Skip to content
Japan
Deutsche Version

Shimane · Town

Tsuwano

津和野町つわのちょうTsuwano-chō

The Little Kyoto of San'in in a mountain valley

Tsuwano is a small former castle town in a narrow mountain valley in western Shimane, often called the Little Kyoto of San'in. It is known for its canals full of carp, the red torii of Taikodani Inari Shrine and as the birthplace of the writer Mori Ōgai.

Overview

Tsuwano lies in the valley of the Tsuwano River close to the border with Yamaguchi, hemmed in by wooded mountains. For more than 250 years it was the seat of the Kamei lords, a small domain that cultivated learning, and the compact town they left behind has made it one of the best-known small historic towns in western Japan.

The street of Tonomachi, lined with the white plaster walls and gates of former samurai residences, is edged by stone canals in which large carp swim. Above the town, the path to Taikodani Inari Shrine climbs through a tunnel of red torii, and the stone walls of Tsuwano Castle crown the ridge opposite.

The town has produced notable modern figures, among them the writer and army surgeon Mori Ōgai, the philosopher Nishi Amane and the picture-book artist Anno Mitsumasa. Its small Catholic church and the Otome-tōge chapel recall the persecution of Christians exiled here in the early Meiji era.

Landmarks

  • Tonomachi

    殿町通りTonomachi-dōri

    The main samurai street, with white walls, gates of the domain elders and canals stocked with carp.

  • Taikodani Inari Shrine

    太皷谷稲成神社Taikodani Inari Jinja

    A hillside Inari shrine reached through a long tunnel of red torii, counted among Japan's major Inari shrines.

  • Tsuwano Castle ruins

    津和野城跡Tsuwano-jō ato

    Stone walls on the summit of Mount Reiki, reached by chairlift and a short walk, with a view over the valley; a National Historic Site.

  • Mori Ōgai's former residence and memorial museum

    森鷗外旧宅・記念館Mori Ōgai kyūtaku, kinenkan

    The house where Ōgai spent his childhood, beside a museum of his life and work.

  • Yōrōkan

    藩校養老館Hankō Yōrōkan

    Surviving buildings of the domain school, where Ōgai and Nishi Amane studied.

  • Tsuwano Catholic Church

    津和野カトリック教会Tsuwano Katorikku Kyōkai

    A small Gothic church of 1931 with tatami flooring, on the samurai street.

  • Otome-tōge Maria Chapel

    乙女峠マリア聖堂Otome-tōge Maria Seidō

    A chapel in the woods on the site where exiled Urakami Christians were confined; a pilgrimage is held on 3 May.

  • Anno Mitsumasa Art Museum

    安野光雅美術館Anno Mitsumasa Bijutsukan

    Watercolours and picture books by the Tsuwano-born illustrator, opposite the station.

Districts

  • Tonomachi

    殿町Tonomachi

    The former samurai quarter with the canals, church and town office.

  • Honmachi

    本町Honmachi

    The merchant street continuing south, with sake breweries and sweet shops.

  • Washibara

    鷲原Washibara

    Area south of the town with Washibara Hachiman Shrine and its horseback-archery ground.

  • Nichihara

    日原Nichihara

    Riverside district downstream, merged in 2005, known for its observatory and clear rivers.

History

The Yoshimi clan built a mountain castle on Mount Reiki at the end of the thirteenth century and held Tsuwano for about three centuries. After the battle of Sekigahara it passed to Sakazaki Naomori and, in 1617, to the Kamei, who ruled until 1871. The domain school Yōrōkan trained scholars of National Learning and Western studies, and Tsuwano's samurai families produced several Meiji-era intellectuals.

In 1868 the new government exiled Christians from Urakami in Nagasaki to Tsuwano, where they were pressured to recant and 36 died before the ban on Christianity was lifted in 1873. The present town was formed by the merger with Nichihara in 2005.

  1. 1295

    Yoshimi Yoriyuki begins building a castle on Mount Reiki, according to tradition.

  2. 1601

    Sakazaki Naomori receives Tsuwano and rebuilds the castle with stone walls.

