Chugoku (Tottori → Shimane → Yamaguchi) — 7 days, car
A western Honshu loop from Hiroshima: Tottori’s sand dunes and Uradome Coast, Izumo Taisha and Matsue in Shimane, Yamaguchi’s Kintaikyo Bridge and Akiyoshido Cave, ending with fugu in Shimonoseki.
Don't miss
fugu breakfast at Karato Market.
- Day 1 — Hiroshima → Tottori Sand Dunes → Uradome Coast (drive ~3.5h). Stay Tottori. — Route map
- Day 2 — Uradome Coast full day: Uradome boat cruise through the inlets, Tottori Sand Dunes morning if not done (drive ~1h). Stay Tottori. — Route map
- Day 3 — Tottori → Izumo Taisha (Shimane, one of Japan’s oldest shrines — main hall, Shinmonai, giant shimenawa) → Hinomisaki Shrine (sunset cliff shrine at Izumo’s western tip) → Tamatsukuri Onsen (hot-spring town on the Tamayu river) (drive ~3h). Stay Izumo/Tamatsukuri. — Route map
- Day 4 — Matsue full day: Matsue Castle (one of 12 original castles), Adachi Museum garden, Lafcadio Hearn residence, Horikawa boat ride (drive ~2h). Stay Matsue. — Route map
- Day 5 — Matsue → Kintaikyo Bridge (Yamaguchi) → Akiyoshidai + Akiyoshido Cave (one of Japan’s largest limestone caves) (drive ~4h). Stay Akiyoshidai/Mine. — Route map
- Day 6 — Akiyoshidai → Motonosumi Inari (row of red torii over the sea) → Tsunoshima Bridge (scenic white bridge + lighthouse) → Shimonoseki (fugu dinner) (drive ~3.5h). Stay Shimonoseki. — Route map
- Day 7 — Shimonoseki morning: Karato Market (fugu breakfast), Kanmon Straits walk, Akamatsu Shrine (Heike) → evening shinkansen (Shin-Shimonoseki) (no car day). — map
Highlights
🏔️ Tottori Sand Dunes — Japan’s largest dunes, wind-sculpted by the Sea of Japan
⛩️ Izumo Taisha main hall — one of Japan’s oldest shrines, home of the marriage gods
🌉 Kintaikyo Bridge — the five-arched wooden bridge of Iwakuni
⛩️ Motonosumi Inari — 123 red torii over the Sea of Japan
🌊 Uradome Coast — emerald inlets of the San’in Kaigan Geopark
🌿 Adachi Museum garden — Japan’s #1 garden, viewed like a living scroll
Local food & drink
- Izumo soba (wariko) — whole-husk buckwheat in stacked lacquered bowls
- Fugu — Shimonoseki’s sashimi/hotpot signature, best at Karato Market
- Lake Shinji shijimi clams — sweet clams in miso soup, a Matsue staple
- Tottori nashi pear — the crisp Nijisseiki icon
- Tottori wagyu — fine-marbled local beef
- Urakasumi / Sake District sake — Matsue’s famous brewery cluster (Rihaku, Kokki)
- Izumo sake — the mythological birthplace of sake
- Tottori local sake — Daisen-fed groundwater brewing Don’t miss: fugu breakfast at Karato Market.