The prefecture of Shimane stretches over 1,000km along the western coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu. Its shoreline scenery runs the gamut from sandy, secluded beaches to rugged precipices with an occasional fishing port making an appearance. As one would expect, there is a wealth of seafood, and also not surprisingly, a plenitude of local sake to enjoy alongside it. In myth, Shimane is said to be the gathering place of ancient gods. They must have been wise indeed.
The prefectural capital city of Matsue is one of those gems that few know much about, but all wonder upon visiting how it remains such a secret. After my first trip there three years ago, I was soon planning a return visit. In Sake Today #4 Etsuko Nakamura gave an overview of the city, but it’s one worthy of a second, deeper look.
Appropriately referred to as Mizu no Miyako (the City of Water), Matsue is bordered on the north by the Sea of Japan, on the west by the shores of Lake Shinji, and on the east by the Nakaumi Lagoon. A network of canals weaves its way through the downtown area of the city and eventually out to the open ocean via Nakaumi. Opportunities to catch beautiful sunsets over the ocean or lake abound, so keep your camera by your side for that postcard-worthy shot. You can opt for the popular sunset lake cruise or simply stroll along lake’s eastern shore and set up your tripod just past the Shimane Art Museum. Don’t expect to be alone. Just a couple hundred meters offshore is Yomegashima, the lake’s sole island and popular sunset photo subject. A Shinto shrine devoted to the goddess Benten lies on the flat, tiny isle, which is off-limits to visitors except during special celebrations.
The black-walled Matsue Castle, a relic of feudal Japan, presides over a hilltop looking out on the lake. Fortunate to have been untouched by war or natural disaster, the fortress remains in the same state it was in when built over four centuries ago. The area surrounding the castle makes for a nice walk, but if any are interested, there are flatboat tours of the moat and interconnected canals.
The brackish waters of Lake Shinji provide a perfect habitat for the shijimi clam, which is served up in any number of ways in local restaurants and bars, most commonly in miso soup. Suzuki (Japanese sea bass), shrimp and multiple varieties of tiny fish are all harvested from the lake. Combine that with other Shimane delicacies from the Sea of Japan like matsubagani (snow crab, available fresh in winter), nodoguro (a seaperch) and iwagaki (large oysters), and your sake has ample pairing options. The four sake breweries located in Matsue will ensure that you don’t run out of libations, either.
Both the Kokki and Yoneda (Toyonoaki sake) breweries are easily accessed. They are located near the Ôhashi River, which bisects the city center. Kokki’s classic Edo-era shop in front of the brewery offers a not-to-be-missed tasting opportunity. Refrigerators stocked with about thirty varieties of its sake are available for sampling and, of course, taking home. Of special interest is the Yashiori Shikomi, which is painstakingly brewed in limited quantity. It’s a revival of a Heian Era (794-1185) brew that was used in myth to inebriate the hydra-like beast Yamata Orochi so the hero Susano Onomikoto could easily slay it (see preceding Matsuzaki article). The rich, sweet sake is made from 100% Shimane-grown Gohyakumangoku rice. It’s not hard to imagine why Susano’s strategy was an effective one.
Yoneda’s retail shop is just southwest of the brewery itself. Free tastings and tours (with reservation) are offered year-round (with some restrictions during the brewing season), but you will need a Japanese speaker accompanying you if you want to absorb any information. Yoneda and Kokki are on the same street less than ten minutes apart allowing you to visit in succession. Also in the same neighborhood are two locations of the sake bar Sakaya (佐香や, at Karakoro Hiroba and Higashihonmachi). The Karakoro Hiroba bar is larger with tables for dining and also allows smoking. The smaller Sakaya is non-smoking and with the exception of a small table in the back, seating is at the counter. It will likely be the more appealing of the two for the sake fanatic. It’s more intimate and has about sixty or so predominantly Shimane sake to choose from that are less mainstream than those found at the larger shop. The cuisine, especially the seasonal seafood (iwagaki and shirobaigai–a spiral shellfish–are recommended), delectably complement the sake. There is no English help, but the manager is friendly and it would be a shame to pass up such an excellent sake selection.
If you are looking for a bottle shop in this area, Yonemura Honten (米村本店) isn’t far from Kokki and though relatively small, it carries a fine assortment of the prefecture’s sake. One more bar of note is Sakuya (蒴屋), similarly sounding, but of no relation to Sakaya. It’s roughly halfway between Yoneda’s shop and Matsue Station. It boasts junmaishu from every brewery in the prefecture served chilled (reishu), at room temperature (jô-on) or heated (atsukan) depending on the variety. Flights of three are also offered for around ¥1000 (under $10USD).
