Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [383]
About 20km inland from Ōda is Sanbe-san, an old volcano with grassy slopes that reaches 1126m. It takes about an hour to climb from Sanbe Onsen and five hours to walk around the caldera. You can have a dip in the onsen on your return. Day-trippers can try the outdoor baths at Kokuminshukusha Sanbesō (; 83-2011; www.komachi-web.com/sanbe/, in Japanese; Shigaku Sanbe-chō Ōda-shi; baths ¥500, r per person from ¥7400; 10.30am-9pm; ), where accommodation is available. The area is a popular ski centre in winter. Buses run between Ōda and Sanbe Onsen (¥830, 40 minutes).
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IZUMO
0853 / pop 148,000
Only 38km west of Matsue, Izumo has one major attraction – the great Izumo Taisha shrine (; 53-3100; 195 Kizuki Higashi Taisha-chō; 6am-8pm), which ranks with Ise-jingū Click here as one of the most important shrines in Japan.
Orientation & Information
Izumo Taisha is 8km northwest of central Izumo. The shrine area, basically one sleepy street, is accessible from the Ichibata Line Taisha Ekimae Station and runs right up the shrine gates. Izumo Taisha can be visited easily as a day trip from Matsue. The tourist information office (53-2298; 1346-9 Kizuki Minami Shinmondōri Taisha-chō; 9am-5.30pm) is located in the station building, and has pamphlets and maps.
Sights
IZUMO TAISHA
Perhaps the oldest Shintō shrine of all, Izumo is second in importance only to Ise-jingū, the home of the sun goddess Amaterasu. The shrine is as old as Japanese history – there are references to Izumo in the Kojiki, Japan’s oldest book – and its origins stretch back into the age of the gods. Impressive as the structure is today, it was once even bigger. Records dating from AD 970 describe the shrine as the tallest building in the country; there is evidence that the shrine towered as high as 48m above the ground during the Heian period. It may well have been too high for its own good – the structure collapsed five times between 1061 and 1225, and the roofs today are a more modest 24m.
The current appearance of the main shrine dates from 1744. The main hall is currently undergoing one of its periodic rebuildings, and from April 2008 to May 2013 the deity will take up residence in a temporary shrine in front of the main hall.
The shrine is dedicated to Ōkuninushi, who, according to tradition, ceded control over Izumo to the sun goddess’ line – he did this on the condition that a huge temple would be built in his honour, one that would reach as high as the heavens. Long revered as a bringer of good fortune, Ōkuninushi is worshipped as the god of marriage, and visitors to the shrine summon the deity by clapping four times rather than the usual two.
Huge shimenawa (twisted straw ropes) hang over the entry to the main buildings. Those who can toss and lodge a coin in them are said to be blessed with good fortune. Visitors are not allowed inside the main shrine precinct, most of which is hidden behind huge wooden fences. Ranged along the sides of the compound are the jūku-sha, which are long shelters where Japan’s myriad deities stay when they come for their annual conference.
On the southeastern side of the compound is Shinko-den (; Treasure House; admission ¥150; 8.30am-4.30pm), with a collection of shrine paraphernalia.
Just to the right of the shrine’s front gate is Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo (; 53-8600; 99-4 Kizuki Higashi Taisha-chō; admission ¥600, foreigners with ID ¥300; 9am-6pm, to 5pm Nov-Feb, closed 3rd Tue of month; ), containing exhibits on local history. These include reconstructions of the shrine in its pomp, and recordings of the annual ceremonies held to welcome the gods to Izumo. The museum also houses a superb collection of bronze from the ancient Yayoi period, excavated nearby in 1996.
To get an idea of the original size of Izumo Taisha, check out the Kodai Izumo Ōyashiro Mokei Tenjikan (; Ancient Izumo Shrine Model Hall; 53-3100; admission free; 8.30am-4.30pm), where there is a scale model of the shrine as it was about 800 years ago.
HINO-MISAKI
It’s less than 10km from Izumo Taisha to Hino-misaki