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Three Days Around San'in After the Azure Travelers Hiroshima Trip

Published 2026-08-08

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Three Days Around San'in After the Azure Travelers Hiroshima Trip

After wrapping up the Azure Travelers Hiroshima trip, I stayed on the road and traveled through the San’in region.

I visited a place tied to my ancestors, stepped into the world of mythology, explored castles, and walked through towns shaped by anime. Before I knew it, I had driven more than 1,000 km. It had been a while since I had driven, walked, and taken this many photos on one trip.

Here is a quick look back at the three days from August 3 through 5.

August 3: From Shimane to Tottori
August 4: Back and Forth Between Tottori and Shimane
August 5: From Nakaumi to Onomichi, Then Hiroshima
Looking Back

August 3: From Shimane to Tottori

Misato Town

My first destination was Misato Town in Shimane Prefecture.

This area was once home to Ago Village. After several municipal mergers, it became part of present-day Misato Town. I had heard that the head family of the Ago family is based there. If a place was connected to my own surname, I wanted to visit it at least once. That feeling brought me here.

As I drove through town, my surname, “Ago,” kept appearing: Ago Post Office, Ago Police Box, and Ago Community Center. It was my first time there, yet something about it felt familiar. This was different from visiting a tourist attraction. Standing in a place where my ancestors might once have lived felt strange in a deeply personal way.

Ago Post Office with the name Ago displayed on the building — Ago Post Office

A building with a sign identifying it as Ago Community Center — Ago Community Center

The Ago Police Box operated by the Shimane Prefectural Kawamoto Police Station — Ago Police Box

Crossing Kurihara Bridge takes you into the Ago area. My father once told me, “When I was little, I used to swim and play in the Gonokawa River.” When I finally visited, the river really was right there. I could not help thinking, “Of course you went swimming here.” It was a moment when a story I had heard years ago connected with the landscape in front of me.

A map showing the locations of Kurihara Bridge and Ago — Ago lies just beyond Kurihara Bridge

Kurihara Bridge crossing the Gonokawa River with mountains in the background — Kurihara Bridge over the Gonokawa River

Along a river between Misato Town and Izumo City, I also spotted a crested kingfisher. With clear water and thick greenery, this is a place rich in nature.

A black-and-white crested kingfisher perched on a branch by the river — A crested kingfisher I spotted on the way to Izumo City

Before entering Misato Town, I also stopped at Dangyokei Gorge, an unusual landscape where the river runs between rock formations. Apparently, ayu sweetfish are caught around here as well. Come to think of it, I saw a public notice about ayu fishing in Ago. A fisheries cooperative in a quiet mountain community initially seemed a little surprising to me because I tend to think of fishing as something done at sea. But given how closely life here is connected to the Gonokawa River, the river is probably an important part of everyday life.

A public notice about ayu fishing posted by the Egawa Fisheries Cooperative — A public notice about ayu fishing that I saw in Ago

It became one of the most personal and meaningful detours of the entire trip.

Izumo Taisha

Next, I headed to Izumo Taisha.

Izumo is a place that appears in the Kojiki. Walking through a place I had encountered so often in mythology, the realization that I had actually made it here slowly began to sink in.

The atmosphere on the shrine grounds and the scale of the buildings both felt extraordinary. From a place tied to my ancestors to the world of mythology, the first half of this day alone covered an incredible range.

The stone name marker and approach to Izumo Taisha seen between pine trees — The entrance to Izumo Taisha seen between the pine trees

The Kagura Hall at Izumo Taisha with its enormous shimenawa rope — The Kagura Hall and its strikingly large shimenawa rope

In the Kojiki, the White Hare of Inaba tries to trick wani, what we would now call sharks, into helping it cross from the Oki Islands to Honshu. The deception is discovered at the very end, however, and the hare is so badly injured that its fur is stripped away.

