Travel restrictions have stoked increased desire in many. Those abroad saw Japan’s mystique increase as its borders remained closed. Foreign denizens were eager to get out and enjoy the country they came to call home. Luckily, the government is lifting all restrictions now, and news of increased safety will breathe joy into all of our wandering dreams. Autumn paints the perfect canvas to play out all the voyages for which our spirits long. Food becomes more enticing with seasonal delights aplenty; from chestnut desserts to roasted sweet potatoes, from persimmons to hot sake; endless opportunities appear to warm your soul.
All those delights and more await you in the San’in region, in the southwest of Japan’s main island. Its Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine was certified as a World Heritage Site in 2007, and sits near a picturesque onsen town. The Horikawa Pleasure Boat cruise offers visitors a chance to rejoice in bygone views of Japan from a unique perspective. And, all fans of GeGeGe no Kitaro will delight in Sakaiminato’s Mizuki Shigeru Road, which celebrates the world-famous manga artist native to the city.
See What San’in Has to Offer
The month of kamiarizuki — when gods from all over Japan gather in Izumo — will provide Tokyoites with a rare window onto the San’in region. On the weekend of October 22, residents of the capital can benefit from a preview of San’in tourism at the Kamiarizuki Izumo Sightseeing Product Exhibition in Shibuya.
Selected regional products will be placed on offer, a PR booth for the city of Izumo will provide tourist information, and stage events will entertain visitors by giving them a foretaste of San’in culture. The performance schedule includes a Japanese comedian and an appearance by Shimane’s mascot, Shimanekko. Gourmet food from the region will also be available to try. The San’in Tourism Organization will hold events such as a lottery with prizes for foreigners to promote the Discover Another Japan Pass smartphone app.
About the Discover Another Japan Pass
The Discover Another Japan Pass itself will serve as a cultural bridge. Purchasable from the eponymous app, it provides unlimited admission to major tourist attractions in Chugoku and Kansai. Designed to encourage you to stray from the overbeaten paths and bustling cities, it opens up a wave of portals to more enriching experiences. Within the San’in region alone, this pass provides access to fifty-one sites, facilities and amenities. From art museums to pleasure boats, from aquariums to manga museums, from a waterbird sanctuary to a flower park, the diversity of immersion into the life of the region that this pass provides is peerless.
And, as Robert M. Persig said in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the genuine human experience depends on being able to put your foot down and touch the landscape through which you pass. Thus, the Discover Another Japan Pass also offers free access to rental bicycles in five different areas. Catering to the ability to tailor yourself a bespoke vacation, travelers can choose between different packages to accommodate various voyage lengths and pinpointed locations.
Placing a cherry on your matcha sundae is a trio of bonus coupons, which you can use when purchasing souvenirs and tea sets at Saranoki Shointei. While you’re there, savor seasonal dishes and matcha green tea at a former residence of the third chief retainer of the Tsuwano clan, while a Japanese garden reflects the changing seasons.
Learn more about the Discover Another Japan Pass.
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