Japan Travel Talk No. 2 - Visiting Tsuwano

 

Welcome back to Japan Travel Talk for issue number 2! We know you are fans of Japan and may have already had the opportunity to visit a few of its wonderful destinations such as Tokyo and Kyoto. Yet, there is much more to see and do, this blog is intended to provide inspiration for exploring. It’s easy to venture outside of the major cities where so many rich sights, sounds and flavors await.
On a recent trip, Consulate staff member Dan Cunneen visited Tsuwano, a picturesque town near the southwestern end of the main island of Honshu in Shimane prefecture. “We were lucky to enjoy Tsuwano on a sunny and mild day. My favorite part of the town was the 300-year-old buildings on the main street, especially the former samurai houses that are now shops. Great architecture!” In fact, Tsuwano is referred to as the “little Kyoto of San-in.” San-in is the name of the region in Japan where the town is located.	Photo by Dan Cunneen
Photo by Dan Cunneen	With a population of approximately 7,500, Tsuwano is home to the Taikodani Inari Shrine, considered to be one of the five most important Inari Shrines, and the Catholic church Saint Francis Xavier. You can take in the panorama of the town, nestled in the picturesque river valley, from the shrine or the ruins of a former castle on the green hills above.
Photo by Dan Cunneen	Many of the shops that now occupy former samurai residences in the town center offer local specialties, such as traditional Japanese paper, washi. A waterway flowing alongside the main street is filled with carp that treat tourists with their lively and colorful splashes in exchange for tasty handouts.
Getting to Tsuwano can be an experience on its own – it’s a two-hour trip on the steam locomotive Yamaguchi-gō from Shin-Yamaguchi Station, where you can transfer from the Sanyo Shinkansen.   Other popular destinations in Shimane prefecture include the Izumo Taisha Shrine, Matsue Castle, pristine coastlines and lightly inhabited islands on the Sea of Japan.	Photo by Dan Cunneen
Trip Resources

 

Tsuwano Town	http://tsuwano-kanko.net/en/index.html https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/chugoku/shimane/tsuwano-and-masuda/
Shimane Prefecture	https://www.kankou-shimane.com/en/ https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/chugoku/shimane/
SL Yamaguchi-go Steam Train	https://www.kankou-shimane.com/en/?p=7960

 

Japan Travel Trivia

In the previous issue, we asked how many international visitors Japan welcomed in 2018. The correct answer is “D”, over 30 million. In 2018, a record high of 31,191,856 foreign visitors arrived in Japan according to data from the Ministry of Justice going back to 1964. Source: https://www.jnto.go.jp/jpn/statistics/marketingdata_outbound.pdf

This issue’s trivia fact: Japan is the land of the cute and there is a loveable character mascot, or yuru-chara, representing almost anything.

 

Here are the top three mascots from the 2019  Yuru-Chara® Grand Prix in the places category: Arukuma (Nagano Prefecture) Inunakin (Izumisano City in Osaka Prefecture) Korou Kun (Kumamoto Prefecture)

Remember to send us your questions and suggestions for topics that you would like us cover.
You can email our info address (info@se.mofa.go.jp) with the subject line “Japan Travel Talk” or post comments on our Facebook page.

See you soon!


Japan Travel Talk Team