Tsuwano, Shimane’s Little Kyoto

Located west of Shimane, north of Yamaguchi, this city is sometimes called “Little Kyoto” and for good reason. Walking among the old samurai houses, warehouses, sake breweries and traditional confectionery, one discovers a small pleasant village or history blends in with wonder, much more quiet than in Kyoto.

Taikodani Inari

One of the most famous shrines in Tsuwano, the Taikodani Inari shrine, recalls the famous Fushimi Inari shrine where you can see thousands of red torii bordering the mountain paths. It is one of the 5 largest Inari shrines in Japan.

The entrance to the Taikodani Inari Sanctuary is a few steps from the southern tip of Tsuwano Old Town. Many vermilion torii are erected on a long series of stairs leading to the sanctuary in about fifteen minutes. Large strings of sacred straw hang at the front of the halls, which is a feature also observed in other shrines in Shimane Prefecture.

Tsuwano Jo

If you have time left, head for the ruins of Tsuwano Castle.

The castle was built at the end of the 12th century. In the early 1600s, stone walls were added to the castle, but the main dungeon burned in 1686 after being struck by lightning. The dungeon was never rebuilt and the castle was put out of service in the 1870s after the Meiji restoration, leaving today only its stone foundations.

Whether you’re riding by chairlift to the top or hiking for half an hour through the forest on the half-hour hill, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful panoramic views of Tsuwano’s houses and sanin.

Old town of Tsuwano

The highlight is the area of Tonomachi where a block of houses in the old Samurai district is particularly well preserved with earth walls, historic buildings and a water canal filled with carp (historically raised to survive in case of a shortage).

The former adjacent shopping district, located between the Tsuwano railway station and the Tonomachi district, is not as carefully preserved as the Tonomachi district, but it also contains a number of old buildings and facades, including sake shops and some museums of interest.

Enjoy the iris that bloom throughout the city the first fortnight of June.

Washi Museum

Papermaking is a strong industry inTsuwanoFor hundreds of years. You will find here theSekishukanMuseum ofWashi(Japanese paper). For 600JPY you can try making paper. You will find dolls and other products made from paper in souvenir shops in the city.

Tsuwano’s Hidden Christians

Urakami Yoban Kuzure is the name of the last and most important of the four repressive raids against Christians, Catholics called Kakure Kirishitan, Japan in the XIX^ecentury.

Christianity was banned in Japan at the timeEdo(1603-1867), but some Japanese Christians continued to practice their religion underground. Some of them have made their belief public after the restoration ofMeijiwithout being aware that the ban was still in place. These Christians, most of themNagasakiwere sent to various parts of Japan to “persuade them through torture” to abandon their religion.

Tsuwanowas one of those places where Christians succumbed to torture.

The chapelOtome Toge Maria Seidowas built in 1951 in memory of the Christians who were persecuted atTsuwanoat the beginning of the eraMeiji. Next to the chapel is a statue of the Virgin Mary and a man in a cage that tells the story of one of these Christians who was locked up and left in the cold but who resisted thanks to the apparition of the Virgin Mary every night. It is located in the woods west of Tsuwano Station.

You can also discoverThe Catholic Church of Tsuwano. This church was built in 1931 by a German Catholic priest. It is quite unique because the ground is covered with tatami instead of benches. Near the church stands a small museum which tells the story of Christians persecuted atTsuwanoduring the periodMeiji.

Heron Dance

Sagimai, the heron dance, is a traditional Kyoto dance, but one can see an authentic version in Tsuwano.

The dance was born at the Gion Sanctuary Festival, itself a ramification of the famous Gion Matsuri, and during the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the festival and dance spread in other parts of the country.

Due to periods of war, the dance was interrupted in Tsuwano, but resumed in the middle of the 17th century, and has continued since.

In Kyoto, the dance went extinct and in other parts of the country, it also disappeared or changed, and so Tsuwano became the only place where the original dance was still performed. In 1953, dancers and musicians went to Kyoto and taught heron dance. Today, every end of July (around 20/27), the dance festival is held.

Chomon-kyo Gorges

Tsuwano is a very good fastening port for hiking in Chomon-kyo gorges.

The gorge, through which the Abu River flows, begins in Ato, Yamaguchi and ends in Kawakami, Hagi, is known as an ideal place to see autumn colors. Walking on the 5.5 km hiking trail along the river is easy. The many walkers rejoice at the change of scenery every step.

Tsuwano is exactly the kind of secret little corner that you want to recommend to your friends to spend a weekend alone, as a couple or as a family. Back in the mountains, pleasant in all seasons, a perfect relaxing village or many small discoveries offer visitors.

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