I had to give myself a break in writing yesterday. It is for two reason, one I had no time and second I like to give myself a break. Even in case of excellent content, when you are writing every day I feel one can get into a burn out. Then one or two things happen: you write same old crap just to get a post out, like a whole lot of hive content, or worse, you stop writing all together. Now if you come back, then its all good, because you have taken a well deserved break, but sometimes if you don't come back then the loss is from both sides.
Anyways, that was a bad start for a travel post! I got out of the Kyoto-Nara-Osaka triad a couple of days back. In WorldMapPin, if you look up Japan, you will see that it is fairly well pinned at a glance.
Taikodani Inari-jinja Shrine at Tsuwano, Yamaguchi Prefecture
I just zoomed into "the Triad" area, and you will see what I mean, right? At this zoom level below, Kyoto alone shows 163 posts, 101 for Osaka, and 41 for Nara. Guess why I stayed in Nara? :)
Then you get to Yamaguchi Prefecture, in the south, and there you have it, virtually nothing! One on Motonosumi Shrine, and one around Yamaguchi Memorial Park, both from 2018, and "hey, I am here" type post. Then there is none! So, my point is, there is a lot of opportunity of 'pinning' that I see here, and many other places. So get out there and travel!
First of all, Tsuwano is right at the border of Yamaguchi and Shimane, which means I should post a map of Japanese administrative regions. I am staying a prefecture number 35, Yamaguchi, right now, and Shimane is the prefecture bordering it to the north. I rented a car from here, because you can't get to most places conveniently here without a car, this is fairly rural Japan.
Even for Tsuwano, I didn't have time to visit all the main attraction, as I was looking for a few geological sites here. One got to do some work sometimes :) I will discuss that stuff later.
| Attraction Name | Type | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Taikodani Inari Shrine | Shinto Shrine | One of Japan's five great Inari shrines. Famous for its path of over 1,000 continuous vermilion torii gates winding up the mountain. Offers panoramic town views. |
| Tonomachi Street | Historic District | The preserved samurai and merchant district with white earthen walls (namako-kabe). Famous for the scenic canals filled with hundreds of colorful koi fish. |
| Tsuwano Castle Ruins | Castle Ruins | Perched atop a hill, accessible via a chairlift or hiking trail. Offers magnificent panoramic views of the town and surrounding valley. |
| SL Yamaguchi-gō | Steam Locomotive | A working steam train that runs between Shin-Yamaguchi and Tsuwano on weekends and holidays, providing a nostalgic journey through the countryside. |
| Anno Mitsumasa Art Museum | Museum | Dedicated to the internationally acclaimed children's book illustrator and artist, Mitsumasa Anno, who was from Tsuwano. Features a unique planetarium and his gentle watercolor art. |
| Tsuwano Catholic Church | Church | A unique blend of Western Gothic architecture with traditional Japanese elements, including tatami mat flooring inside, symbolizing the history of the "Hidden Christians" in the region. |
As I was driving on highway 9, there is a view point just before taking the turn towards the town, it is spectacular view of the Tsuwano town below. The pull out is well marked and usually no one at the parking lot. The location in google map is here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DK7EGFrfHgjkwMoU8
Both panoramas are taken from this location looking down into the valley.
That is the first picture at the top of this post. I thought about not advertising this location too much, because I don't want this to become Fushimi Inari Shrine of Kyoto, but then I thought, no one really reads hive :) So, our secrets are safe here. This is a much better spot of Instagram pictures if that is your jam, and there are no ones but a few locals here.
This is the main entrance to the shrine. There is well spaced free parking lot, which is not a given in Japan if you are driving, and not a local. Yes, there are 1000 tori gates just like Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, but this time around, you don't have to push people to get there and wait to take a picture. You will have the place to yourself.
I am glad it is not that popular yet and I hope it stays that way.
The view from above the set of stairs going up to the main platform is simply spectacular. You can look down into the valley and meditate if you like :)
I had a lot more to write about this but unfortunately I have a train to catch. I have to head north all the way to Hokkaido. I have a Wild Sheep Chase!
