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Within the concept of Japan's many regions, there is a place that exists in such a niche that many people go to Japan and overlook it.
The Sanin region
The first reaction of many people, including Japanese, who see the Sanin region is: they have not heard of it at all, where is this place?
As we all know, the four main islands of Japan can be divided into eight regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Shikoku, Chugoku and Kyushu. Among them, Hokkaido, Kanto, Kinki and Kyushu are traditionally popular tourist areas, Tohoku, Shikoku and Chubu have been slowly growing in popularity over the past few years, except for the Chugoku region, which is not far away from Kyoto, but has never been popular. The Sanin region is one of the Chugoku regions.
The concept of shanyin comes from China. In ancient times, we used to call the north side of a mountain yin, and the south side of a mountain yang. This concept was passed on to Japan, which divided this area next to Kyoto into two parts, shanyin-do and shanyang-do, with the Chinese mountains as the dividing line. Among them, north of the Chinese mountains, facing the Sea of Japan, more influenced by the Siberian cold current, the climate is generally cold and wet, rainy, winter snowstorms in Tottori, Shimane is a mountain yin road; facing the Seto Inland Sea, four seasons, warmer climate of Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi is a mountain yang road.
Once people understand this concept, they can probably understand why no one goes to Sanin.
It's because Tottori and Shimane really don't have a presence in Japan, with one of their two brothers at the bottom of the population ladder and the other at the bottom of the population ladder, and even the locals are fleeing the place, not to mention the rest of the population.
But don't look at this place as lesser known, but it's actually a very niche tourist destination in Japan, basically only visited by veteran travelers to Japan.
Not only is it home to Japan's largest desert landscape, but it also has superb coastal vistas, the most beautiful countryside in Japan's Venice, and a tour of the Onitaro Sanctuary...
If you've been to places like Kansai and Kanto, why don't you take a trip to the two prefectures of Sanin and unlock a different kind of Japanese experience?
🤗 01 Pu Fu Coast
Urafu, Iwami-cho, Iwami-gun, Tottori Prefecture
One of the best features of this place, Sanin, is that the coast is superbly beautiful.
The Sanin Coastal Geopark extends 110 kilometers from Tottori City in the west to Kyotango City in Kyoto Prefecture, with 70% of the coast being rocky and the rest sandy, and it is a Rias-type coast with many headlands, peninsulas and bays. There are various kinds of sea-eroded terrain, such as land-linking islands, sea-eroded platforms, and sea-eroded cliffs 100-180 meters high, and it is known as a "topographic and geological museum" because it is possible to learn about the topographic changes that have taken place since the formation of the Sea of Japan, as well as about various kinds of coastal topography, such as sand dunes and sunken coasts.
In 1963, Sanin Kaigan was upgraded from a national park to a national park, and in October 2010, Sanin Kaigan National Park was recognized as a UNESCO World Geopark.
The Urafu Coast, located in Iwami-cho, Iwami-gun, Tottori Prefecture, is a 15-kilometer-long stretch of rias-style coast. The Rias Coast is a complex, jagged coast formed by land subsidence and seawater rise. The Urafu Coast is a National Scenic Spot and Natural Monument of Japan, and has been selected as one of the "Top 100 Scenic Spots of Japan", "Top 100 Shirakatsu Aomatsu of Japan", "Top 100 Seaside Spots of Japan", and "Heisei Japan Tourist Spots". It has also been selected as one of the "Top 100 Scenic Spots of Japan", "Top 100 Sightseeing Spots of Japan" and "Top 100 Seaside Spots of Japan".
Boat rides and hikes are excellent ways to experience the Urafu Coast, which we feel is in no way inferior to the Josaki Coast.
🤗 02 Tottori Sand Dunes & White Rabbit Shrine
Fukube-machi, Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture
When it comes to Tottori, I guess what many people can associate with it is the Tottori Sand Dunes.
After all, this is the largest sand dune in Japan, and after all, it's pretty mind-boggling to see a large expanse of desert landscape in an island nation.
If you think about your inland friends' obsession with the sea, you can probably understand the Japanese love for the Tottori sand dunes.
