Shimane in two nights and three days: art museums or a move to Izumo?
For an art-focused trip, spend two nights in Matsue and make a trip to Yasugi. For the shrine and beach, you can move to Izumo on Day 2 instead. These routes finish at different stations. Reach Adachi Museum of Art by shuttle from Yasugi Station and collect your numbered return ticket before exploring.
Choose an itinerary for 3 days / 2 nights
Castle, Adachi gardens and lakeside art
Spend two nights near Matsue Station. See the castle and the Adachi Museum of Art's gardens and Japanese paintings, then visit the Shimane Art Museum collection on your final day. Yasugi is a day trip from Matsue.
Castle, Adachi gardens and lakeside art →3 days / 2 nights BCastle, shrine and a final-day beach walk
If you prefer shrine worship and a beach walk to an art-focused trip, spend one night in Matsue, then move to Izumoshi for another night.
Castle, shrine and a final-day beach walk →Castle, Adachi gardens and lakeside art
Spend two nights near Matsue Station. See the castle and the Adachi Museum of Art's gardens and Japanese paintings, then visit the Shimane Art Museum collection on your final day. Yasugi is a day trip from Matsue.
Day 1 · Visit the castle keep and stay in Matsue
Visit the castle keep and stay in Matsue.
- Matsue Station → Matsue Castle bus stop
Board the Lake Line at stand 7 at Matsue Station and get off at National Treasure Matsue Castle (Otemae), 国宝松江城（大手前）. Follow signs through the grounds to the keep entrance. Use the current timetable to choose a service back to Matsue Station after your visit.
- Matsue Castle bus stop → Castle keep and lunch
Follow signs through the Honmaru grounds to the keep entrance. Allow extra time to walk there from the bus stop. We suggest about 90 minutes for the keep, including stairs and removing your shoes, and about 60 minutes for lunch and a break nearby. Follow the facility's last-admission time.
Open official Matsue Castle informationMore transport and operating information
- Matsue Castle → Accommodation in Matsue
Return to the same stop and board the Lake Line in the same loop direction for Matsue Station. This is a different service from regular buses at the prefectural office: it completes the remaining loop after the castle. Stay in Matsue tonight.
Day 2 · Adachi Museum of Art round trip using the free Yasugi shuttle
Visit Adachi Museum of Art using the free shuttle from Yasugi, then return the same way.
- Matsue Station or accommodation → Yasugi shuttle stop
Take a JR local train towards Yonago from Matsue Station and get off at Yasugi. The free Adachi Museum of Art shuttle stop is about 15 metres to the right outside the station building. Choose a connection that allows time to leave the platform and station before the shuttle departs.
- Yasugi Station → Adachi Museum of Art
The free shuttle takes about 20 minutes to the museum. Its 25 seats are allocated first come, first served; arriving by JR does not secure a seat. If it is full, choose the next free service or the official paid Yellow Bus, and add any paid fare to the subtotal.
- Adachi Museum of Art entrance → Return shuttle ticket and museum visit
On entering, first collect one numbered return-shuttle ticket per person from the entrance counter. Plan your garden and Japanese painting viewing and lunch around the return service you secure. The museum recommends at least two hours for a visit; allow extra time for ticket and meal queues. Check the annex's closure arrangements.
More transport and operating informationOpen official Adachi Museum of Art information
- Adachi Museum of Art → Accommodation in Matsue
Take the shuttle shown on your numbered ticket to Yasugi Station, then a JR train to Matsue. If you cannot secure a free return service, check the paid Yellow Bus. Its stop is about a two-minute walk from the museum and adds JPY 200 one way. Stay in Matsue tonight, and check the JR connection for your chosen return bus.
Day 3 · View the collection and return to Matsue Station
View the collection and return to Matsue Station.
- Matsue Station or accommodation → Shimane Art Museum
Walk about 15 minutes from Matsue Station to the Shimane Art Museum. After seeing the collection, follow the same route back to the station.