The Yasogami then give the hare the wrong treatment and make its suffering even worse, but the hare is later rescued by the future Okuninushi. It goes on to predict that Okuninushi will marry Yakami-hime. The protagonist of such a turbulent story appears on the shrine grounds as an adorable character holding a pine cone. I could not help wondering, “Is it really okay for the hare to be this cute?”

A stone statue of the White Hare of Inaba holding a pine cone at Izumo Taisha — The charming White Hare of Inaba holding a pine cone

In Izumo, I also tried the local specialty, warigo soba. Hokkaido has several restaurants called Goma Soba Yakumo, and when I saw that name in the past, I somehow remembered it as containing “Izumo.” The two names had become mixed up in my mind. Still, mistaking Yakumo for Izumo… Remembering my own mix-up, I enjoyed authentic Izumo soba.

Three tiers of warigo soba with condiments in Izumo — Three tiers of warigo soba in Izumo

Yumeminato Tower

I crossed from Shimane into Tottori and headed to Yumeminato Tower in Sakaiminato.

I came for the stamp rally organized as a collaboration between the All Japan Tower Council and MISAMO. After collecting this stamp, I had only two locations in Kyushu and one in Shimonoseki left. Just three more stops until completion.

Looking up inside the tower, I could see the intricate structure of timber and steel fully exposed. I had supposedly come only for the stamp, but I found myself drawn to the building itself.

The interior of Yumeminato Tower, where timber and steel framing intersect — Looking up at the interior of Yumeminato Tower

A cardboard model recreating the interior structure of Yumeminato Tower — The structure of Yumeminato Tower recreated as a cardboard model

A display for the MISAMO and All Japan Tower Council stamp rally — One of the goals of the trip: the All Japan Tower Council stamp rally

From the observation deck, I could also see a mountain said to be nicknamed “Kewpie Mountain” because it resembles a Kewpie doll lying down. Once I had heard that, the ridgeline really did begin to look like a figure resting on its side.

The ridgeline known as Kewpie Mountain seen from the Yumeminato Tower observation deck — Kewpie Mountain and its sleeping-doll silhouette from the observation deck

The lobby also had displays featuring characters from manga and anime associated with Tottori Prefecture, including Detective Conan and GeGeGe no Kitaro. The exhibit showed me how much effort Tottori puts into collaborations with these series. Before visiting Sakaiminato and Hokuei later in the trip, it felt as though I had discovered another theme to follow.

Character statues from Detective Conan, GeGeGe no Kitaro, and other works displayed in the Yumeminato Tower lobby — A lobby display of manga and anime associated with Tottori Prefecture

I had stopped whenever I found a tower on my travels, and after making it this far, I wanted to collect every last stamp.

Sakaiminato Station and Mizuki Shigeru Road

Around sunset, I stopped by Sakaiminato Station and Mizuki Shigeru Road because they were close to Yumeminato Tower.

Honestly, I had not done much research into what was there. It was more of a casual, “It is nearby, so why not?” First, I had a light dinner at San’in no Osushi Hitotose in front of Sakaiminato Station. Then I walked along Mizuki Shigeru Road.

Sakaiminato Station at dusk, decorated with a large yokai mural — A large yokai mural welcomes visitors to Sakaiminato Station

Bronze statues of yokai from Shigeru Mizuki's work outside Sakaiminato Station — The trail of bronze yokai statues begins outside Sakaiminato Station

Bronze yokai statues lined the streets as the town grew darker, giving the area an atmosphere that must feel quite different in daylight. I had not planned this stop in detail, but that kind of spontaneous detour is one of the pleasures of traveling by car.

I photographed Kitaro just as the light was fading. The background lights dissolved into large circles of bokeh, creating a slightly uncanny image. It looked as though the hour when the town turns to night had overlapped perfectly with the world of yokai.

A bronze statue of Kitaro on Mizuki Shigeru Road at dusk, with blurred lights in the background — Background bokeh gave this photo of Kitaro an uncanny atmosphere

Away from Mizuki Shigeru Road, I also came across a yokai train traveling toward Sakaiminato. Watching the Nezumi Otoko Train approach from down the tracks felt as though the world of yokai had slipped into an everyday scene. I loved it.