The Tottori Sand Dunes, located in the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture, are a "masterpiece of nature" created over 100,000 years, and you can enjoy the stunning view of the earthy yellow sand colliding with the azure sea, as if the sky and the earth were wide open. Of course, in addition to seeing the sand, nature is to play some desert-related projects, such as camels, sandboarding, sand bikes and so on.
Another place worth visiting is the Sand Art Museum near the sand dunes in Tottori, which has a lot of sand sculptures. Last year's theme was Egypt, this year's theme is France, April has officially opened, you can trust the level of Japanese friends to do this kind of art, I feel than the dune camel worth experiencing.
Pavilion is not very large, about 1 hour can be finished, the ticket price of 800 yen, the price is not bad ~
Down the road, you can visit Shirakaba Shrine on the Shirakaba Coast. The shrine is dedicated to the White Rabbit, which is famous for the myth of the "White Rabbit of the Hatamata," and the legend says that the White Rabbit, in return for a favor, helped to match a life-saver with a good marriage. As a result, Shirakaba Shrine has become a sacred place for marriage.
This is the origin of the white rabbit symbol that is seen all over Tottori.
The shrine is not very large, and the whole place is small and quiet, with a pleasant atmosphere along the way. There are many rabbits along the way, and many rabbit accessories have been developed, so if you go there, you can pick some up!
🤗 03 Anime Tour
Yuranjuku & Sakaiminato, Kitae-cho, Tottori Prefecture
Another hidden play in Tottori is the anime tour, Conan Town in Kitae Town and Sakaiminato in Yonago City.
Kitae Town is the hometown of author Mr. Gosho Aoyama, and Conan Town is located in Yuranjuku, Kitae Town, Tottori Prefecture. The entire town is filled with Conan elements, cafes, street sign markers, sewer manhole covers, doll sculptures, and more, making it arguably the mecca in the hearts of Conan fans all over the world.
More recommended places to spend most of the day are Aoyama Old Thief's Hometown Hall and the Rice Flower Shopping Street.
If you're not into Conan, then Sakaiminato, the monster town, is highly recommended.
Tottori is known as a manga kingdom because of Shigeru Mizuki (the father of Japanese monster manga), in addition to the old thief Aoyama. Shigeru Mizuki, who has become a household name for the many monster characters he created in Japan, is from Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture.
The city of Sakaiminato has created a "monster town" with bronze statues of monsters and themes based on Shigeru Mizuki's works, preserving the vintage look of the Showa Era and creating a nostalgic and mysterious world that is super fun to see for the first time, even if you're not a fan of his work.
🤗 04 Adachi Art Museum
From Yonago, you can head straight to the Adachi Art Museum, which is not one of the top three gardens in Japan, but it is truly the most beautiful in Japan, having been ranked the number one garden in Japan for 21 consecutive years.
Located in Yasurai City, Shimane Prefecture, the Adachi Art Museum consists of the following six exquisite gardens of various styles. These include the Kusansui Garden, the Moss Garden, the Shurikan Garden, the Shirakaba Aomatsu Garden, the Pond Garden, and the Kamezuru Waterfall, among which the Shirakaba Aomatsu Garden features Yokoyama Daikan's masterpiece, "Shirakaba Aomatsu," a garden that Ashikaga Chikan took great pains to create. Large and small pine trees are rhythmically distributed along the gently sloping hills of white sand, bringing the world of the painting to life.
This place is beautiful but many people have never been there. For no other reason than it's too far away to be on many of my friends' itineraries, but if you're visiting Shanyin, this is right down the road, so don't miss this place.
🤗 05 Songjiang City
Of the 12 existing Japanese Amamori, including Hirosaki, Maruoka, Matsumoto, Inuyama, Hikone, Himeji, Takaragi, Matsue, Marugame, Iwamatsu, Uwajima, and Kochi, they are all called Amamori.
However, there are only five national treasures: Matsumoto Castle, Inuyama Castle, Hikone Castle, Himeji Castle, and Sanin Castle. "Matsumoto Castle, Inuyama Castle, Hikone Castle, Himeji Castle, and Matsue Castle in the Sanin area.