Official English hours, admission and walking directionsMuseum FAQ
- Museum entrance → Collection exhibition
Allow 60–90 minutes for the collection after opening at 10:00. If the museum is closed on Tuesday, move the visit to an earlier opening day or omit it on the final day. Do not wait for sunset on your departure day.
- Shimane Art Museum → Matsue Station and departure
Walk back along the same route for about 15 minutes to Matsue Station. The final day ends after the collection visit, without waiting for sunset. This itinerary ends at Matsue Station.
Official English hours, admission and walking directionsMuseum FAQ
Included: Castle JPY 1,200 + Adachi JPY 2,500 + Lake Line JPY 250 × 2 rides + art museum JPY 400 + JR to Yasugi JPY 420 × 2 journeys.
Extra costs and conditions: This assumes the free Adachi shuttle. The paid Yellow Bus adds JPY 200 one way or JPY 400 return. Accommodation, meals, airport transfers and unlisted JR, private railway and bus services cost extra.
Open official Matsue Castle informationOpen official Adachi Museum of Art informationMore transport and operating informationOfficial English hours, admission and walking directionsDynamic search page
Castle, shrine and a final-day beach walk
If you prefer shrine worship and a beach walk to an art-focused trip, spend one night in Matsue, then move to Izumoshi for another night.
Day 1 · Visit the keep and spend your first night in Matsue
Visit the keep and spend your first night in Matsue.
- Matsue Station → Matsue Castle bus stop
Board the Lake Line at stand 7 at Matsue Station and get off at National Treasure Matsue Castle (Otemae), 国宝松江城（大手前）. Follow signs through the grounds to the keep entrance. Use the current timetable to choose a service back to Matsue Station after your visit.
- Matsue Castle bus stop → Castle keep and lunch
Follow signs through the Honmaru grounds to the keep entrance. Allow extra time to walk there from the bus stop. We suggest about 90 minutes for the keep, including stairs and removing your shoes, and about 60 minutes for lunch and a break nearby. Follow the facility's last-admission time.
Open official Matsue Castle informationMore transport and operating information
- Matsue Castle → Accommodation in Matsue
Return to the same stop and board the Lake Line in the same loop direction for Matsue Station. This is a different service from regular buses at the prefectural office: it completes the remaining loop after the castle. Stay in Matsue tonight.
Day 2 · Move to Izumo for the shrine and Shinmondori
Move to Izumo for the shrine and Shinmondori.
- Accommodation in Matsue → Izumoshi Station and new accommodation
Take JR from Matsue Station towards Izumoshi to change cities. Stay in Izumoshi tonight and visit the shrine and Shinmondori. Allow time for the move and shrine visit when choosing your bus, rather than relying on a tight connection immediately after the train arrives.
- Izumoshi Station → Seimon-mae
From stand 1 outside the north exit of JR Izumoshi Station, take a bus towards Izumo Oyashiro Shrine via AEON Mall and get off at Seimon-mae, 正門前. The adult fare is JPY 510 each way, or JPY 1,020 return. Do not apply this fare to services via Youme Town. Events can alter stops and times, so check the operator's current notices and your return service.
Current Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and faresRegular outward departuresSpecial timetable for 10–11 OctoberSpecial timetable for 12 October
- Seimon-mae → Shrine and Shinmondori
Walk about one minute from the stop to the large Seidamari torii, then follow the approach, Harae Bridge and pine-lined path into the grounds. We suggest 75–90 minutes at the shrine and about 60 minutes for lunch on Shinmondori. The area behind the main sanctuary closes at 16:30; the treasure hall is outside this itinerary. Allow extra time for the approach walk and food queues.
Walk to the main entrance and shrine approachMore transport and operating information
- Shrine and Shinmondori → Accommodation in Izumoshi
Take a bus from Seimon-mae to Izumoshi Station via AEON Mall. Choose a return service you can catch after the shrine visit and lunch. Stay in Izumoshi tonight.
