Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments of Shimane

Carved directly into tuff bedrock in Matsue's Ou district, the five Abedani yokoana tombs feature distinctive hipped-roof ceilings rarely seen elsewhere in Japan.

In Yasugi, eastern Shimane, this Historic Site holds some of Japan's largest early-Kofun square tombs and the four-cornered Yayoi mounds that came before them.

This Ikoji Temple pond garden in Masuda, attributed to the painter-monk Sesshu Toyo, places a tortoise island in a crane-shaped pond. Nationally designated in 1928.

A pair of earthen mounds the Matsue Domain raised in 1607 to mark one ri on the San'in road. The 5.5-meter gap between them records the Edo-period road width.

Ryukeido (Dragon Valley Cave), a nationally designated Natural Monument beneath Daikonshima Island in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, is a basalt lava tunnel formed approximately 190,000 years ago. Featuring Japan's only known intra-cave volcanic vent and endemic cave-dwelling species found nowhere else on Earth, this rare geological wonder can be explored on guided geopark tours.

Discover the Daikonshima Lava Tunnels (Yūkidō and Ryūkeidō), nationally designated natural monuments formed 200,000 years ago on a volcanic island in Lake Nakaumi, Shimane Prefecture. Learn about guided cave tours, rare cave-dwelling creatures, and nearby attractions.

Tako no Nanatsu-ana is a National Natural Monument on Cape Tako, the northernmost tip of the Shimane Peninsula. Carved into 50-meter cliffs of volcanic rock, this system of nine sea caves — seven visible from the sea — can be explored on a sightseeing boat from Kaga Port.

Towering within the precincts of Tamawakasumikoto Shrine on Dōgo Island in Shimane's Oki archipelago, the Yao-sugi is a National Natural Monument with a trunk circumference of around nine meters and an estimated age of 1,000 to 2,000 years. Discover its enchanting legends of the immortal nun and the sleeping great serpent, the Goreie Furyū festival, and the surrounding wonders of this UNESCO Geopark island.

The Tawayama and Jingoda Sites in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, are nationally designated Historic Sites dating from the late Early to late Middle Yayoi period (approx. 4th–1st century BC). Featuring a unique triple-moat enclosure with no dwellings inside — a structure found nowhere else in Japan — this enigmatic site invites visitors to ponder the rituals and daily life of Yayoi people 2,500 years ago, while enjoying panoramic views of Lake Shinji and reconstructed ancient buildings.

Off Shimane Peninsula's northern coast, an uninhabited 0.5-square-kilometer islet preserves a rare concentration of andesite dykes cutting through Tertiary tuff. Designated a Natural Monument in 1932, the cliff opens a window onto an ancient volcanic plumbing system now sculpted by the Sea of Japan.

On a 362-meter ridge in Shimane, the walls of Tsuwano Castle—begun in 1295 and held by three clans—still terrace the mountain and float above autumn mist as a sky castle.

Tokurenba Kofun, a National Historic Site in Tamayu, Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, is a 5th-century round burial mound at the foot of Mt. Kasen. Its rare boat-shaped stone coffin lies exposed for visitors to view up close, combining 'carved-out' and 'assembled' construction techniques in a single object. It anchors the storied jewel-making landscape of ancient Tamatsukuri.

Tomita Castle Ruins (Gassan-Toda Castle), towering over Yasugi City in Shimane Prefecture, was the seemingly impregnable mountain stronghold of the Amago clan, who once commanded eleven provinces of western Japan. Vast remains spread across Mt. Gassan, together with the haunting legend of the loyal retainer Yamanaka Shikanosuke, continue to captivate visitors today. Designated a National Historic Site in 1934 and listed among Japan's Top 100 Castles, it stands as a masterpiece of medieval mountain fortress architecture.

The Nakazu Higashihara Site in Masuda City, Shimane is a National Historic Site preserving a medieval international port town that flourished from the 12th to 17th centuries. A 40-metre wharf, smithy remains, and a planned street grid have been uncovered, alongside ceramics from China, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Combined with the Masuda Family Documents, the site offers a uniquely complete window into medieval Japanese maritime trade.

A sacred islet off Izumo's Hinomisaki coast, Fumishima became a Natural Monument in 1922. Thousands of black-tailed gulls nest here from November through midsummer.

A 3-hectare uninhabited islet off Nishi-no-shima in the Oki Islands where Streaked Shearwaters have bred for centuries. Designated National Natural Monument in 1938.

Shimane’s registered properties across designations, with featured heritage and travel notes.

The complete kokuhō catalogue — browse by prefecture, period, and category.

Nationwide jūyō bunkazai — architecture, sculpture, painting, crafts, and documents.