A yokai train decorated with Nezumi Otoko traveling toward Sakaiminato — The Nezumi Otoko Train on its way to Sakaiminato

August 4: Back and Forth Between Tottori and Shimane

Tottori Sand Dunes

I finally made it to the Tottori Sand Dunes, a place I had always wanted to visit.

Ideally, I wanted to arrive early in the morning, before many footprints appeared, and see the wind patterns in the sand. But the trip had grown long after my Azure Travelers stay in Hiroshima, and the fatigue was catching up with me. I slept in properly and arrived at around 8:00.

There were still only a few people, and the heat was manageable. Unfortunately, I could not see the wind patterns I had hoped for. That was a little disappointing. Even so, the immense landscape in front of me felt wonderful.

Another thing I realized only after arriving was how much grass grows among the dunes. In my imagination, the view had been nothing but sand in every direction. That difference was something I could only learn by being there.

The Sea of Japan beyond sand and grass at the Tottori Sand Dunes — Sand and grass, with the Sea of Japan beyond

People walking across the Tottori Sand Dunes beneath a blue sky and towering clouds — The Tottori Sand Dunes are so vast that people look tiny

A panoramic view of the Tottori Sand Dunes under a blue sky, with small figures walking across the sand — The tiny figures help convey the immense scale of the Tottori Sand Dunes

Tottori Castle Ruins

After the dunes, I headed to the Tottori Castle Ruins.

Walking through the site made me realize just how large Tottori Castle must once have been. I spent my time imagining its former appearance from the stone walls and ruins that remain today.

Stone walls and a wooden bridge at the Tottori Castle Ruins, with mountains beyond — Stone walls and a wooden bridge at the Tottori Castle Ruins

As I looked over the moat, I noticed something swimming toward me with only its head above the water. At first I thought it was a snake and jumped, but when it came closer, I could see that it was a turtle. The sight of it swimming straight toward me with just its face above the surface was strangely memorable.

A turtle swimming through the moat at the Tottori Castle Ruins with only its head above water — A turtle in the moat that startled me because I first thought it was a snake

Michi-no-Eki Nishi Inaba Kirari

After walking around the castle ruins, I stopped at Michi-no-Eki Nishi Inaba Kirari. I had been driving since morning and was getting sleepy, so I started with a short nap in the parking lot. When I woke up, I was hungry. I bought some grilled mackerel sushi at the roadside station, and it was so good that even the fatigue from driving seemed to ease a little.

The market was filled with crabs and fresh fish. Even just browsing the seafood of the San’in region made this a fun roadside station to visit.

Crabs displayed for sale at Michi-no-Eki Nishi Inaba Kirari — Crabs filling the market at the roadside station

Fresh fish for sale at Michi-no-Eki Nishi Inaba Kirari — Fresh fish at the roadside station

A Detective Conan Tour of Hokuei

Next, I headed to Hokuei, the hometown of Gosho Aoyama, the creator of Detective Conan.

Behind the roadside station is the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory, and along the road are sculptures recreating various scenes from Detective Conan. Yura Station is also known as “Conan Station.” The entire town really is full of Conan.

What makes the place so interesting is that you can enjoy the world of the series not only inside an exhibition facility, but simply by walking through town.

As I explored, I found signed illustrations and displays by Gosho Aoyama everywhere. It was not just the characters: traces of the artist himself were woven into the townscape. Every time I stopped and discovered another one, I was delighted.

A framed Detective Conan illustration signed by Gosho Aoyama — Signed artwork by Gosho Aoyama appeared throughout the town

Detective Conan character statues lining a sidewalk in Hokuei — Conan characters appear as you walk through town

Yura Station decorated with Conan Edogawa and its nickname, Conan Station — Even the Yura Station building is completely Conan-themed

Statues of Kaito Kid and Conan Edogawa facing each other in Hokuei — The phantom thief and the great detective face off

Statues of Shinichi Kudo and Ran Mouri carrying school bags in Hokuei — Character statues capturing a moment on the way to school

At the roadside station, I also had beef bone ramen. I had spent the morning walking across the Tottori Sand Dunes and was drenched in sweat, so I was craving something salty. The saltiness of the hot broth soaked right into me. The beef-bone flavor came through clearly, too. It was seriously delicious.

