Oki Islands, off the coast of Shimane 西ノ島（隠岐）

西ノ島（隠岐）

にしのしま　　　おき

nishinoshima　　　　　　　　　　(Oki)

The famous bulls of Oki
(see link for bull fighting at bottom of page)

 摩天崖 　まてんがい　matengai
Matengai Cliff 

the highest sea cliff in Japan

 通天橋　つうてんきょう tsūtenkyō

Tsūten Arch

焼火神社　たくひじんじゃ takuhi-jinja

Takuhi Shrine – the oldest shrine in Oki 

Part of this shrine is in a cave in the mountainside

外浜海水浴場　そとはまかいすいよくじょう
sotohama-kaisuiyokujō

Sotohama Bathing Beach

観音岩　かんのんいわ  kannon-iwa

Kannon Rock

Oki Islands

For more information:   Nishinoshima

Bull fighting

Oki Islands, Sea of Japan

Izumo Taisha

Izumo-Taisha

Matsue 松江 まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue’s most famous visitor

Lafcadio Hearn was born in Lefkas, Greece. He was the son of an army doctor, Charles Hearn, from Ireland and a Greek woman, Rosa Cassimati. He travelled to Japan in 1890 as a report writer for a magazine. He arrived in Yokohama, but he soon quit this job. After that, he moved to Matsue as an English teacher of Shimane Prefectural Middle School. In Matsue, he met his lifelong friend Nishida Sentaro, a colleague teacher, and he married Koizumi Setsu, a daughter of a local samurai.

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Matsue   松江　まつえ

Here is a link to a beautifully laid-out information page 

about towns on the west coast of Honshu:

http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=964&catid=25&subcatid=170