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Iwami

  • Ohda
  • Gotsu
  • Misato
  • Kawamoto
  • Ohnan
  • Hamada
  • Masuda
  • Tsuwano
  • Yoshiga

An English guide to the
beautiful Iwami region of JapanIwami is in the western part of Shimane, a rural prefecture on the Sea of Japan,
geographically remote from the larger cities, and cut off from the nearest major city
of Hiroshima by the Chugoku mountain range. This is old, rural Japan.

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Recommended contents

Experience

From noodle making, traditional weaving, throwing pottery, rice planting, or risking your life on a wild boar hunt.

Mimata Hot Spring Kokumin Hoyou Center
Mimata Hot Spring Kokumin Hoyou Center Mimata is the one of the most famous hot springs in Shimane. It has been used for over 150 years. It is claimed that t...(read more)
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Yunotsu Onsen summer festival (Yunotsu Hotsprings summer festival) At night, Yunotsu looks like something straight out of Studio Ghibli's 'Spirited Away.' Traditional in...(read more)
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Hot Spring after skiing? There are some nice places for onsen near Osa Ski Resort. The nearest onsens are at Kinta no sato and Geiho...(read more)
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Hamada Children’s Museum of Art This is the biggest museum in Hamada. There are many pictures and most of them are displayed at children's eye leve...(read more)
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Making pottery You can experience making pottery in Gotsu. There are two kinds of ways to make pottery. One is by hand and the ...(read more)
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Shimane Nature Museum of Mt. Sanbe, SAHIMEL This is thenatural history museum at Mt. Sanbe in Ohda city. Mt. Sanbe is an active volcano. In this museum, yo...(read more)
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Sekisho Art museum This museum was built for Sho Ishimoto(石本正) who is a famous Japanese artist. He sent his works to Misumi and this museum...(read more)
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Grand Toit Grand Toit is the compound institution; museum and theater. In Iwami Art Museum, you can enjoy many kinds of Art at 4 ex...(read more)
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Tsuwano Festivals “Tsuwano Yabusame Festival (流鏑馬まつり)” . Yabusame is a type of mounted archery which has a long his...(read more)
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Nima Sand Museum When you visit Japan for vacatipn, a trip to the countryside allows you to see a dofferent side of country. Iwami is f...(read more)
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Bon dancing festival in Tsuwano (津和野盆踊り大会) Iwami region is home to one of Japan's 'little Kyotos', smaller scale versions of the delightful...(read more)
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Masuda String-puppets Masuda marionettes were designated as an intangible folk-cultural property of Shimane prefecture 60 years ago. They are ...(read more)

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SakuraeDetails

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Restaurant & Cafe

Everything from freshly caught seafood to organic buffets, freshly ground coffee, and wild boar meat.

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Sanbesou Sanbesou (さんべ荘) <<Restaurant Iris>> You can enjoy delicious Japanese dishes such as soba noodl...(read more)
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Tanuki-no-kuni If you like little Japanese raccoon dogs, you should visit Tanuki-no-kuni (literally Raccoon Dog Country). This restau...(read more)
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Omori Omori is a traditional noodle restaurant in Iwami Silver Mine. There's a retro feel to the building, with its old-fa...(read more)
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Osamu If you want to enjoy fresh seafood which is famous in Hamada city at a homey Japanese style restaurant, then Osamu is on...(read more)
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Elite “Elite” is a café, located in Hamada City. It serves many kinds of food including sandwiches, p...(read more)
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Gungendo Cafe Iwami Ginzan is a UN World Heritage site in the mountains of Shimane, Japan. During the sixteenth century, it was one of...(read more)
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Fontane This is a soupand gelato shop located in Masuda. They provide some kinds of soups (Soup lunch\650: S...(read more)
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Cafe Michele “Café Michele” is popular for its delicious food, drinks, and its relaxing atmosphere. Café...(read more)
Kaze-no-Engawa (風のえんがわ)
Kaze-no-Engawa (風のえんがわ) “Kaze-no-Engawa” is a fantastic café and restaurant in Gotsu. Going through a little grove of tr...(read more)
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Mom-and-pop buckwheat noodle shop Tsuwano is a must-see on any vacation in the Iwami region in Japan. This 'little Kyoto' of Shimane is bu...(read more)
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Furusato No trip to Japan is complete without sampling the local cuisine. Plenty of little restaurants in the Iwami region ...(read more)
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Gozen-Soba Gozen-Soba (御前そば) Their Soba noodles are made with the water “Sanbyaku-Sui” which is one o...(read more)

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HamadaDetails

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Scenery

Hike the Chugoku mountain trail, see ancient temples, enjoy green tea in a traditional garden, or photograph terraced rice paddies.