Tottori beef bone ramen topped with chashu pork and green onions at the roadside station — Beef bone ramen after working up a sweat at the dunes

Matsue Castle

After seeing the Tottori Castle Ruins, I thought, “Since I am here, I might as well visit Matsue Castle too.” So I returned to Shimane Prefecture and headed to Matsue Castle.

I only learned after arriving that it is a National Treasure, but the castle keep was unbelievably impressive. The moat and the surrounding castle town made the entire place wonderfully atmospheric.

There also seems to be a Horikawa Sightseeing Boat that tours the moat in small boats. Next time, I would like to allow more time and take a ride.

The black keep of Matsue Castle rising above its stone walls — The striking black exterior of the Matsue Castle keep

Visitors climbing toward Matsue Castle past stone walls visible between the trees — The path to Matsue Castle, surrounded by trees and stone walls

A Horikawa sightseeing boat traveling through the moat at Matsue Castle — A Horikawa sightseeing boat offers views of the castle town from the water

Eshima Ohashi, the So-Called Pedal-to-the-Metal Slope

I also stopped at Eshima Ohashi on the border between Shimane and Tottori prefectures. I recognized it as a bridge I had seen in photos, so I pulled over to take some pictures.

Looking at the bridge’s position, I thought I might be able to photograph the sun rising beyond it if I returned the next morning. I came back early the following day, only to find that the sunrise was nowhere near where I had expected. A complete miss. As a bonus, the humidity was so intense that condensation formed on my camera.

Travel photography is a journey in itself, including all the times things do not go according to plan.

Eshima Ohashi seen head-on, emphasizing its apparently steep grade — From the front, the steep-looking grade of Eshima Ohashi stands out

The sun rising well away from Eshima Ohashi — The sun rose in a completely different direction from the one I had planned

Eshima Ohashi illuminated by golden morning light — Eshima Ohashi in the morning light

Yonago Station

I headed to Yonago Station for dinner.

The station was more compact than I had expected, and my impression was that it did not have many souvenir shops. I did not choose my dinner spot particularly well this time, so I will leave that part out.

Steam locomotive wheels and a driving-wheel monument displayed outside Yonago Station — A locomotive monument outside Yonago Station

The Yonago Station building in the evening — Yonago Station, where I stopped for dinner

August 5: From Nakaumi to Onomichi, Then Hiroshima

This was the final day of the trip. Once the end comes into view, I always feel a little sad.

Early Morning at Nakaumi

My plan to photograph the sunrise beyond Eshima Ohashi had been a complete miss, so I changed gears and decided to photograph Nakaumi in the early morning instead.

The waterfront was home to herons and many other birds. The quiet morning scenery felt wonderful, and it looked like an excellent place for bird photography.

A white heron flying over Nakaumi with mountains in the background — A heron flying over Nakaumi in the early morning

The problem is that I do not currently own a telephoto lens capable of properly photographing birds. Places like this make me want a new lens. Dangerous.

Onomichi

I left the San’in region, returned to Hiroshima Prefecture, and stopped in Onomichi. I came for Onomichi ramen and Neko no Hosomichi, or Cat Alley. My curiosity was casual: “Are there actually cats in Cat Alley?”

For lunch, I ordered kakuni ramen at Onomichi Ramen Ichibankan.

The exterior of Onomichi Ramen Ichibankan — Onomichi Ramen Ichibankan, where I stopped for lunch

Kakuni ramen served at Onomichi Ramen Ichibankan — Onomichi ramen topped with a large piece of braised pork belly

For no particular reason, I had imagined Onomichi ramen as a light soy sauce broth with flat noodles. The bowl I actually ate fell somewhere between light and rich, a flavor sometimes described in Japanese as “kossari.” It was different from what I had imagined, but it was delicious.

