There is a province on the Sea of Japan coast, on the shady side of the mountains, where legends are the direct precursors of history and there’s no clear boundary where one ends and the other begins. It is Izumo, “Chief Province of the Gods,” and as part of quiet Shimane Prefecture, makes for a splendid getaway.

The only proper place to begin this story is the oldest shrine in Japan, Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine. No one knows when Izumo Taisha was founded, though it was already ancient when the earliest chronicles of Japanese history were written. The shrine’s origin story is that the god Okuninushi ceded the land to the sun goddess Amaterasu for her descendants to rule in exchange for the shrine’s construction. Amaterasu is the ancestor of Japan’s imperial family, who still reign to this day.

The Homotsuden Treasure Hall is a must-visit site to learn about the shrine and its iterations over the millennia. Built on an even bigger scale than any shrine standing today, its treasures live up to the name with National Treasures and cultural properties representing not only religious, but cultural artifacts of Japan, including musical instruments and armor in splendid shape.

As the Honden Main Hall can’t be visited, its magnificent, clouded ceiling painting is replicated in the Treasure Hall. The clouds and Izumo Province’s name are derived from a poem written by the god Susanoo-no-mikoto, brother of Amaterasu.

When planning a visit, it’s worth considering that November is “Kamiarizuki,” when all gods are said to gather at the shrine and visitors may witness special events and ceremonies. Kamiarizuki is based on the lunar calendar, so the exact dates change every year.

On the main approach to the shrine, I recommend architecture and train fans visit the Art Deco Izumo Taisha-Mae train station. Not as ancient as the shrine, but still a vestige of an earlier era and it has a preserved 1920s train that can be entered.

About an hour’s drive from Izumo is the “Chief City of the Province of the Gods,” Matsue. The old castle town is capital of Shimane and was home to one of Japan’s most beloved adopted sons, Lafcadio Hearn. Hearn was a world-traveling Greek-Irish author who came here in 1890 to be enthralled by the old Japan, even as it gave way to a new, modern nation. Helped by his Matsue-born wife, Setsu, he would bring tales and observations of his new adopted homeland to the outside world. Their images adorn everything in the town and historic landmarks oft bear his commentary.

It’s best to start your Matsue visit early in the morning while fog still shrouds the city so you may see the imposing citadel of Matsue Castle in the mist; a defiant vestige of the past on its little green island surrounded by a sea of modernity. Not only is it an original castle, but one of the five extant National Treasure castles. The castle is well-kept and its unique points are well-explained, particularly how the wooden beams that support the structure were assembled and strengthened.

Visiting the Lafcadio Hearn Museum and Residence across the castle moat will help the uninitiated learn about Hearn and why he’s such a famous literary figure in Japan. The museum is entirely bilingual and covers Hearn’s life, with its current special exhibit delving into Setsu’s life. It shows how his journey, along with the influences of people and ideas he came across, made him into who he was.

Beside it is the house Hearn rented for five months in 1891. It belonged to the Negishi family, hereditary retainers (samurai) of Matsue Domain, and is a modest abode despite being so near the castle. Negishi Iwai, the landlord’s son and a student of Hearn’s, preserved the house to keep his mentor’s memory alive. Hearn loved the house’s gardens and writing at his desk by them; visitors today still see the same inspiring view he had over a century ago.

A legendary encounter to be had is the “bake-turtle” in the cemetery of Gessho-ji Temple. The giant stone tortoise’s mundane origin is that Daimyo Matsudaira Harusato constructed it for his father to praise his virtues and wish him a long life. His father may have died before it was completed in 1781, but it’s the thought that counts.

Its legendary origin is of a rampaging monster that terrorized people at night; the temple’s chief priest approached it with the teaching of Buddha. The turtle lamented that it was incapable of controlling its behavior so allowed a monument to be placed on its back to stop it. It now protects people by “remaining motionless.”

Regardless of how the turtle got here, visitors are encouraged to stroke its head and pray for long lives.

Yaegaki-jinja Shrine’s origins go back to the legend of Susanoo-no-Mikoto. He was banished from heaven and cast down to Izumo. Here he saved a princess and slayed the eight-headed, eight-tailed dragon by getting it wasted on powerful sake then cutting off its heads and tails. As one does.

What is now Yaegaki-jinja is where that princess, Kushinada, hid and used it’s pond as a mirror and for drinking water. After slaying the dragon, she and Susanoo married and built their home there. For further cultural connections, Susanoo is the brother of Amaterasu, and while dismembering the dragon he discovered Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, a sword that is now part of the Imperial Regalia.

The shrine itself is popular for matchmaking, marriage and childbearing. The same Mirror Pond Kushinada visited is popular for divining future partners. A coin is placed on a piece of paper and set on the pond. If the coin sinks close to where you set it, your partner will come from nearby. If it sinks quickly, you’ll meet your match quickly.

Hearn’s wife Setsu gave it a go in her youth; her paper floated to the back edge of the pond accurately suggesting her spouse would come from very far away.

This was the only stop on our Matsue visit that wasn’t walkable and required about a 10-minute drive from the city center.

Though Shimane is low on most travel priority lists, this was only part of what we saw on our trip. Shimane has far more to offer and it didn’t require much digging to find future trips worth taking back to this underappreciated prefecture.

We drove from Sasebo on the highway, which took about seven hours, though flights are available into Izumo Airport and trains also make their way into these hinterlands. For those familiar with the Kanto Palin or the major cities, the railway network isn’t as comprehensive, so driving is recommended to get around.

For a local taste of Matsue, you can’t go wrong having the ubiquitous shijimi clam soup. There are also plenty of Shimane craft beers to sample and several beer halls in the city; I indulged to my heart’s content and found none of their libations lacking.

Izumo Taisha (Izumo Oyashiro) Grand Shrine

• Address: 195 Kizuki-Higashi, Taisha, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, 699-0701

• Website

Izumo Taisha-mae Station

• Address: Taishacho Kizukiminami, Izumo, Shimane 699-0711

• Website

Matsue Castle

• 1-5 Tonomachi, Matsue, Shimane 690-0887

• Website

Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum and Residence

• 322 Okudanicho, Matsue, Shimane 690-0872

• Website

Gessho-ji Temple

• 179 Sotonakabaracho, Matsue, Shimane 690-0875

• Website

Yaegaki-jinja Shrine

• 227 Sakusacho, Matsue, Shimane 690-0035

• Website

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