Regular return departuresSpecial timetable for 10–11 OctoberSpecial timetable for 12 October
Day 3 · Visit Inasa Beach and depart from Izumoshi
Visit Inasa Beach and depart from Izumoshi.
- Izumoshi Station or accommodation → Seimon-mae
From stand 1 outside the north exit of JR Izumoshi Station, take a bus towards Izumo Oyashiro Shrine via AEON Mall and get off at Seimon-mae, 正門前. The adult fare is JPY 510 each way, or JPY 1,020 return. Do not apply this fare to services via Youme Town. Events can alter stops and times, so check the operator's current notices and your return service.
Current Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and faresRegular outward departuresSpecial timetable for 10–11 OctoberSpecial timetable for 12 October
- Seimon-mae → Inasa Beach
Walk about one minute to the large Seidamari torii, then head from the shrine-side starting point towards Inasa Beach on the coast to the west. The tourism agency's roughly 15-minute walk starts at the shrine, rather than when your bus arrives. Follow local signs for crossings. The shrine's surrounding-area map also marks the beach car park and toilets.
Walk to the main entrance and shrine approachShimane tourism agency beach informationMore transport and operating information
- Beach entrance → Beach walk
We suggest 30–45 minutes for a walk. There is no repeat visit to the shrine grounds from Day 1. Omit the beach round trip in rain, strong winds or if you cannot leave enough time for your departure.
- Inasa Beach → Izumoshi Station or accommodation
Follow the same route back towards the shrine's main entrance and the Izumoshi-bound boarding point at Seimon-mae. Take a bus via AEON Mall back to the station for JPY 510 one way. Shorten the beach trip in wind or rain, or if your final-day departure leaves little spare time. This itinerary ends at Izumoshi Station.
Regular return departuresSpecial timetable for 10–11 OctoberSpecial timetable for 12 OctoberCurrent Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and fares
Included: Castle JPY 1,200 + Lake Line JPY 250 × 2 rides + bus via AEON Mall JPY 510 × 4 rides + JR Matsue → Izumoshi JPY 590.
Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, airport transfers and unlisted JR, private railway and bus services cost extra. Paid options such as prayers and the treasure hall are excluded.
Open official Matsue Castle informationMore transport and operating informationCurrent Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and faresDynamic search page
Frequently asked questions
How do I return if the free Adachi shuttle is full?
The free shuttle is first come, first served, with no reservations. Collect a numbered return ticket on entering the museum and choose your return service. If the free return service is full, check the paid Yellow Bus to Yasugi Station. It costs JPY 200 one way, or an extra JPY 400 if used in both directions. This fare is outside the itinerary's basic cost. Recheck the timetable and seats for your travel day.
How do I reach Izumo Oyashiro Shrine from Izumoshi Station?
From stand 1 outside the north exit of JR Izumoshi Station, take a bus via AEON Mall towards Izumo Oyashiro Shrine or Hinomisaki and get off at Seimon-mae. Allow time to reach the exit and bus stand after your train arrives, and choose a return service to Izumoshi Station from Seimon-mae. Follow operator notices about event-related stop changes.
Current Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and faresSpecial timetable for 10–11 OctoberSpecial timetable for 12 October
Official sources and dates checked
- Open official Matsue Castle information ·
- More transport and operating information ·
- More transport and operating information ·
- More transport and operating information ·
- Open official Adachi Museum of Art information ·
- More transport and operating information ·
- Museum FAQ ·
- Official English hours, admission and walking directions ·
- Current opening and admission information ·
- Shimane tourism agency beach information ·
- Dynamic search page ·
- Special timetable for 10–11 October ·
- Special timetable for 12 October ·
- Current Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and fares ·
- Walk to the main entrance and shrine approach ·
- Regular outward departures ·
- Regular return departures ·