The Rihaku Brewery is about a 20-minute walk northeast of Matsue Castle. Attached to the brewery is a small shop and tasting room. Michiko Tanaka, the younger sister and officially “assistant to the president” (Yuichirô Tanaka), can assist you with passable English and a warm smile. She can also provide some great dining/drinking suggestions in Matsue. Yuichirô can also assist in English, but is a very busy man. A relatively short walk from Rihaku is the liquor store Makido Tengudô (槇戸天狗堂). It has a large selection of Shimane sake as well as sake and other types of alcohol from all over the country. It also has a refrigerator dedicated to Ouroku, the fourth brewery in the city. Ouroku Shuzô is located out of the downtown area and doesn’t have a retail shop on premises, so purchasing some bottles at Makido Tengudô is a good option.
Fans of craft beer can find the Ji Beer Kan (“Local Beer Hall”) just to the northwest of the castle along one of the canals that runs out from the moat. Ji Beer Kan has a restaurant, gift shop and a standing bar with all taps dedicated to beer made at their on-premise brewery, called Beer Hearn. Started in 1999, the brewery takes its name from Lafcadio Hearn, a 19th century transient author that emigrated to Japan and settled in Matsue. He was one of the first foreign nationals to become a naturalized Japanese citizen (under the name Yakumo Koizumi). His home and a museum dedicated to him are a popular tourist stop. Both are a short walk from the brewery. Among the Beer Hearn brews, one of particular interest is Orochi, a seasonal beer made with kôji and fermented partially with sake yeast. The brewery has collaborated with Rihaku and other Shimane sake makers to create this popular beer that sells as fast as they can tap it.
Moving on from Matsue, your next stop should be Izumo City, located on the western shore of Lake Shinji opposite the capital. It’s about an hour train ride between the two cities. From Izumoshi Station, the Ishibata bus and train lines can get you to all the main points of interest in the city. Purchasing the “Enmusubi Perfect Ticket” grants you unlimited usage of the Matsue City and Ichibata buses as well as the Ichibata train lines in both cities for three days. Usually ¥3000 (about $25USD) it was ¥1000 with a foreign passport at the time of my visit. The sheer convenience of simply flashing the pass instead of fumbling for proper change makes it well worth the investment.
The city of Izumo is home to one of Japan’s most sacred and well-known shrines, Izumo Taisha, which is dedicated to the deity Ôkuninushi. One of its most recognizable features is a giant shimenawa, a rope composed of twisted rice straw that is a common feature at Shinto shrines. The shimenawa is said to separate the mortal world from the realm of the gods. The largest of these, weighing around four and a half tons, hangs from the Kaguraden Hall at Izumo Taisha.
You may also notice statues of rabbits throughout the shrine’s grounds and they are a common theme at souvenir shops in the city. Greatly simplified, one of the legends of Ôkuninushi tells of his kindness towards a hare that had been stripped of its skin by a shark. Ôkuninushi’s older brothers had come across the hare and had been cruel to it, but he showed it compassion and helped it heal. This act helped earn him the love of princess Yagami-hime, whom all the brothers had sought to marry.
A visit to the neighboring Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo will further explain some of the myths that involve Izumo Taisha. The museum also has artifacts dating to the Yayoi Period (approx. 500BC-250AD) and exhibits explaining the construction of the shrine and depictions of life in ancient Shimane. Some English-speaking staff work the front desk and you can receive guidance in English via a headset that provides explanations as you move about the museum.
Shinmondôri, the street leading up to the Izumo Taisha, is lined with a large selection of restaurants and gift shops. Many of the restaurants serve Izumo soba–three lacquerware bowls of soba noodles, usually with different toppings on each, stacked on top of one another. The dish can be found in Matsue, too. The Shinmondôri area is a popular spot for lunch, so expect lines at many of the restaurants.
From Izumo Taisha, a visit to Cape Hinomisaki is definitely worth your while. The roughly 30-minute bus ride from Izumo Taisha takes you on a steep winding coastal road ending at the brightly orange-red-colored Hinomisaki Shrine. The journey from the shrine to the top of the bluff only takes about ten minutes on foot. On the way you will pass small restaurants serving the day’s catch of seafood, which may hit the spot if you passed on the lines at Shinmondôri. At the end of the walk the ivory white Hinomisaki Lighthouse sits prominently atop a craggy cliff overlooking the Sea of Japan. If you have small children, take care as there are many places without restrictive barriers along the bluffs. For a view from the top you can opt to climb the lighthouse’s 163 steps for a couple hundred yen. Be ready to do it in your socks though, as shoes must be left at the bottom. The entire area is picturesque, especially at sunset, but take note that the last Ichibata bus leaves prior to that in the summer months, so you’ll need to seek other options.