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Tsuwano Catholic Church ○Tsuwano Catholic Church (photo copyright Ojisanjake) There is an interesting church on Tonomachi (殿町) Street in To...(read more)
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The Ogawas’ garden of Sesshu The Ogawa family is a famous old Japanese family. It is said that Sesshu built this garden for them when he visited&nb...(read more)
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Ebisu Shrine in Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture This beautiful building is Ebisu Shrine in Masuda City, Shimane Prefecture. This shrine is a sub-shrine of Miho Shrin...(read more)
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Ryuunji (Cloud Dragon Temple) Ryuunji is a Soto Zen temple, which was found...(read more)
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Shogenji Temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) If you enjoy visiting temples, Iwami has a 33 temple pilgrimage route that you can follow. Shogenji Temple is one ...(read more)
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Enjoji Temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) Enjoji Temple (written圓城寺 in Japanese) is also known as Reichinzan (霊椿山) or mountain of the sacred camellia. There is a ...(read more)
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Manyo Park This park is called Manyo Park. Hitomaro Kakinomoto (柿本人麻呂) who is famous poet around 700 A.D. wrote many poems and thes...(read more)
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Hashi Beach This beach is great for swimming and surfing. Unfortunately, it was cloudy on the day we went so our pictures aren'...(read more)
Hidden Gem in Iwami Region
Hidden Gem in Iwami Region In one corner of peaceful Oda City, you’ll find a hidden gem: Oni-Iwa Rock. Away from the noise of busy town, this...(read more)
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Jionji Temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) This is Jionji (慈恩寺). It is located in Tsuchi cho, Gotsu city. Thetemple was built in 1376by Tadafuyu Ashika...(read more)
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Jinguji (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) This quiet place surrounded by many trees is the original location of Jinguji tmple.It is located across a small b...(read more)
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Takatsu Kakinomoto Shrine Place :〒698-0041 Takatsu Masuda city Shimane This shrine is Takatsu Kakinomoto Shrine, but people who...(read more)

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MasudaDetails

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World Heritage

Iwami boasts both a World Heritage site in the Iwami Silver Mine and an intangible asset, Sekishu hand-made paper.

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Enjoji Temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) Enjoji Temple (written圓城寺 in Japanese) is also known as Reichinzan (霊椿山) or mountain of the sacred camellia. There is a ...(read more)
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Takanoji Temple ( Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) If you enjoy walking, we recommend Takano temple, about 20 minutes by taxi from Yunotsu station in Iwami region. The mai...(read more)
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Imodaikan Museum (Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine Museum) The Imodaikan Museum (Iwami Ginzan Silvermine Museum) exhibits historical records, mine records and mineral specimens. T...(read more)
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Iwami Ginzan museum Iwami Ginzan is a historic silver mine in the mountains of Shimane, Japan. The preservation and revitalization of Iwami ...(read more)
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Ryugenji Mabu  When you visit Japan for a vacation, a trip to the countryside allows you to see a different side of the country. Iwam...(read more)
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Kakita Katsuro Mask Workshop Iwami Kagura is traditional dance in Iwami region and performers wear Kagura masks for the performance rather than make-...(read more)
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Enpukuji Temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) If you want to see a visual representation of the last judgement, you should visit Enpuku-ji temple in Ohda, Iwami regio...(read more)
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Iwami Silver Mine Museum The museum was built as a local government office in the Meiji era (1902). It's a large traditional house and exhibi...(read more)
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Cooking Experience at Kumagai House Visitors to Iwami Ginzan canexperience Japanese traditional cooking in the kitchen ofKumagai Family House. T...(read more)
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Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center Iwami Ginzan is a UN World Heritage site in the mountains of Shimane, Japan. During ...(read more)
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Iwami 33 Temple Pigrimage Have you ever heard a pilgrimage to the Iwami Kannon 33 Temples Pilgrimage? All the temples are located in Iwami region ...(read more)
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Seisuiji Temple SeisuijiTemple is a Shingon Buddhist temple, and is a notable place in the history of Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine, wh...(read more)

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