different performances, but the one depicting Susano-no-mikoto’s battle with the eight-headed serpant, Yamata-no-Orochi, is the most famous.

Yomei Temple is an old temple that was established in 1420 by the lord of Tsuwano Castle. As a Zen training facility it has a history as a temple where large numbers of itinerant monks pursued their training. There are remnants of a magnificent main temple gate on the road leading to the temple, but this is said to be the relocated main gate of Tsuwano Castle. As befits an old Zen temple, a tranquil atmosphere pervades Yomei Temple, including the main temple building which boasts a fully thatched roof. The temple’s full-fledged Japanese garden is also a must-see. The famous garden’s scenery can be enjoyed in every season, including fresh green foliage in spring, water lilies in summer, and colorful foliage in autumn. The grave of literary master Ogai Mori can be found in the cemetery on the left after you pass through the temple gate. In line with Mori’s will, it is simply engraved “Grave of Ogai Mori.”

Genji-maki is a famous sweet that is a hallmark of the Tsuwano region. Wheat flour is mixed with eggs and sugar and spread out thinly, and the outer layer is then cooked until it is golden brown. It is then filled with fine-grained sweet bean paste and rolled up to create a flat, rolled cake that is 1.5 cm thick. Genji-maki has a long history, having been made from the latter half of the 19th century. Legend has it that it was named “Genji-maki” after a poem that appears in The Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari).

Nichihara Astronomical Observatory is located on the summit of a mountain at an elevation of 225m, and it is equipped with an astronomical telescope that boasts one of the largest apertures in Japan among those observatories that are open to the public. The observatory is a symbol of Tsuwano as “the home of star-filled skies,” and as such, it attracts large numbers of stargazers. Facilities in the immediate vicinity of the observatory include Pension Hokutosei, which offers accommodation, as well as the Stars and Forest Science Museum, where the underlying theme is environmental problems from the perspective of the universe. There is also an “astronomy archive.” The Stars and Forest Science Museum is a museum whose theme is the global environment, centering on astronomy and forests, and it features videos and three-dimensional exhibits that provide easy-to-understand explanations. (The weather on the summit is changeable, so it is advisable to check the weather in advance.)

The Otome Toge Maria Chapel stands at Otome Pass, a site where Christians were martyred, in the beautiful of Tsuwano, which is known as San-in’s Little Kyoto. The Virgin Mary is even said to have appeared at the chapel. In 1868, 153 clandestine Christians were sent to Tsuwano from Nagasaki, and efforts were made to convert them. However, 37 of the believers who refused to comply were martyred by torture. The chapel was built as a memorial to them. The stained-glass windows depict the story of their martyrdom. There is also a curious telephone box within the chapel grounds. The telephone has two receivers, and it is said that if a man and a woman pick up the receivers together, they will wed. By all means check this out as well.

Hori Garden is the garden of the Hori family, generation upon generation of whom were mine operators. It is a historic property – the majestic homestead with its long plaster walls dates from 1788, while the gate of the main residence dates from 1733. The garden was created in 1897 by a gardener who was brought from Osaka. The gardener’s skill is evident in the way the garden makes use of the natural backdrop formed by the mountain behind it, Mount Midori, and in the brilliant placement of stone lanterns and garden stones, centering on the pond. The garden is outstanding not just in terms of its beauty, but from a technical standpoint also. The trees and plants cultivated in the garden, at the core of which are Japanese maple trees, are also superb. During the autumn foliage season, visitors get to enjoy three bands of color as the foliage changes in three stages from the foot of the mountain to its summit. It is a garden that combines remarkable artistry with a calm atmosphere.

This art museum houses works from artist Mitsumasa Anno, a native of Tsuwano who won the international Hans Christian Andersen Award. The two exhibition rooms display approximately 120 works by Anno, who, in addition to picture books, was active in a broad range of fields including landscape painting, bookbinding, posters and essays. The museum also houses a planetarium and a replica of Anno’s home studio, as well as a small library and the “Old Classroom,” a replica of an elementary-school classroom from the 1920s. The planetarium features narration by Anno in which he discusses his thoughts on his hometown of Tsuwano, and the planetarium’s screening program offers a look at Tsuwano’s constellations across the four seasons, and at Anno’s picture book Anno’s Medieval World.

Tsuwano Castle Ruins are the ruins of a medieval mountain castle located at an elevation of 362m. It is the ideal spot to take in the of Tsuwano. The castle ruins offer a sweeping view of the rows of houses spread out along the foot of the gently sloping green mountains, and the Tsuwano River flowing slowly among them. When enveloped in morning clouds, the stone walls of the castle ruins appear to be floating, and the ruins genuinely take on the appearance of a castle in the sky! Visiting during the autumn foliage season is also recommended.

Tsuwano, which is also known as “Little Kyoto,” is a castle that resembles a hidden village in a quiet valley. In the area around Tonomachi Street in particular, the oldest features of the still remain, and schools of countless carp of various sizes swim in the canal on the street, which is lined with white plaster-walled buildings. The season when the white and purple Japanese irises are in bloom is especially beautiful, with the area seeming to transform into an elegant painting. Tonomachi Street is the symbol of Tsuwano – there are a large number of historic sites gathered in the area, including a Catholic church, the site of the former school and the remnants of samurai residences. Furthermore, you will also find stores and stylish cafes selling local cuisine in the vicinity, as well as stores selling general merchandise and souvenirs. If you venture a little way down the lanes you will discover the white-walled earthen storehouses of merchants that are preserved as they were long ago, and you can capture a sense of the calm lifestyle of an old castle. There are also a large number of spots with connections to well-known figures whom the fostered, such as literary master Ogai Mori, philosopher Amane Nishi and artist Mitsumasa Anno.

Taikodani Inari Shrine is popular for the path leading up to it, which is densely lined with vermillion-lacquered torii gates that can even be seen from the of Tsuwano. The shrine is located at the end of an approximately 300m ascent through a tunnel formed by these approximately 1,000 torii gates, which makes for an enjoyable walk. It ranks alongside shrines such as Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, and is known as one of Japan’s five greatest Inari shrines (shrines used to worship the deity Inari). Among shrines in Shimane Prefecture, Taikodani Inari Shrine ranks second after Izumo Taisha for the number of worshippers it attracts annually, and is popular with foreign tourists also for its picture perfect qualities. If you are visiting Tsuwano, you should definitely make the effort to visit the shrine and not limit yourself to just a stroll through the.