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Places of Interest Near Matsue:Toda Hachimangu
There are a number of temples and Shrines in the Yasugi area, a short trip from Matsue. The pictures here are from Toda Hachimangu, located in Hirose-cho. The highlight of this shrine for me was the...
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A break in the rain, brilliantly blue skies!
The rainy season is underway in Japan, meaning that it might not always be preferable to take a walk for enjoyment, or for getting to know a town you may be visiting, but once there is a break in the...
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Things to do in Matsue: Hydrangea of June
With the peak season of the rose and peony flower having just passed, and the high-probability of rain due to it being the rainy season at the moment, you might not be so inclined to go flower viewing...
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Visiting Rainbow Waterfall!
Niji-ga-daki(虹が滝), or rainbow waterfall as it would be rendered in English, is another escape from the summer heat not far from Matsue city (approx. 25km). It is located near Ichibata Yakushi, within...
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Let the noodles flow!
And flowing they were at the summer restaurant beside Kumai Waterfall in Matsue, where they set up shop during the hot summer months to serve chilled somen, a thin wheat noodle, continually flowing in...
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Blossoms braving the August heat
This year saw an unusually short rainy season, a quick peak in summer temperature, and we can only hope for the best for the rest of what looks like a long sweltering summer. But despite the...
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Preserving rich nature while creating a beautiful city
“Preserving the abundant nature while creating a beautiful city” (“豊かな自然をまもり、美しい都市空間つくり”), this is the first of a list of aims laid out for Matsue City development plans. Every year the city makes a...
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Forest therapy in Iinan
Iinan is a small town located in Shimane Prefecture near the Hiroshima border, approx 1hr30min drive from Matsue City, or 1hr40min drive from Hiroshima. Hii and Kando Rivers begin near the town of...
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Sunset at Hinomisaki
I’ve written about Hinomisaki here before, and because it’s quite a stretch from Matsue, I don’t get to visit this lovely spot as often as I’d like to … The beautiful view and historical lighthouse...
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Izumo Taisha revisited
Izumo Taisha (also known as Izumo grand shrine), is ranked at the moment as the most popular domestic travel destination for Japanese persons. This is undoubtedly because of the recent Sengu (renewal)...
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Western seashore, natural beauty & ancient mythology
Not only is the rugged shoreline to the Sea of Japan breathtaking, it is also home to Japan’s ancient mythology. Not far from Tottori city, about a two to three hour drive from Matsue, there is a small...
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Shrine to the Hare of Inaba (Hakuto Shrine白兎神社)
Japan is a source of interest for many different people, for many different reasons. Maybe you’re interested in the fantastical world of anime, the high-paced world of technology, the eloquent world of...
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An autumn boat ride
Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower -Albert Camus And what better way to enjoy this second spring, than from the quiet waterways that run through Matsue City. Boats departing every 15...
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Migratory birds highlight the season’s transition
The changing colours and drop in temperature are only some of the many ways we can see and feel the changing season around us. Nature flows in such a harmonious way, that we sometimes don’t notice...
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Castle moat and walls flushed with autumn hues
I think I’m not the only one whose favourite time of year is autumn. There’s so many good things about this season, the pleasant weather, the beautiful changing colours of nature, an abundance of...
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A sad story of persecution and apparitions of the Virgin Mary, Tsuwano
This is a continuation of the preceding post about the catholic church in Tsuwano, a small village in western Shimane. There is a chapel on the outskirts of Tsuwano, called the Otome Tōge Maria Chapel...
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The Adachi Museum of Art chosen for the 11th year running
For any visitor to the Adachi Museum of Art’s Japanese landscape garden, it is no secret that this garden is one of impeccable upkeep and fine beauty. The garden shows […]
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Yamanaka Shikanosuke
There are many legends and heroic tales of well known samurai in Japan. Among them, Yamanaka Yukimori (山中 幸盛 September 20, 1545 – August 20, 1578), also known as Yamanaka Shikanosuke (山中 鹿の介)was a...
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Camellia japonica
This seasonal flower is blooming at the moment, and a small shop in one of Matsue’s small shopping streets has a bunch out front for sale. While they do grow […]
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Matsue Vogel Park
Matsue Vogel Park is an aviary and flower park on the north shore of Lake Shinji, a short drive or train ride from central Matsue. The name Vogel Park derives […]
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