Matsue and Izumo Guide: Castle, Izumo Taisha, How Many Days

Matsue (松江) is a lakeside castle town in Shimane Prefecture whose castle keep is a National Treasure.^[2] Izumo Taisha (出雲大社), one of Japan’s best-known shrines, lies to the west at the end of the Ichibata rail line from Matsue.^[8],[5] Go if you are a repeat visitor and want to add the Japan Sea side to a trip through Okayama or Hiroshima. On a first trip that is mostly Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, you can skip it: from Shin-Osaka alone the train takes about 3 hours each way.^[9]

Key facts

• Worth it for: repeat visitors who want an original castle keep, a major shrine and a quiet lake town without the Kyoto crowds.
• Time needed: two days, with one night in Matsue: a day for the castle and the lake, a day for Izumo Taisha (our planning suggestion).
• Matsue Castle keep: ¥1,200 for adults; elementary and junior high school students enter free.^[1]
• Open: the keep opens every day of the year; last entry is at 16:30 from October to March.^[1],[2]
• Izumo Taisha: visiting hours 6:00–19:00 every day.^[15]
• Getting there: limited express from Okayama to JR Matsue Station; the Ichibata Railway runs on to Izumo Taisha.^[8],[5]

Matsue Castle — is the original keep worth entering?

Yes, if you have any interest in castles. Matsue Castle (松江城) is one of the 12 original keeps that survive in Japan, and its keep is designated a National Treasure, so the keep you climb is an original structure, not a modern rebuild.^[2]

The keep’s hours change with the season. From April 1 to September 30 it is open 8:30–18:00 with last entry at 17:30. From October 1 to March 31 it closes at 17:00, with last entry at 16:30. It is open every day of the year.^[1],[2]

You take your shoes off at the entrance and carry them in a bag through the keep.^[1] Wear socks you are happy to walk in.

Horikawa sightseeing boat — is the moat cruise worth it, and is it open in winter?

Yes, if you have half a day in Matsue: it is the easiest way to see the castle town from the water. The Horikawa Sightseeing Boat (堀川遊覧船) makes a 50-minute tour of the castle moats from three boarding piers. The ticket is a one-day pass, so you can get off at a pier, walk, and board again later the same day.^[12],[13]

The boat runs every day, including in winter. From March through September it operates 9:00–17:00; from December through February, 9:00–16:00.^[12],[13] The operator and Visit Matsue give different closing times for October and November, so check the operator’s page if you go then.

You take off your shoes on board, and in winter the boats carry kotatsu, low heated tables with a blanket over your legs.^[12],[13] The operator and Visit Matsue currently publish different fares, so check the price at the pier.

Izumo Taisha — how do I visit, and how do I pray there?

Izumo Taisha, also called Izumo Oyashiro, is a shrine with a very long recorded history. Visit Matsue, the city’s official travel guide, describes it as home to Japan’s largest shimenawa, a sacred straw rope, and notes that records from 950AD say the shrine once stood 48 metres high.^[8]

The one thing to know before you arrive is the prayer ritual. At Izumo Taisha the formal way is two bows, four claps and one bow, twice the claps of most other shrines, done in front of the Yatsuashi Gate of the main sanctuary and again at the other shrine buildings.^[3],[4] The general shrine and temple manners are covered in the Japan etiquette guide.

From Izumotaisha-mae Station on the Ichibata line, the shrine is a 10-minute walk.

The Izumo Tourism Association lists visiting hours of 6:00–19:00 every day. Arrive well before the end of the afternoon if you want to walk all the way round the main sanctuary: from 16:30 the area north of the Jukusha halls, including Soga-no-yashiro (素鵞社), is closed for security.^[15]

Is the Lake Shinji sunset worth waiting for?

Visit Matsue gives the sunset over Lake Shinji (宍道湖) its own page: a daily Sunset Index with the time of sunset and how likely a clear sunset is.^[11] Check it in the afternoon and plan your walk along the shore around it.

How much does it cost and when is it open?

Adults pay ¥1,200 for the castle keep, and elementary and junior high school students enter free.^[1] The keep is open every day; last entry is at 17:30 in spring and summer and at 16:30 in autumn and winter.^[1],[2] Izumo Taisha’s visiting hours are 6:00–19:00.^[15]

How do I get to Matsue?

