Shimane’s hidden travel sites, where you can escape the crowds and enjoy traditional Japan

Sake, shrines and onsen hot springs await you at beautiful destinations that are yet to be discovered by overseas tourists.

Shimane Prefecture has come up with a catchy slogan to attract visitors: “Good fortune and beautiful skin, from Shimane.” It’s a tagline that promotes some of the best the prefecture has to offer visitors, and we recently got to experience it firsthand on a press tour that exceeded our expectations.

Today we’ll be introducing you to the “beautiful skin” leg of the journey, where the focus is on sights, experiences and meals that are perfect for clearing your mind, relaxing the soul and enhancing the beauty of your skin. With green tea, gardens and onsen hot springs in the mix, these are all off-the-beaten path destinations that you won’t find in most travel guides.

 1. Enjoy superb views and healing waters at onsen ryokan “Naniwa Issui”.

All the guest rooms in this long-established ryokan have panoramic views of Lake Shinji, and the room we stayed in had a private open-air onsen so we could soak in hot water while soaking up the view. The quality of the spring water was fantastic, moisturising the skin to such an extent that it felt supple and smooth for days afterwards.

The hotel is barrier-free and offers vegan meals to meet the needs of guests so you can enjoy a comfortable stay.

The meals are luxurious and generously sized, and the onsite spa offers oil treatments that are infused with organic roses and ginger grown in Shimane so by the time you leave, your skin will be absolutely glowing.

Ryokan information

Naniwa Issui / なにわ一水
Address: Shimane-ken, Matsue-shi, Chidori-cho 63
島根県松江市千鳥町63
Website

2.  Enjoy the mysteries of fermentation at Morita Soy Sauce

Founded over 120 years ago, Morita Soy Sauce still uses natural, traditional brewing methods, making additive-free soy sauce in wooden barrels as they have for decades. The three-day koji-making cycle, which uses domestic wheat and soybeans, requires preparation in wooden barrels, with the slow process creating artisan-level soy sauce that blows other commercially available products out of the water.

When talking to the staff at Morita Soy Sauce, you can feel their passion and dedication to making the best products possible, and the tour was an eye-opening experience, so it’s well worth booking a tour if you have the time. There’s also a wide variety of soy sauce and seasonings for sale in the brewery store, each displaying a unique taste depending on the ageing period and the type of soybeans used, and staff will guide you into making the right selection to pair well with various dishes.

Site information

Morita Soy Sauce / 森田醤油
Address: Shimane-ken, Nita-gun, Okuizumo-cho, Misaka 278
島根県仁多郡奥出雲町三成278
Open: 9:00 a.m.-5:45 p.m. (reservations required for tours)
Closed: Every other Saturday, Sunday, public holidays, and New Year’s holidays
Website

3. Pair sake with Japanese sweets at Yoneda Sake Brewery

This old sake brewery, founded in 1896, continues the beautifying fermentation journey with a special pairing experience in its special “Toyoaki-an” tea room behind the store. Pairings change seasonally, but always feature famous products from Shimane, and as the capital of Matsue is said to be one of the country’s three major Japanese confectionery areas, sweets are often featured.

It’s not common to pair sake with sweets, but somehow here it works beautifully, with each pairing enhancing the depth of the sake and the elegant sweetness of the Japanese confections. It opens a door to a whole new world of flavours, and the experience costs 3,500 yen (US$24.58) for an hour, which includes all-you-can-drink sake.

▼ With beautiful views of a traditional garden from the teahouse, you may never want to leave.

Site information

Yoneda Sake Brewery Toyoaki-an / 米田酒造 豊秋庵
Address: Shimane-ken, Matsue-shi, Higashihonmachi 3-59
島根県松江市東本町3丁目59番地
Please check the official website for times and booking details
Website

4. Experience the blessings of Okuizumo at Hime no Soba Yukari-an

Okuizumo is home to Inata Shrine, which has a soba restaurant called “Hime no Soba Yukari-an” on the grounds. This area is said to be the birthplace of Inatahime, an important deity, and you can almost feel the otherworldly presence, especially on a snowy day, when the site is extra quiet and beautiful.

The restaurant is just as tranquil, serving up soba made from 100-percent buckwheat flour, using a local variety called “Yokota Kosoba”, which has a chewy texture and rich aroma. The rice and root vegetables that come with the meal sets are all grown in-house, showing the restaurant’s commitment to local production for local consumption, and with so many healthy ingredients included, your skin, and body, will thank you for the meal.

Site information

Hime no Soba Yukari-an / 姫のそば ゆかり庵
Address: Shimane-ken, Okuizumo-cho Inahara 2128-1, Inata Shrine
奥出雲町稲原2128-1 稲田神社内
Open: 11:00 a.m., with last orders at 2:30 p.m. (a limited number of soba gozen set meals are available, with reservations required by the day prior to visiting)
Closed: Every Tuesday, third Wednesdays (but open on public holidays), winter holidays
Website

5. Detox your mind and body at the “Fermented Tea Retreat”

The “Fermented Tea Retreat”, which can be experienced by reservation only, for one group per day, is a programme that condenses three highlights of Japanese culture: garden, zazen, and tea. The tea served here is provided by Fujiwara Tea Wholesaler, a long-established store founded in 1868, who produces a fermented tea called “Wa Pu-erh,” which is rare in Japan, and unique in that it’s fermented with soy sauce koji bacteria.

A friendly monk will guide you in zazen meditation as part of the experience, helping to clear your mind before enjoying a garden stroll, where you can view a pond, waterfall and mountain, to refresh your body and soul.

Site information

Fermented Tea Retreat at Sekisho Garden / 石照庭園 発酵茶リトリート
Address: Shimane-ken, Unnan-shi, Kizuicho, Hirata 472
島根県雲南市木次町平田472
Please check the website for reservation dates and details
Website

6. Immerse yourself in the beauty of a Japanese garden at the Adachi Museum of Art

The gardens at Adachi Museum of Art are so famous they’ve enjoyed top billing in the “Japanese Garden Ranking” for 22 consecutive years by an American specialist magazine. The gardens are magnificent from any location in the museum and look like a living painting, with “borrowed scenery” from the distant mountains adding a stunning sense of depth to the landscape. Though the gardens change in appearance with each season, they are said to be superb no matter what time of the year you visit, and combined with the works of art in the museum and relaxing cafe, a trip here is sure to make all your troubles melt away.

Site information

Adachi Museum of Art / 足立美術館
Address: Shimane-ken, Yasugi-shi, Furukawacho 320
島根県安来市古川町320
Hours: 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (April-September), 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (October-March)
Admission: Adults 2,300 yen / University students 1,800 yen / High school students 1,000 yen / Elementary and junior high school students 500 yen
Group discounts and various discount programs available, check website for details
Website

So there you have it — six off-the-beaten-path destinations where you can truly immerse yourself in the hidden beauty of Japanese tradition and culture, far away from crowds of tourists. Though it remains overlooked as a tourist destination, Shimane is filled with beautiful sites that’ll appeal to those searching for traditional Japan, and it’s also home to Iwami Kagura, a sacred dance you won’t find anywhere else.

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