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.
Experience
From noodle making, traditional weaving, throwing pottery, rice planting, or risking your life on a wild boar hunt.
- Crafts and cooking (3)
- Driving (2)
- Festivals (6)
- Hot Springs (17)
- Kagura (2)
- Museums (16)
- Skiing (2)
- Surfing (1)
- 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)
- 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)
- Kiunsou At night, Yunotsu looks like something straight out of Studio Ghibli's 'Spirited Away.' Traditional inns and...(read more)
- 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)
- Yunotsu When you visit Japan for vacatipn, a trip to the countryside allows you to see a dofferent side of country. Iwami is far...(read more)
- 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)
- Restaurany Pony Restaurant Pony is in Grand Toit, the largest museumin Masuda. You can enjoy delicious foods made with fresh loca...(read more)
- Mounted Archery (Yabusame) Iwami region is home to one of Japan's 'little Kyotos', smaller scale versions of the delightful city. Tsuwa...(read more)
- Yakushiyu When you visit Japan for vacatipn, a trip to the countryside allows you to see a dofferent side of country. Iwami is far...(read more)
- Art workshops At Sekisho Art Museum they hold regular art workshops. You can learn how to paint, sketch, and make things. Of course, i...(read more)
- Arifuku Arifuku onsen or hot spring is a small village, just a collection of streets really, lined with retro hot sp...(read more)
- Morijuku Museum Tsuwano is a must-see on any visit to the Iwami region in Japan. This ' little Kyoto'...(read more)
Restaurant & Cafe
Everything from freshly caught seafood to organic buffets, freshly ground coffee, and wild boar meat.
- Kara kara noodles This is Tantanmen or spicy noodles from Kara Kara, a restaurant in Hamada, located five-minutes on foot from t...(read more)
- Basketball BAR 「Roukyusakaba kaki」 In the mountains of Iwami region, you can find Roukyūsakaba kākī, asports bar, popular in particular with ba...(read more)
- Kaishun (海旬) Kaishun is a restaurant in Hamada. It serves many kinds of fish and seafood. This is the cheapest course at 3000 yen. ...(read more)
- Minoya No trip to Japan is complete without sampling the local cuisine. Plenty of little restaurants in the Iwami region ...(read more)
- Nitto kocha tea parlor If you want to experience a retro cafe in Japan, look no further than Nitto Kocha tea parlor. The café opened i...(read more)
- Beijing Fandian If you want to enjoy Chinese food, why don't you try Beijing Fandian? It is one of the best Chinese restaurant in Ha...(read more)
- Azemichi Rest House Tsuwano is a must-see on any vacation in the Iwami region in Japan. This 'little Kyoto' of Shimane is burs...(read more)
- Kamuri Kamuri is an informal restaurant situated in Ohnan. Ii is part of the ‘Koboku no mori’ area. You ca...(read more)
- Rum’s Bar Rum’s bar started to provide lunch and coffee. And you can enjoy night time too. There are many kind of drinks. (c...(read more)
- Jardin This is a French restaurant located in Masuda. Please check the website below for directions. Lunch time:11:30~14:00 ...(read more)
- hito-toki (Cafe & Wine dining room) hito-toki is a café and wine dining room which is a place with good vibes in Masuda. You can enjoy a delicious lu...(read more)
- Coffee House This is a café which serves bread and drinks. There are so many kinds of bread. It’s pretty cheap and there...(read more)
Scenery
Hike the Chugoku mountain trail, see ancient temples, enjoy green tea in a traditional garden, or photograph terraced rice paddies.
- Washihara Hachimangu Shrine This place is famous for its Yabusame field, the last remaining one in Japan. On the second Sunday of April, they hold a...(read more)
- Hashi beach Hashi beach is a very popular beach in the Iwami region. This beach is located in Iwami Seaside Park. From Aquas,...(read more)
- Youmeiji Tsuwano has outstanding shrines and temples, incredible festivals, hot springs, sake breweries, a Christian hist...(read more)
- 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)
- Saishou Temple This temple was founded in 1465. The temple in existence was rebuilt in 1739. This temple has some statues on the roo...(read more)
- 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)
- Kigami Shrine Looking for love in Iwami? The god of Kigami shrine known as Okuninushi-no-mikoto is the very same as the god of marriag...(read more)
- Takatsu Kakinomoto Shrine Place :〒698-0041 Takatsu Masuda city Shimane This shrine is Takatsu Kakinomoto Shrine, but people who...(read more)
- Taikodani Inari Shrine Iwami region is home to one of Japan's 'little Kyotos', smaller scale versions of the delightful city. Tsuwa...(read more)
- Ryuunji (Cloud Dragon Temple) Ryuunji is a Soto Zen temple, which was found...(read more)
- Kannanmiji temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) Kannamiji Temple is the 11th on the Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage.It's in the Kawamoto area of Gotsu city and was...(read more)
- 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)
World Heritage
Iwami boasts both a World Heritage site in the Iwami Silver Mine and an intangible asset, Sekishu hand-made paper.
- 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)
- Sekushu-Washi Kaikan Sekishu-Washi Kaikan(石州和紙会館)” is a place where we can experience making washi and learn culture and history of Sek...(read more)
- 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)
- 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)
- Okubo Mabu Mine Shaft Tour Although there are at least 600 entrances to the silver mine, only a few are open to the public. Tours to the Okubu min...(read more)
- Kazenokuni ( paper making experience) In Gotsu city, in the town of Sakurae, there is a nature park and leisure facilities called Kazenokuni. The Kazenokuni c...(read more)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Iwami Ginzan Library This beautiful building is Iwami Ginzan Library, our university's satellite campus in Iwami Ginzan. This library ...(read more)