5 great coffee shops in Matsue
Although best known for tea culture, Matsue also has a good coffee scene and its coffee shops range from stylishly modern to thoroughly retro.
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Shimane
Matsue’s Surprising Kyomise District
If you are looking to get off the beaten track in Matsue, a good place to start is the Kyomise
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Tea culture for all in Matsue
Matsue, the castle town on the Japan Sea coast in Shimane Prefecture, is a place where Japanese traditional culture is
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Let culture wash over you in Matsue
Matsue is one of Western Japan’s best kept secrets. The castle city on the edge of Lake Shinji near the
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No Ordinary Walk in the Forest: A Visit to Iinan-cho, Shimane Prefecture
Looking for relaxation? Jenny Yamamoto shares a forest bathing location near Hiroshima where you can soak up negative ions to your heart and soul’s content.
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INAKA Illumination
Over 35,000 hand-arranged LED lights at Uzui Station which stands some 30m above the fields below. The event includes locally
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The station in the sky, Uzui Station
Uzui-eki “the station in the sky” stands 30m above a picturesque mountain valley floor in the town of Ohnan in
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Kissa Torimichi
On a drive out to the countryside around Ohnan, just across the border in Shimane, or to fill up before
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Ohnan Ryokou-mura Waterpark
Ohnan Ryokou-mura is a all-purpose, though somewhat run down, sports park with a track, climbing wall, concrete halfpipe, camping and
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Ji-no-hi Matsuri Giant Umbrella Festival in Ohnan
The main event of this two day festival is groups of locals charging up and down a narrow street with
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Ikoi No Mura Shimane
Accommodation facility with great views of the Ohochi Basin and surrrounding mountains in Ohnan.
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Hanamono Peach Blossom Festival
This is liveliest event of the year in Kaizumi [川角], nicknamed the “Closest Village to Heaven” for its high elevation
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“Sakura Station” Ushio
Spring 2017 is the last chance to ride the train to enjoy the cherry blossoms at “sakura station” Ushio on
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Hanamomo Peach Blossoms in the Closest Village to Heaven
A gorgeous natural tapestry of peach blossoms painted on the former rice terraces of the “Closest Village to Heaven”.
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Dangyo-kei Gorge
The Dangyokei gorge is a spectacular natural beauty spot in Ohnan in Shimane Prefecture with great access.
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Koboku no Mori Herb Garden
Koboku-no-mori herb garden [香木の森] is on the edge of the Ohochi basin in Ohnan, just across the Hiroshima border, in
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Ohnan: Slow Life & Gourmet Food in Hidden Japan
Although only just over an hour’s drive north of Hiroshima city, you can’t get much more off the beaten track
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Mizuho Highland [Closed]
[Mizuho Highland is currently closed] Located just over the border in Shimane Prefecture in Ohnan, Mizuho Highland is one of
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Iwami Seaside Park
Iwami Seaside Park is a beautiful beach park in Hamada in Shimane Prefecture, a 90-minute drive over through the mountains from Hiroshima.
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