Stand on the north side of Matsue Castle's moat on Shiomi Nawate, and the black-and-white keep rises above a wall of pines while the water below holds the reflection steady. This is a castle town that kept its original fabric, and the surrounding streets still follow the plan laid out in the early 1600s.
Matsue suits travellers who prefer walking, temples and lakeside sunsets to nightlife and shopping districts. The main sights cluster around the castle and the Ohashi River, with shrines and gardens a short bus or train ride beyond.
This guide covers the castle and its surroundings, the museums and shrines within the city, and the sites farther out that are reachable by bus or rail.
Top things to do in Matsue
1. Matsue Castle
The castle keep is one of only twelve original castles left in Japan, dating back to 1611, and inside you will find original artifacts from the Matsudaira clan including armor, swords and helmets. The top floor gives you a view over the city and Lake Shinji.
Opening hours run 08:30-17:00 from April to September and 08:30-17:30 from October to March. The castle grounds include a winding path through mixed forests of bamboo, shrubs and trees, many of them old and identified by species.
2. Shiomi Nawate
This old samurai residential street runs along the north east side of Matsue Castle, across the moat. Many of Matsue's museums and other historical attractions are found in this area, which makes it the natural spine for a day of sightseeing.
Walk it on foot rather than by vehicle, since the interest is in the street itself and the buildings that open directly onto it.
3. Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum
Writer Lafcadio Hearn lived in Matsue from 1890 to 1891, and the museum was built next to his former residence. On display are objects belonging to or related to Hearn, including his desk, his favorite quill and ink pot, manuscripts and several favorites from his large Japanese pipe collection.
Hours are 08:30-18:30 from April to September and 08:30-17:00 from October to March. Combine it with Lafcadio Hearn's Former Residence, which stands next door.
4. Lafcadio Hearn's Former Residence
This is the former residence of writer Lafcadio Hearn, who spent many of his happiest months in Matsue. Here he wrote most of Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan, his chief work, as well as large portions of what was to become Kwaidan.
The house sits in the same small area as the memorial museum, so the two are best seen together in one visit.
5. Samurai Residence
On Shiomi Nawate, this is the residence of a former samurai, housing many of his weapons and other artifacts. Hours are 08:30-18:30 from April to September and 08:30-17:00 from October to March.
It fits neatly into a walk along Shiomi Nawate between the castle and the Hearn sites.
6. Jozan Inari Shrine
An Inari "fox" shrine on the Matsue Castle grounds, northwest of the castle, surrounded by hundreds of fox statuettes. It was one of Lafcadio Hearn's favorite places in Matsue, and it is the starting point and ending of the three-day Horanenya festival.
Entry is free. Visit it as part of your circuit of the castle grounds rather than as a separate trip.
7. Kōunkaku
Next to the castle, this is a colonial-style house with Japanese architectural elements. Hours are 08:30-18:30 from April to September and 08:30-17:00 from October to March, and entry is free.
It is a short detour from the castle keep, so pair it with the castle and Jozan Inari Shrine in the same stretch of walking.
8. Matsue History Museum
Across the moat from Matsue Castle, the museum offers a glimpse into the past of Matsue and the surrounding area. It also houses the Matsue International Tourist Information Office, where the staff speak English and can help with booking a hotel.
It opens 08:30-18:30. Because of the information desk, it works well as an early stop before you set out for the day.
9. Shimane Art Museum
Works by artists from Shimane prefecture as well as from other parts of Japan are on display, along with a selection of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and there are often special exhibitions featuring Japanese and international artists. The museum has a lakeside sculpture park.
Hours are 10:00-18:30, Wednesday to Monday. When you encounter the statues of a line of hopping rabbits, rub the head of the foremost rabbit, as it is said to bring good luck.
10. Sunset over Lake Shinji
Walk south from the Shimane Prefectural Art Museum along the lakeside to reach the Yuuhi Spot sunset viewing platform, the best place to see the sun go down behind Yomegashima island. Sunsets tend to be most spectacular during late summer.
Especially on weekends, dozens of photographers gather here to try to take the perfect shot, so arrive with time to find a spot. It is free.
11. Gessho-ji
While the temple was destroyed during the Meiji Period, the grounds still contain the graves of the Matsudaira clan, including the first Daimyo, who was also the grandson of Tokugawa shogunate founder Tokugawa Ieyasu. The temple is known for its hydrangeas and large stone turtle.
Hours are 08:30-17:30. It lies away from the castle cluster, so give it its own slot rather than squeezing it into a castle walk.
