Moopon

Matsue Castle (松江城), located in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, is one of the few original wooden castle remaining in Japan. Since the end of the feudal times, only about a dozen castles remain in Japan.  Visitors will be lucky to learn this “original” castle tower has survived wars, fires, earthquakes and anti-feudal activities during the post-feudal era.

Matsuejo (jo=castle) was completed in 1611 by the local lord Horio Yoshiharu. However in 1638, relatives of the Tokugawa Shogun, the Matsudaira clan received this castle.

Hours: 8:30 to 18:30 (until 17:00 from October to March)
Admission ends 30 minutes before closing time.
Closed: Opened All Year Round
Admission: 560 yen (castle only, 50% off for foreign tourists)
1160 yen (also includes samurai residence, Hearn residence and Hearn memorial museum)
920 yen (also includes two more sites of your choice from the three sites listed above)

Access Information:
**30 minute walk from JR Matsue Station
**15 minute walk from Ichibata Dentetsu's Matsue-Shinjiko-Onsen Station
**from JR Matsue Station or Ichibata Dentetsu's Matsue-Shinjiko-Onsen Station board the “Lake Line” loop bus

The Otome Toge Maria Chapel (Otome Tōge Maria Seidō) was built in 1951 in memory of Christian martyr.At the beginning of Meiji Period (1868-1912).
This small rustic chapel stands in the woods west of Tsuwano Station.

Christianity was prohibited in Japan during the Edo Period (1603-1867) but there are some Japanese Christians who continued to practice their religion secretly.
After the Meiji Restoration (1867), some of them made their belief public after, partly unknowing that the ban was still in place. These Christians, mostly from Nagasaki, were sent in groups to various parts of Japan to be persuaded to abandon their religion.

One of these places was Tsuwano, where the Otome Toge Maria Chapel currently stands.Torture ensued when persuasion tactics failed, and 36 of the Christians did not survive the ordeal owing to torture.

There is a monument with a statue of Virgin Mary and a man in a cage beside the chapel, depicting the story of one of the Chirstians who was locked up and left in the cold, but stood steadfast because he reportedly saw the apparition of Virgin Mary every night.    

Facility Information:
Hours: Always open
Closed: Opened All Year Round
Admission: Free
Access Information: It takes about a 20 minute walk to get there from Tsuwano Station.

 

The Tsuwano Castle Ruins (Tsuwanojō-seki) built on a mountain ridge, 200 meters above the town center, 370meters above sea level.
The castle was first built in the late 12th century.
In the early 1600s, stone walls were added to the castle, but the main keep fired in 1686 after being struck by lightning.

The keep was never rebuilt, and the castle was decommissioned in the 1870s after the Meiji Restoration, leaving only its stone foundations today.A chair lift makes the approach to the castle easier, although around 20 minute hike through the woods is still required to get to the ruins of the main fortifications.

Grass covers the grounds where the buildings formerly stood, but the walls of the multiple circles of defense still make for an imposing sight.
Another good one is the panoramic views over Tsuwano Town that can be enjoyed from there.   

Chair lift
Hours: 9:00 to 16:30
Closed: Available on Saturdays, Sundays  from December to end February 
Admission: 350 yen (one way), 450 yen (roundtrip)
Access Information: It takes about 30 minutes to walk from Tsuwano 

 

This museum is dedicated to the local illustrator Anno Mitsumasa, who specializes in picture books and children's books.
The museum displays Anno's works and features a library of his books and a classroom with nostalgic interior decor from the Showa Period.
Its museum shop sells his books and original goods. The museum is located across the street from the station.
 

Facility Information
Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry at16:45) 
Closed: December 29 th to 31st and second Thursday in Mar, Jun, Sep and Dec Admission: 800 yen