After the ramen, I walked through the shopping arcade. Old-fashioned signs and children’s rides still stood outside the shops, giving the street a wonderfully retro atmosphere.

A shopping arcade in Onomichi lined with old-fashioned signs — Old-fashioned signs remain in the Onomichi shopping arcade

A retro children's ride shaped like an animal balancing on a ball outside a shop — A retro children’s ride outside a shop

In the shopping arcade, I also spotted a collaboration poster featuring Hiroshima Prefecture and the anime Oshi no Ko. Coming across promotions like this while traveling is always fun.

After that, I headed toward Cat Alley. But rather than keep climbing stairs in the heat, it seemed easier to walk downhill on the way back. So I first took the Senkoji Ropeway up toward Senkoji Park.

A guide map showing Cat Alley and the area around the Senkoji Ropeway — A guide map of Cat Alley and the area around the ropeway

Senkoji Temple and the Senkoji Ropeway surrounded by greenery — The Senkoji Ropeway on its way to Senkoji Park

From the observation deck at Senkoji Park, I could take in the city of Onomichi, the Onomichi Channel, and the islands beyond, all in one sweeping view. With the city spread between the mountains and the sea, it was a quintessential Onomichi landscape.

The city of Onomichi and the Onomichi Channel seen from Senkoji Park — A panoramic view of Onomichi from the observation deck

Islands in the Seto Inland Sea seen from Senkoji Park — The islands of the Seto Inland Sea beyond Onomichi

The Onomichi Channel and Senkoji Ropeway seen through the trees — The Onomichi Channel and ropeway seen between the trees

The stairs leading to the observation deck looked as though they stretched into the sky, which was a little dramatic. But once again, it was far too hot that day.

The stairs to the Senkoji Park observation deck rising toward a blue sky — Observation deck stairs that seem to reach into the sky

I took a short break with some mikan soft-serve ice cream. On a hot day, cold soft serve alone can make you feel remarkably revived.

Mikan soft-serve ice cream from a shop in Onomichi — A cooling break with mikan soft serve in the heat

When I finally saw Cat Alley, it felt a little different from what I had imagined, so I decided not to walk through it this time and headed back down. The souvenir shops at the foot of the hill, however, were filled with cat-themed gifts. I may not have entered Cat Alley, but I still enjoyed Onomichi’s feline side until the very end.

A storefront filled with souvenirs inspired by cats and Onomichi — Cat-themed souvenirs from Onomichi

Onomichi Neko-bushi souvenirs in packaging decorated with cat illustrations — The cat packaging of Onomichi Neko-bushi caught my eye

That was how I spent a full day enjoying Onomichi’s streets and scenery.

Hiroshima Station

The final stop of the journey was Hiroshima Station.

I took a look at the elevated Hiroshima Electric Railway platform that carries the Ekimae Ohashi route into the station building, then returned to Beer Stand Shigetomi, a place I had visited several times during my stay in Hiroshima. I finished with sushi, bringing the long journey to a close.

A glass of beer with a smooth head of foam poured at Beer Stand Shigetomi — A beer at Beer Stand Shigetomi after returning to Hiroshima

Whitefish nigiri sushi eaten at Hiroshima Station at the end of the trip — The final sushi of a long journey

The trip began with Azure Travelers in Hiroshima, looped all the way around the San’in region, and ended back at Hiroshima Station. By then, it truly felt as though the journey was over.

Looking Back

This road trip covered more than 1,000 km. It had been a long time since I had driven that much, but even the distance was part of the fun.

It was a journey to a place where my ancestors might once have lived, a walk through the mythic world of Izumo, and another step toward completing the MISAMO stamp rally. It was also a trip through the worlds of Detective Conan and yokai, and a chance to photograph castles, sand dunes, and coastal landscapes.

For three days, I saw, experienced, and felt more than any single theme could capture. The long drives made the trip feel even more densely packed, and I had an incredible time.