Daikonjima, which translates to English as Radish Island, is a volcanic island that can be reached by bus from Matsue in Shimane Prefecture. It is extremely famous for two things: Korean ginseng and Japanese peonies. Although the whole island is formed out of volcanos and covered with ash, it has been known for agriculture since…

Would you like to see the largest hourglass in the world? You can find it at the Nima Sand Museum of Oda, Shimane Prefecture in Japan (not too far from Hiroshima). It is a museum featuring the sand of the nearby Kotogahama beach, which is popular for the sound made by the sand on the…

Matsue(松江) is the capital of the Shimane Prefecture on the sea coast of Japan with an estimated population of 207,000. It is located on Okashi River, which is situated between Lake Shinji and Lake Nakanoumi. As there is a network of canals and rivers in Matsue’s cityscape and scenery, it is also called the “water…

With its network of canals, it is not surprising that Matsue (松江), the capital of Shimane (島根), has earned the name as the “Beautiful Water City”. Not a very big city, most of the attraction spots can be reached by bus, boat or just walking. In Matsue city itself, I would recommend doing the following…