Most visitors arrive by rail through Okayama (岡山). From Shin-Osaka, Visit Matsue routes you on the Shinkansen to Okayama and then on the limited express to Matsue: 15 trains a day, about 3 hours in total. The route is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass, except Nozomi trains.^[9] Whether a pass pays off depends on the rest of your trip; the Japan Rail Pass review works through that.

If you are looking for the San’in-Okayama Area Pass or another JR West regional pass, the JR West pass comparison for Matsue and Izumo sorts out which one fits this trip.

From Tokyo there is also the Sunrise Izumo sleeper train, with 1 departure a day and a journey of about 11 hours 35 min.^[9]

If you fly in, shuttle buses from Izumo Airport (出雲空港) take 30 minutes and cost ¥1,050 to JR Matsue Station, or ¥1,150 to Shinjiko Onsen Station on the lake.^[10]

If you would rather drive the San’in coast, the guide to driving in Japan covers the licence translation, car rental and expressway tolls.

How do I get around Matsue without a car?

Use the Lake Line bus, Matsue’s sightseeing loop bus. A single ride is ¥250 for adults and ¥130 for children. The all-day ticket is ¥700 for adults and ¥350 for children, so it pays off from the third ride.^[14]

How do I get from Matsue to Izumo Taisha?

Take the Ichibata Railway (一畑電車), a small private line along the north shore of Lake Shinji. It starts at Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station, not at JR Matsue Station.^[8],[5]

1. Go to Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station

   Start at Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station (松江しんじ湖温泉駅), the Ichibata line’s Matsue terminus.

2. Ride to Kawato and change trains

   Change at Kawato Station (川跡駅) for the train to Izumotaishamae.^[8],[5]

3. Get off at the final stop

   Izumotaishamae Station (出雲大社前駅) is the end of the line; walk to the shrine from there.

In the middle of the day, trains leave Matsue Shinjiko-Onsen hourly, from 10:45 to 15:45, on weekdays and holidays alike. The 10:45 reaches Izumotaisha-mae at 11:48, after the change at Kawato.^[18]

The fare between Matsue Shinjiko-Onsen and Izumotaisha-mae is ¥900 for adults and ¥450 for children aged 12 and under.^[6],[7] The railway also sells a 1-Day Free Ticket that covers the whole line for one day, sold at the main stations.^[6]

If you come by JR instead, an Ichibata bus from Bus Stop No.1 outside JR Izumoshi Station reaches the Seimon-mae stop at the shrine in 25 minutes.^[5]

Where should I stay?

Stay in Matsue, and visit Izumo Taisha as a day trip. Matsue has both of the stations you need: JR Matsue Station, where the limited express from Okayama arrives, and Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station on the lake, where the Ichibata line to the shrine starts.^[8],[5] The station area suits an early or late train; the lakeside onsen area suits a sunset walk and an evening bath. For a night next to the shrine, at Izumoshi Station or in Tamatsukuri Onsen instead, see where to stay for Izumo Taisha.

If you want a traditional inn with dinner included, the ryokan guide explains how ryokan work and what to expect.

Tips

If you plan to see the rites, the Kamiari-sai guide covers the rite times and the last trains back to Matsue.

Do the castle in the morning and save the lake for the end of the day. If you have a spare half day, the Adachi Museum of Art guide covers the trip east of Matsue to its gardens.

With a full day to spare, the Tottori Sand Dunes day trip from Matsue goes further east along the coast.

Frequently asked questions

How many days do I need for Matsue and Izumo?

Two days with one night in Matsue covers the castle, the lake and Izumo Taisha without rushing. This is our planning suggestion, not an official figure.

Do children pay at Matsue Castle?

No. Elementary and junior high school students enter the keep free; adults pay ¥1,200.^[1]

Is Izumo Taisha accessible for wheelchair users?

The shrine lends wheelchairs free of charge from its shrine office, for use within the grounds.^[4]

Where can I leave my luggage at JR Matsue and Izumotaisha-mae?

JR Matsue Station has coin lockers.^[17] At Izumotaisha-mae Station there are extra-large lockers at ¥500, usable from the first to the last train, and staff hold bags that do not fit for ¥500 each (9:00–15:30 on weekdays, 9:00–16:30 on holidays). Bring coins or cash: the lockers take cash only.^[16]

Can I reach Matsue on an overnight train?

Yes. The Sunrise Izumo sleeper leaves Tokyo once a day and takes about 11 hours 35 min.^[9]

Do I need to take my shoes off at Matsue Castle?

Yes. You remove them at the keep’s entrance and carry them in a shoe bag.^[1]