12. Yaegaki Shrine
This shrine is dedicated to the gods of Japan's first official marriage and attracts many people who come to pray for a marriage partner or a divination of their future love life. In the woods behind the shrine is a small mirror pond where people float fortune papers purchased at the shrine, placing a coin on them to weigh them down; the time it takes for the paper to sink symbolizes the time before a marriage partner will be found.
Take bus 63 from Matsue Station to Yaegaki, which is the final stop. Hours are 09:00-17:00 and entry is free.
13. Kamosu Shrine
Built in 1583, Kamosu Shrine is the oldest shrine built in the "taisha-zukuri" architectural style remaining in Japan, and the creator gods Izanami and Izanagi are enshrined together here. It is a designated National Treasure.
Take Ichibata bus 21 to Oba - Yaegaki from Matsue Station or from Shinjiko Onsen station, get off at the Fudoki no oka entrance, and walk about 10 minutes. Entry is free.
14. Fudoki-no-Oka
Ancient burial mounds and relics from the Kofun period, the 3rd to 6th centuries CE. Hours are 09:00-17:00, Tuesday to Sunday.
From JR Matsue station take the Ichihata Bus for Kumano and Izumo and get off at Fudoki-no-oka, a ride of about 20 minutes. It pairs naturally with Kamosu Shrine, which is a short walk from the same stop.
15. Kumano Grand Shrine
Kumano Taisha rests at the foot of Kumano Mountain across a bright red bridge at the headwaters of the Iu river. It has long been the region's Ichinomiya, or principal shrine.
Take a bus from Matsue Station to Yakumo, then a bus to Kumano; the bus stop is close to the shrine. Entry is free.
16. Matsue Vogel Park
One of the largest greenhouses in the world, Vogel Park has an impressive variety of flowers and greenery, and it is also an aviary housing many different species of birds, including a popular quartet of penguins.
Take the Ichibata Railroad from Matsue Shinjiko station. Summer hours are 10:00-16:45 and winter hours are 10:00-16:15.
17. Yuushien Garden
This garden on nearby Daikonjima island has been designed so that it shows different flowers in each season. Daikonjima is famous for its peonies, and 250 different kinds are on display at Yuushien.
At Matsue Station or Shinjiko Onsen station take the Ichibata bus headed for Sakaimatsue and get off at Yuushien, a ride of about 25 minutes. Hours are 08:30-17:30.
18. The Entrance to the Underworld
According to the Kojiki, Japan's oldest collection of myths from the 8th century CE, the entrance to the Underworld is in the province of Izumo, in what is now the eastern part of Matsue. The entrance has been sealed off by a large boulder placed there by the creator god Izanagi.
It is about 5 minutes by taxi from Iya station, reached from Matsue JR Station on the train line towards Yonago. Entry is free.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Matsue History Museum across the moat, where the tourist information office can help with any bookings, then cross to Matsue Castle and climb the keep for the view over the city and Lake Shinji. Add Kōunkaku next to the castle and Jozan Inari Shrine on the castle grounds before walking Shiomi Nawate.
Afternoon: Follow Shiomi Nawate to the Samurai Residence, then continue to the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum and Lafcadio Hearn's Former Residence, which stand together. If time allows, take in Gessho-ji before heading back towards the water.
Evening: Finish at the Shimane Art Museum, then walk south along the lakeside to the Yuuhi Spot sunset viewing platform to watch the sun go down behind Yomegashima island.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see the sunset over Lake Shinji?
Sunsets tend to be the most spectacular during late summer. The Yuuhi Spot viewing platform along the lakeside, reached by walking south from the Shimane Prefectural Art Museum, is the best place to watch the sun go down behind Yomegashima island.
How do I reach Yaegaki Shrine and Kamosu Shrine without a car?
Take bus 63 from Matsue Station to Yaegaki, which is the final stop. For Kamosu Shrine, take Ichibata bus 21 to Oba - Yaegaki from Matsue Station or from Shinjiko Onsen station, get off at the Fudoki no oka entrance, and walk about 10 minutes.
Which museums and sights are close enough to combine on foot?
Matsue Castle, Kōunkaku, Jozan Inari Shrine, Shiomi Nawate, the Samurai Residence, the Matsue History Museum, the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum and Lafcadio Hearn's Former Residence all sit around the castle and its moat, so they can be strung together in a single walk.
Do any of the sights offer discounts for foreign visitors?
Several do. Matsue Castle, the Matsue History Museum, the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum, Lafcadio Hearn's Former Residence, the Samurai Residence and Gessho-ji all offer a 50% discount for foreigners, and Matsue Vogel Park offers 30% off.
Check the opening hours for the season you are travelling in, note that several sights close earlier from October to March, and start mapping out your days in Matsue.