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Izumo, Shimane

The Road West of Izumo

West out of Izumo and back on the same bus line — a shrine where you clap four times instead of two, dark buckwheat noodles, a stone lighthouse you can climb, and a west-facing beach at sundown.

4 stops · one day

The route

  • 01
    MaedaAkihiko / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Shimane · Izumo · From Izumo-shi Station · ~25 min · Better early

    Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine

    Go for the etiquette and the order, not only the giant rope.

    What to look for

    • Bronze Torii — the bronze gate that marks the start of the inner precinct
    • Pine Approach — an avenue of old pines along the way in
    • Haiden Worship Hall — the hall where visitors actually pray, short of the sanctuary

    Read the full article →

  • Next stop · 0.8 km in a straight line
  • 02
    J.Yoshiiiiiiii / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Shimane · Izumo, Taisha · From Izumo-shi Station · ~25 min

    Izumo Soba

    Both ways of eating one noodle, on the shrine's own approach.

    What to look for

    • Izumo-taisha-mae Station — the Taisha Line terminus, a Western-styled hall with stained-glass-like windows opening straight onto the approach
    • Uka-bashi great torii — the first torii, standing at the river end of the approach and listed as a registered tangible cultural property
    • Shinmon-dori tourist information centre — the street's public information office, where the shrine's guided walks start

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  • Next stop · 6.5 km in a straight line
  • 03
    663highland / CC BY 2.5

    Shimane · Izumo Hinomisaki · From Izumo Taisha bus terminal · ~20 min

    Hinomisaki Shrine and Lighthouse

    A red two-level shrine and a climbable stone lighthouse on the same headland.

    What to look for

    • The two-storey gate — the vermilion romon at the entrance, one of the designated buildings
    • Hishizumi-no-miya — the lower hall for Amaterasu, lacquered red under a broad hipped roof
    • Kami-no-miya — the upper hall for Susanoo, up a stone stairway on the terrace behind

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  • Next stop · 5.0 km in a straight line
  • 04
    Qurren / CC BY-SA 3.0

    Shimane · Izumo, Taisha · From Izumo-shi Station · ~40 min

    Inasa Beach

    Izumo's sunset shore: open ground, no ticket, a short walk from the great shrine.

    What to look for

    • Bentenjima — the rounded islet off the sand, with a torii and stone steps up to the shrine on its crown
    • The white sand shoreline — a wide, west-facing strand running the length of the bay
    • Byobu-iwa — the screen-shaped rock closing the southern end of the beach

    Read the full article →

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