Near Izumoshi Station in the Imaichichô area is a wealth of sake action. The Asahi Shuzô (Juji Asahi/Yachi-hoko) is located in the Nakamachi covered arcade. There is a minimum level of English help in their shop, but they make their best effort to accommodate. Tours are offered in Japanese by appointment only. In the same arcade is the relatively new sake bar and restaurant Tsubameya. I arrived on a Saturday just before the dinner rush at 5:00 pm and things were already in full swing. I was fortunate to get one of the last remaining counter seats. Both the staff and patrons were predominantly a younger generation of sake drinkers and it was a pleasant sight to see them taking such an interest in the national–and local–beverage. The bar serves most, if not all, of the sake in the prefecture, offering around thirty varieties with options for reishu or atsukan. The food is also Shimane-focused and everything is reasonably priced. Another more intimate option in the area with an ample selection of Shimane sake is Konaya Konkichidô (粉家こん吉堂), a cosy, counter-only bar. The tamagoyaki (fried egg dumplings with octopus, onion and other fillings) and Chinese-style cuisine is the specialty here. Though all text is in Japanese, the menu has pictures of all the food, making selections simple.
In the same neighborhood is Fuji Shuzô, makers of Izumo Fuji, and not far away is Itakura Shuzô (Tenon), less than thirty minutes from Imaichichô on foot. Both breweries have adjoining stores that are open on weekdays until around 5:00 pm and Itakura offers limited brewery tours with a reservation. Neither has assistance in English, so visit with a Japanese acquaintance or a good translation app.
From Izumo, I traveled to the small port town of Yunotsu (now part of Ôda City), which is known for its onsen (hot springs). The village was originally a bustling harbor used for the transport of silver from the Iwami Ginzan mines from the 16th through to the 20th century. The hot springs helped it transform into a tourist destination after the silver reserves were depleted. Tourism slowly tapered off and the town became a bit of a relic of the past, but the selection of Iwami Ginzan as a World Heritage Site in 2007 brought some revitalization. It still has the feel of off-the-beaten-path, Showa-era (1926-89) Japan. I wasn’t expecting much, but I thoroughly enjoyed my stay.
Contributing greatly to that enjoyment was my choice of lodging–the Yururi guesthouse. Run by charming proprietress Masako Omi, the inside of the old, wooden residence has been attractively remodeled. Ms. Omi can communicate in decent English and can provide excellent advice for touring the area. On informing her that I had an interest in sake, she promptly made a call to the nearby Wakabayashi Shuzô (Kaishun), drove me there, and proceeded to introduce me to the president and toji. After some tastings, I had a bottle picked out for the evening.
There are two public baths in town, Motoyu and Yakushiyu. The water has a high mineral content and is said to be very therapeutic. It is also extremely hot. I chose Yakushiyu, which I was told is the cooler of the two, but had trouble believing that claim. Getting in took some time, and after two short rounds of bathing, I opted to end my “therapy” to read about the town in the second floor lounge.
Ms. Omi had arranged for me to have dinner at Roan, one of only a handful of restaurants in town and like many of the area’s establishments it’s a renovated old residence. That evening there were four choices of Kaishun on the menu along with three varieties of local craft beer made by Iwami Bakushu. The food is a mixture of Japanese standards and fusion. It’s reasonably priced and the main menu is bilingual.
To cap off my stay in Yunotsu, when I mentioned that I was going to Iwami Ginzan the next day, Ms. Omi offered to take me there by car since she was going to watch her daughter’s tennis match at a school nearby. Her kindness was inexhaustible and I couldn’t recommend staying at her guesthouse more. While small town Japan presents challenges to non-Japanese speakers, the rewarding experience often outweighs the trouble.
The remnants of the Iwami Ginzan silver mines are located in the old town of Ômori and can be accessed by buses running from Ôda Station. While the mines themselves are of historical interest and also offer cool respite from the heat of summer, I found wandering around the town itself to be more enticing. It’s a step back into the past with buildings restored to appear as they did long ago.
Overall, Shimane is foreign tourist friendly, especially the Izumo-Matsue area. For sake lovers, the Shimane Shuzô Kumiai (Shimane Sake Brewers Association) maintains a helpful website in English to provide information about the breweries and places to drink sake in the prefecture: shimane-sake.or.jp/en. The more I explore Shimane, the more I feel that the gods were on to something. Beautiful scenery, a bounty of seafood, and of course, mythical sake to conquer a beast–is it any wonder they chose to have their summits here? As soon as I got on the train to leave, I once again found myself planning the next trip.
