Western Honshu
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Western Honshu - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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5 Recommendations
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1. Adachi Museum of Art
Located outside of Matsue City in neighboring Yasugi, The Adachi Museum of Art is well worth the trip. The gardens around the museum are some of the most breathtaking in all of Japan. The path around the gardens reveals new delights around every corner. Adding to their beauty is the borrowed landscape backdrop of low hills and forests beyond. The museum interior has a large selection of 19th- and 20th-century Japanese masters as well as temporary exhibitions throughout the year. The museum runs free shuttle buses every 30 minutes from Yasugi Station which take 20 minutes. Yasugi Station is 27 minutes east of Matsue Station on the local train (¥420). Try to time your arrival close to the museum opening hour of 9 am to avoid group tours, which start arriving around 10:30.
320 Furukawa-Cho, Shimane-ken, 692-0064, Japan0854-28–7111Sight Details
Rate Includes: ¥2,300 (¥2,000 for foreign visitors) -
2. Atomic Bomb Dome
This ruin is a poignant symbol of man's self-destructiveness. It was the city's old Industrial Promotion Hall, and it stands in stark contrast to the new Hiroshima, which hums along close by. Despite being directly below the bomb blast, the building did not collapse into rubble like the rest of the city. Eerie, twisted, and charred, the iron-and-concrete dome has stood darkly brooding next to the river, basically untouched since that horrible morning. The sad old building's foreboding, derelict appearance can be emotionally overwhelming. The site is just outside the official northeast boundary of Peace Memorial Park. Take Tram 2 or 6 from Hiroshima Station to the Gembaku-Domu-mae stop.
North of Heiwa Kinen Koen, Hiroshima, Hiroshima-ken, 730-0811, Japan -
3. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Naka-kuDisplays of models, charred fragments of clothing, melted ceramic tiles, lunch boxes, watches, and shocking photographs tell Hiroshima's story of death and destruction. A visit here may be too intense for some (especially children), but to appreciate the horror of the bombing and the hope that made Hiroshima into the city it is today, this museum is highly recommended. The heat-ray-photographed human shadow permanently imprinted on granite steps can take you well beyond sadness, and the Dalí-esque watch forever stopped at 8:15 is chilling. Most exhibits have brief explanations in English, and more-detailed information is on the audio tour, which you can rent separately.
View Tours and Activities1--2 Nakajima-cho, Hiroshima, Hiroshima-ken, 730-0811, Japan082-241–4004Sight Details
Rate Includes: ¥200 -
4. Izumo Taisha Shrine
Nature has arrayed a shrine of its own to compliment the ornate but somehow subdued structures: a lofty ridge of forested peaks rises behind, a boulevard of fragrant ancient pines lines the approach, and lush green lawns flank both sides. Pilgrims come here primarily to pray for success in courtship and marriage. The honden (main building) dates from 1744 and most of the other were buildings from 1688 onward. The architectural style, with its saddled crests and ornamental roof fixtures resembling crossed swords, is said to be unique to the Izumo region, but some similarities with the main Shinto shrine on the Kii Peninsula can be noted. The taisha is dedicated to a male god, Okuninushi, the creator of the land and god of marriage and fortune. Instead of clapping twice, as at other shrines, you should clap four times—twice for yourself, and twice for your current or future partner. According to folklore, if you successfully throw a ¥5 coin so that it sticks up into the sacred hanging strands of the enormously thick 5-ton, 25 foot-long twisted straw rope, or shimenawa, suspended above the entrance to the main building, you will be doubly assured of good luck in marriage. It is almost impossible to do without some kind of cheating—which may say something about the difficulties of marriage. Two rectangular buildings on either side of the compound are believed to house the visiting millions of Shinto gods during the 10th lunar month of each year. In the rest of Japan the lunar October is referred to as “Kannazuki” (month without gods), while in Izumo, October is called “Kamiarizuki” (month with gods). The shrine is a five-minute walk north, to the right along the main street, from Izumo Taisha-mae Station.
View Tours and Activities195 Taishocho Kizukihigashi, Matsue, Shimane-ken, 699-0701, Japan0853-53–3100Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
5. Korakuen Garden
Korakuen is a "Special Place of Scenic Beauty" (as designated by the government), and one of Japan's finest gardens. It has charming tea arbors, green lawns, ponds, and hills that were created at the turn of the 18th century on the banks of the Asahi River. Maple, apricot, and cherry trees give the 32-acre park plenty of flowers and shade. The riverside setting, with Okayama Castle in the background, is delightful. The garden's popularity increases in peak season (April to August), but this is one of the country's largest gardens, so you won't feel hemmed in by crowds. From Okayama Station, it is a 20-minute walk, or you can jump on the city tram for three stops to Shiroshita Station, and then it's a five-minute walk.
1--5 Korakuen, Okayama, Okayama-ken, 703-8257, Japan086-272–1148Sight Details
Rate Includes: ¥410 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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