IZUMO出雲市
Izumo Taisha (Grand Shrine) is famous throughout Japan and the rest of East Asia, attracting many tourists from Korea, Taiwan and mainland China. A visit to the town reveals much more besides the iconic shrine, with the Old Taisha Station’s Taisho-era architecture and paraphernalia a draw for railway enthusiasts, the impressive Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo giving a solid explanation of the lengthy human history of the area, and, in the southern outskirts, the fantastic Tachikue Gorge proving a spectacular natural highlight, with eerie statues and sharply rising cliffs.
Izumo (Shimane Prefecture) is one of the 100 hidden towns in Japan chosen for this publication.