Like the Adachi Art Museum above, this place does not get a high ranking in the domestic awards.
However, it is one of the best in foreign countries. Adachi has been the most beautiful place in Japan for 21 years, and it was chosen by an American travel magazine.
Matsue Castle is described by NHK as "one of the strongest castles in Japan".
Matsue Castle was built in 1611 by Yoshiharu Horio, the founder of Matsue, and is the symbol of the castle town of Matsue. It is also called "Chidori Castle" because of the graceful bird-like shape of its eaves.
The Tenshokaku is built on the 29-meter-high Kameda Hill next to Lake Shinji, and you can enjoy the view of the lake at sunset from the top of the tower. Matsue Castle offers beautiful scenery throughout the year, including cherry blossoms, maple leaves, and snowy landscapes.
Matsue Castle is the only surviving water well in the castle building in Japan, with the well dug directly into the Amamori at the bottom of the castle. The dolphins on the top of the old Tenshogakure building are preserved and displayed in the basement. The dolphins of Matsue Castle, which are about 2 meters high, are made of wood and covered with copper, and are the largest dolphins in the existing Tenshogakure. The new dolphin on the roof of the building was reconstructed during the Showa Grand Renovation, and the old one was replaced in the basement.
If you go in this season, you can also go to the Tsukishoji Temple not far away next to it to see the purple sunflower, the address is Nakahara-cho, outside of Matsue City, which is considered to be a very niche place to visit, and is not too far away from the picture of the Kamakura Hasekuji Temple.
🤗 06 Izumo Taisha, one of the three shrines
Izumo Grand Shrine is one of the three major shrines in Japan and is known as a place of energy that must be visited once in a lifetime.
Izumo Grand Shrine covers an area of 27,000 square meters, is one of the oldest shrines in Japan, is also one of the shrines in Japan is named "Grand Shrine"; enshrined in the god is known as "Japan's first spirit god" Daikoku Lord Omikami, in charge of the world's karmic ties, so Izumo Grand Shrine is very famous karmic ties. This is why Izumo Taisha Shrine is famous for its karmic ties. Every year at the beginning of the year, the shrine is crowded with people.
There is also an interesting legend that in October every year, 8 million gods from all over Japan gather here for the "Divine Council". For Izumo Taisha Shrine, it is the month of "Kami no Sato", so a big Kami no Sato festival is held here.
Izumo Taisha Shrine has a magnificent old hall building with Japan's number one large torii pagoda (Izumo Taisha Shrine has a total of four torii: stone, wood, iron and copper), and once you enter the second wooden torii, you officially enter the quiet space of Izumo Taisha Shrine. The entire atmosphere of the shrine becomes quiet, and walking through it is as if you can really communicate with the gods and get energy from nature.
Passing through the final bronze torii (which is said to bring good fortune when touched) is the main hall, the most important part of Izumo Taisha. The main hall is 24 meters high, much larger than the main hall of the Ise Shrine's inner sanctum, and is now listed as a Japanese National Treasure.
There is a unique way to pay homage to the gods here, following the procedure of "two salutes, four claps, and one salute," with two more claps than at ordinary shrines.
Another interesting thing is the Starbucks next to Izumo Grand Shrine, some people say it is the most beautiful Starbucks in Japan, you just need to know that many prefectures in Japan have "the most beautiful" Starbucks on the line, just look at it, don't take it seriously.
🤗 And finally, as is customary, a word about transportation
For those of you who are familiar with transportation in Japan, you may have noticed that we are presenting this time in the order of the Sanin Main Line.
After all, it's the Sanin area, so of course it's best to route according to that.
From Kyoto, head to Tottori, then just start the tour in the order we did, and once you get to Izumo, you don't have to continue beyond that.
There really isn't much to do.
General advice, arrange 5 days will be more appropriate, after all, there are some super interesting places, we did not expand in detail, anyway, it is too short time you can only walk ～
- Author:japan guides
- URL:https://japan-guides.com/article/culture-28
- Copyright:All articles in this website, except for special statements, adopt BY-NC-SA agreement. Please indicate the source!
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