{"id":192,"date":"2025-05-06T06:00:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=192"},"modified":"2025-05-06T06:00:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T13:00:32","slug":"go-back-in-time-at-this-off-the-beaten-tourist-site-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=192","title":{"rendered":"Go back in time at this off-the-beaten tourist site in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Historic World Heritage Site is a living breathing town that looks like it did when samurai roamed the streets.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

With overcrowding spoiling the beauty of many popular tourist sites right now, more and more visitors to Japan are seeking out quiet, off-the-beaten path destinations<\/strong> to get a true sense of what makes the country so special. Being intrepid travellers ourselves, we\u2019re always keen to explore overlooked sites of beauty, and we recently discovered some hidden gems in Shimane Prefecture<\/strong> that surprised even our Japanese reporter Marie Morimoto, who was introduced to them on a press tour.<\/p>\n

Located in Shimane Prefecture, the site is known as the \u201cIwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape<\/strong>\u201c, according to its World Heritage listing, which it received in 2007. It includes the ruins of a former mine, the townscape that retains the vestiges of the Edo period (1603-1868<\/span>), and Yunotsu Onsen, a hidden hot spring seaside town.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a place of stunning beauty, where nature and history merge together seamlessly, making you feel as if you\u2019ve stepped back in time to the town\u2019s heyday in the 16th and 17th centuries, when the mine produced roughly a third of the world\u2019s silver and samurai walked the land.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s a rare chance to soak up the atmosphere at a site of \u201cLiving World Heritage<\/strong>\u201c, so called as people still live and work here today, amidst the historic surroundings. You do need to know where to go to get the most out of your visit, though, so we have six of the best things to see, do, and eat, in the area.\u00a0
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25bc Explore historic mine shafts at Ryugenji Mabu<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Ryugenji Mabu is the only year-round accessible mine shaft in the area, and this 600 metre (0.4 mile) long tunnel, carved by hand during the Edo period, still bears chisel marks and original drainage systems.<\/p>\n

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Only a small section is open to the public, but it\u2019s enough to give you a deep respect for the superhuman effort of miners who worked here. Our guide, Nagao Hideaki, shared fascinating stories so we highly recommend hiring a guide if you\u2019d like to learn more about the history of the area. Private guided tours start at 5,000 yen (US$34.73) per group but there\u2019s a budget option of 500 yen per person for a 90-minute group tour.<\/p>\n

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\u25bc Hop on the environmentally friendly \u201cGinzan Cart\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The town is pretty compact so you won\u2019t have any trouble walking or cycling around but the Ginzan Cart offers a fun way to take the stress out of some of the slopes. The electric cart has a maximum capacity of six passengers and it runs along the route from the \u201cOmori Daikansho Ruins\u201d bus stop, which is the general starting point for sightseeing, to \u201cRyugenji Ma Walk\u201d. It\u2019s a good idea to take the cart up the slope and then walk back, which will shorten your trip by around 45 minutes, but it fills up on a first-come, first-served basis so it\u2019s pretty sought-after.<\/p>\n

After leaving the Ryugenji Mabu mine area, it\u2019s time to stroll down the mountain path and wander through the historic town of Omori. The rows of old houses create a wonderfully nostalgic atmosphere here, but they\u2019re not just dusty old relics as they\u2019re still being used today, with the following four stops being highlights:<\/p>\n

\u25bc Cafe Juru<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This cafe, renovated from a 100-year-old traditional house, serves up a signature dish called \u201cMelt-in-your-mouth Beef Tendon Hayashi Rice\u201d, which is rich, flavourful, and unforgettable.<\/p>\n

\u25bc Gungendo Main Store<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Offering clothing and goods for different lifestyles, this store has locations all over Japan, but the flagship store here in Iwami Ginzan is truly one-of-a-kind, with a caf\u00e9 on the premises.<\/p>\n

\u25bc B\u00e4ckerei Konditorei Hidaka<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This cafe-equipped bakery serves bread, ice cream and baked sweets that are so delicious they often sell out by the afternoon, so you\u2019ll want to visit early to satisfy your sweet cravings.<\/p>\n

\u25bc Nakada Shoten<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This store specialises in \u201cgoma tofu\u201d (sesame tofu), which is made only from sesame, kudzu (arrowroot), and sake. The sesame aroma and chewy, springy texture are amazing, and with the shelf life being a short two days, it\u2019s perfect for enjoying at your inn after purchasing it.<\/p>\n

\u25bc Arima Koeido<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This store sells \u201cGetanoha\u201d, a traditional sweet once eaten by miners. When you tap it, it makes a light rattling sound, and when you eat it, it\u2019s subtly sweet with an addictive texture.<\/p>\n

\u25bc Iwami Ginzan Kamanoya<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Here you can enjoy freshly grilled dango outside in a wonderful setting, so the wait for staff to finish grilling your order is pure bliss. You can choose from sweet miso, mitarashi (soy sauce glaze), or red bean paste flavours.<\/p>\n

In addition to the gorgeous places listed above, there are many other shops, historic sites, and shrines and temples to explore, as well as unique places like \u201cTakyo Abeke\u201d, an inn restored from a samurai residence<\/strong>. Also, the world-renowned prosthetics manufacturer \u201cNakamura Brace<\/strong>\u201d is based here, contributing to the area\u2019s revitalisation through traditional house restoration and lodging businesses.<\/p>\n

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With more young people moving in for a taste of the slow life, the Iwami Ginzan and Omori Town area is a place that\u2019s working against the odds to stay alive as a functioning locale, and it could definitely do with your help in securing its future. So next time you\u2019re looking for a place to escape the crowds of tourists in Tokyo, remember that this old town with historic buildings is waiting to give you the travel memories you\u2019ve been yearning for. And the traditional vibes continue at these other little-known sites which deserve to be on your radar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Site information<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iwami Ginzan Omori Town
\nAddress: Shimane-ken, Oda-shi, Omori-cho, Ha 147
\n\u5cf6\u6839\u770c\u5927\u7530\u5e02\u5927\u68ee\u753a\u30cf\uff11\uff14\uff17
\nWebsite<\/a><\/p>\n

Ryugenji Mabu<\/strong><\/p>\n

Address: Shimane-ken, Oda-shi, Omoricho, Ginzan 15
\n\u5cf6\u6839\u770c\u5927\u7530\u5e02\u5927\u68ee\u753a\u9280\u5c7115
\nOpen: 9:00a.m.-5:00 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.)
\nAdmission: 410 yen for adults
\nTime required: Up to 20 minutes
\nNearest stop: Omori bus stop
\nPrivate guides: From 5,000 yen for 3 hours (varies by group size)
\nGroup tours: 500 yen per person (start ast 10:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.; free for kids under 15)
\nWebsite<\/a><\/p>\n

Ginzan Cart<\/strong><\/p>\n

Open: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (every day except Wednesdays, weather permitting)
\nPrice: 100\u2013500 yen, depending on distance
\nReservations not accepted \u2014 first come, first served<\/p>\n

Photos\u00a9SoraNews24<\/em>
\n\u25cf Want to hear about SoraNews24\u2019s latest articles as soon as they\u2019re published? Follow us on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Historic World Heritage Site is a living breathing town that looks like it did when samurai roamed the streets. With overcrowding spoiling the beauty of many popular tourist sites right…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}