An English guide to the
beautiful Iwami region of JapanIwami is in the western part of Shimane, a rural prefecture on the Sea of Japan,
geographically remote from the larger cities, and cut off from the nearest major city
of Hiroshima by the Chugoku mountain range. This is old, rural Japan.
Experience
From noodle making, traditional weaving, throwing pottery, rice planting, or risking your life on a wild boar hunt.
- Crafts and cooking (3)
- Driving (2)
- Festivals (6)
- Hot Springs (17)
- Kagura (2)
- Museums (16)
- Skiing (2)
- Surfing (1)
- Mimata Hot Spring Kokumin Hoyou Center Mimata is the one of the most famous hot springs in Shimane. It has been used for over 150 years. It is claimed that t...(read more)
- Sanbesou Sanbesou (さんべ荘) <<Restaurant Iris>> You can enjoy delicious Japanese dishes such as soba noodl...(read more)
- Yunotsu Onsen summer festival (Yunotsu Hotsprings summer festival) At night, Yunotsu looks like something straight out of Studio Ghibli's 'Spirited Away.' Traditional in...(read more)
- Art workshops At Sekisho Art Museum they hold regular art workshops. You can learn how to paint, sketch, and make things. Of course, i...(read more)
- Arifuku Arifuku onsen or hot spring is a small village, just a collection of streets really, lined with retro hot sp...(read more)
- Morijuku Museum Tsuwano is a must-see on any visit to the Iwami region in Japan. This ' little Kyoto'...(read more)
- Senjouen In Hamada, just by the sea, there is a really cool hotel called Senjouen (千畳苑). The best thing about this place is that ...(read more)
- Masuda String-puppets Masuda marionettes were designated as an intangible folk-cultural property of Shimane prefecture 60 years ago. They are ...(read more)
- Hot spring in Kanagi city There are many hot springs in Shimane prefecture. Here I will introduce two hot spring resorts. Kintanosato (きんたの里) T...(read more)
- Yakushiyu When you visit Japan for a vacation, you should try a hot spring. OK, you do need to take your clothes off, but there ar...(read more)
- Revolution surfer’s base Revolution surfer’s base is a surf shop in Hamada city. This surf shop has a surfing school for beginner, and an...(read more)
- Yamabuki Green Farm Yamabuki Green Farm in the remote village of Muikaichi has a beautiful garden. In fall, it is full of sunflowers, and in...(read more)
Restaurant & Cafe
Everything from freshly caught seafood to organic buffets, freshly ground coffee, and wild boar meat.
- Eating in Iwami Ginzan Restaurants and restrooms There are some good restaurants and few restrooms in this area. Café Nobosemon This ...(read more)
- Mameda The main road from Hamada station is called 銀天街 (Gintengai). There are many restaurants, bars, and stores here a...(read more)
- Ahmed ( Indian Restaurant) My favorite restaurant is Ahmed. This is an Indian Curry restaurant. We can eat many kinds of Indian foods the...(read more)
- Restaurany Pony Restaurant Pony is in Grand Toit, the largest museumin Masuda. You can enjoy delicious foods made with fresh loca...(read more)
- Furusato No trip to Japan is complete without sampling the local cuisine. Plenty of little restaurants in the Iwami region ...(read more)
- Cafes in Hamada Cafe Michele Hamadahas lots of good places to eat such as cafésor restaurants. “Café Mi...(read more)
- I-sann I went to I-sann (いーさん) to eat dinner. This restaurant is located along route 186. This restaurant serves delicious Ko...(read more)
- Gungendo Cafe Iwami Ginzan is a UN World Heritage site in the mountains of Shimane, Japan. During the sixteenth century, it was one of...(read more)
- Ten Ten (noodle restaurant) Tenten is an Udon (Japanese noodle) restaurant. It is located in the in fro...(read more)
- Nitto kocha tea parlor If you want to experience a retro cafe in Japan, look no further than Nitto Kocha tea parlor. The café opened i...(read more)
- Kamuri & Koraku Ichi Kamuri (香夢里) isthe first restaurant you will see at Kobokuno Mori. It islocated at the top ...(read more)
Scenery
Hike the Chugoku mountain trail, see ancient temples, enjoy green tea in a traditional garden, or photograph terraced rice paddies.
- Mount Sankai In Hamada, there are a lot of hills and mountains but Mt. Sankai is one of the symbols of Hamada city. The height ...(read more)
- The Ogawas’ garden of Sesshu The Ogawa family is a famous old Japanese family. It is said that Sesshu built this garden for them when he visited&nb...(read more)
- Taikodani Inari Shrine Iwami region is home to one of Japan's 'little Kyotos', smaller scale versions of the delightful city. Tsuwa...(read more)
- Hashi beach Hashi beach is a very popular beach in the Iwami region. This beach is located in Iwami Seaside Park. From Aquas,...(read more)
- Tsuwano Catholic Church ○Tsuwano Catholic Church (photo copyright Ojisanjake) There is an interesting church on Tonomachi (殿町) Street in To...(read more)
- Kigami Shrine Looking for love in Iwami? The god of Kigami shrine known as Okuninushi-no-mikoto is the very same as the god of marriag...(read more)
- Kotogahama When you visit Japan for vacatipn, a trip to the countryside allows you to see a dofferent side of country. Iwami is far...(read more)
- Senganji temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) Senganji temple is located at the top of a small mountain in theKawamoto area of Gotsu. This temple was establis...(read more)
- Kannanmiji temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) Kannamiji Temple is the 11th on the Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage.It's in the Kawamoto area of Gotsu city and was...(read more)
- Saishou Temple This temple was founded in 1465. The temple in existence was rebuilt in 1739. This temple has some statues on the roo...(read more)
- Enjoji Temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) Enjoji Temple (written圓城寺 in Japanese) is also known as Reichinzan (霊椿山) or mountain of the sacred camellia. There is a ...(read more)
- Takanoji Temple ( Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) If you enjoy walking, we recommend Takano temple, about 20 minutes by taxi from Yunotsu station in Iwami region. The mai...(read more)
World Heritage
Iwami boasts both a World Heritage site in the Iwami Silver Mine and an intangible asset, Sekishu hand-made paper.
- Iwami Ginzan Library This beautiful building is Iwami Ginzan Library, our university's satellite campus in Iwami Ginzan. This library ...(read more)
- Iwami Silver Mine Museum The museum was built as a local government office in the Meiji era (1902). It's a large traditional house and exhibi...(read more)
- Enjoji Temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) Enjoji Temple (written圓城寺 in Japanese) is also known as Reichinzan (霊椿山) or mountain of the sacred camellia. There is a ...(read more)
- Enpukuji Temple (Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) If you want to see a visual representation of the last judgement, you should visit Enpuku-ji temple in Ohda, Iwami regio...(read more)
- Omori Omori is a traditional noodle restaurant in Iwami Silver Mine. There's a retro feel to the building, with its old-fa...(read more)
- Okubo Mabu Mine Shaft Tour Although there are at least 600 entrances to the silver mine, only a few are open to the public. Tours to the Okubu min...(read more)
- Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center Iwami Ginzan World Heritage Center Iwami Ginzan is a UN World Heritage site in the mountains of Shimane, Japan. During ...(read more)
- Iwami 33 Temple Pigrimage Have you ever heard a pilgrimage to the Iwami Kannon 33 Temples Pilgrimage? All the temples are located in Iwami region ...(read more)
- Takanoji Temple ( Iwami 33 Temple Pilgrimage) If you enjoy walking, we recommend Takano temple, about 20 minutes by taxi from Yunotsu station in Iwami region. The mai...(read more)
- Sekushu-Washi Kaikan Sekishu-Washi Kaikan(石州和紙会館)” is a place where we can experience making washi and learn culture and history of Sek...(read more)
- Ryugenji Mabu When you visit Japan for a vacation, a trip to the countryside allows you to see a different side of the country. Iwam...(read more)