  3. 1617

    Kamei Masanori becomes lord; the Kamei rule until the abolition of the domains.

  4. 1773

    Kamei Norisada founds Taikodani Inari Shrine to protect the castle.

  5. 1786

    The domain school Yōrōkan is founded.

  6. 1862

    Mori Ōgai is born in Tsuwano.

  7. 1868–1873

    Christians from Urakami are imprisoned at Otome-tōge; 36 die before their release.

  8. 1931

    The Gothic-style Tsuwano Catholic Church is built on Tonomachi.

  9. 2005

    Tsuwano merges with the neighbouring town of Nichihara.

Culture

Tsuwano preserves an unusually strong set of traditions for its size. The Sagi-mai heron dance, brought from Kyoto's Gion festival in the sixteenth century, is performed at Yasaka Shrine and through the streets in July, and the Kamei-era horseback archery continues at Washibara Hachiman Shrine. The town's scholars, from Nishi Amane, who coined many of the Japanese words for Western philosophical concepts, to Mori Ōgai, give it a reputation as a place of learning.

Festivals

  • Sagi-mai

    鷺舞Sagi-mai

    Dancers in white heron costumes perform at Yasaka Shrine and through the town on 20 and 27 July; an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

  • Tsuwano Yabusame

    流鏑馬神事Yabusame shinji

    Horseback archery at Washibara Hachiman Shrine in April, on a course preserved from the Edo period.

  • Otome-tōge Festival

    乙女峠まつりOtome-tōge Matsuri

    A Catholic procession on 3 May from the church to the chapel of the martyrs.

Food

  • Uzume-meshi

    うずめ飯Uzume-meshi

    Rice heaped over small pieces of vegetables and tofu in broth, a frugal dish in which the fillings are "buried".

  • Genji-maki

    源氏巻Genji-maki

    A thin sponge wrapped around red-bean paste, Tsuwano's signature sweet.

  • Tsuwano sake

    津和野の地酒Tsuwano no jizake

    Brewed by small breweries in Honmachi using the valley's water.

  • Wasabi

    わさびWasabi

    Grown in the mountain streams of the Nichihara area, a traditional product of the district.

Getting around

  • JR Tsuwano Station lies on the Yamaguchi Line; limited express trains link it with Shin-Yamaguchi on the San'yō Shinkansen in about an hour and with Masuda.
  • On selected days the steam-hauled excursion train SL Yamaguchi runs between Shin-Yamaguchi and Tsuwano.
  • The town centre is compact and walkable; rental bicycles are available near the station.
  • Buses connect Tsuwano with Hagi, and Hagi-Iwami Airport in Masuda is about an hour away.

Day trips

  • Hagi

    萩Hagi

    The castle town of the Mōri lords on the Sea of Japan, reached by bus.

  • Yamaguchi

    山口Yamaguchi

    The Ōuchi capital with the five-storey pagoda of Rurikō-ji, about an hour by train.

  • Masuda

    益田Masuda

    Gardens attributed to the painter Sesshū at Ikō-ji and Manpuku-ji, and the Grand Toit arts centre.

  • Nichihara

    日原Nichihara

    Clear-water rivers of the upper Takatsu basin and a public observatory.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalMatsueMatsue-shiThe water city of the Matsudaira between two lakesCityIzumoIzumo-shiWhere the gods of Japan gather

Frequently asked questions

Why is Tsuwano called the Little Kyoto of San'in?

Its compact castle town with white walls, canals and temples, and customs such as the Sagi-mai heron dance brought from Kyoto, earned it the name.

How do you get to Tsuwano?

By limited express on the JR Yamaguchi Line from Shin-Yamaguchi, which is on the San'yō Shinkansen, in about an hour.

Can Tsuwano be combined with Hagi?

Yes. The two towns are linked by bus and are often visited together over one or two days.

Where are the carp in Tsuwano?

In the stone canals along Tonomachi street; the fish were originally kept as an emergency food supply.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.津和野町公式ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 津和野町
  2. 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
  3. 3.島根県公式ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 島根県
  4. 4.国指定文化財等データベース (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁

Editorial team · Published: