Matsue has a hospitable spirit

A bridge ahead

Approaching

A turtle once roaming at night and ate up people 

 Foxes guard the premises of this shrine

Matsue and other places of interest in SHIMANE prefecture has been offering special discount to visitors from abroad for the past several years. Naturally are seen more tourists from overseas. 

Recently, the area seems to be getting more travelers than before probably because more girls are finding SHIMANE attractive due to its enigmatic match-making power. This should not be only for the one between boys and girls but comprehensive relations between people. But inevitably it turns out to be everybody's priority. 

Besides famed Izumo Grand Shrine, there are countless old shrines in SHIMANE. In fact, three of them are believed to be older than Izumo. Matsue is its capital city and the three oldest shrines are nearby. The city evoleved as a castle town from the start of the 17th century. The castle tower still soars in the center of the city surrounded by moats and rivers. That area retains the ambience of the days gone by. Now, just like you board a gondola in Venice, here you see the city while you are aboard the wooden boat navigated on the moat by a local skipper. One unique attraction of this boat-ride is to go beneath the bridges, four of which are so low that the boat's awning has to be flattened when going under them. And of course you flatten yourselves too. 

Matsue has a good size to move around and has a long tradition and unbeatable reputation of good sweets for green tea. You can also try making some at a studio called KARAKORO Studio. 

There are lots more the city has to offer. Have fun in this mystic city of waters that Lafcadio Hearn called the capital of gods and goddesses. 

The strange stories and legends, some of which are even spooky or scary but all have profound meanings, compiled by him are now readable on the net free of charge. Feel SHIMANE even at home.

 Old quarters seen from the boat

 Matsue's Lake Line bus

Hells in Beppu are rather colorful

 

Beppu's top attraction is touring the eight hells. The hells are in fact multicolored volcanic pits of boiling water and mud and one geyser. They are too hot to be diluted into onsen, and they emerge at temperatures ranging from 50 to 99.5 °C (122 to 210 °F). Some of the hells have a natural smell of sulfur — which comes out a bit like rotten eggs. See some of the hellish photos.

 

Cool samurai @ kumamoto castle

KATO Kiyomasa is one of them

People love samurai castles. Only 12 original castle towers remain but more were reconstructed based on the original. The main castle tower of Kumamoto Castle connected with the minor tower is a concrete recreation built in 1970. In front of them lies a square where samurai members periodically gather and perform shows. In the photo is seen a tall ginkgo tree which was first planted at the beginning of the 17th century by KATO KIYOMASA, who expanded the existing fortress into a magnificent castle complex now known as Kumamoto Castle. He predicted something ominous would happen when the tree became as tall as the main castle tower. That grave event could have been the battle fought in 1877. The castle was besieged by unaffected former samurai members from Satsuma but was so well designed that it was not penetrated more than 50 days and most of the Satsuma troops moved a way from the castle to seek different tactics. Kumamoto castle has some old historical buildings which you cannot resist taking pics. But their reconstructions have been beautifully done and that's the way this castle has to offer you a lot to see.