(1) Take the limited express "Yakumo" to Matsue with ekiben (boxed meal).

In the morning, we started from Izumo City Station. Since I had visited Izumo Taisha Shrine the day before, I continued on the train to Matsue. First of all, I would like to buy a boxed lunch at the station store.
The "Omiyage Rakuichi" at Izumo City Station just opened in March 2025. Ekiben are now available here, making it very convenient.

I bought "Matsue Local Cuisine: Shijimi no Moguri Sushi". Lake Shinji is famous for shijimi clam. The ginger flavored shijimi clam is stewed generously on a bed of rice. And there was also a shijimi clam hidden inside the rice. So this is "moguri" sushi. It is like a treasure hunt.

Incidentally, the manufacturer of this ekiben is Ichimonjiya in Matsue. The main store is in Matsue, so there are more varieties at the Matsue Station store. It would be better to choose one at the Ichimonjiya store in Matsue Station.

I am going to take the limited express train "Yakumo" to Matsue. You can also take a regular train, but it takes time to move around Matsue City, so we would like to shorten the time to some extent.

If you have time, you can take the Ichibata Train running along Lake Shinji and enter Matsue City from Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station. However, please note that Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station and JR Matsue Station are quite far from each other.

In 2024, a new model of the limited express train "Yakumo" will be introduced for the first time in about 40 years. The new Yakumo has a very gorgeous color scheme, both on the exterior and interior. My favorite colors are exactly the blue and green of these seats. I am happy because I wanted to sit on these colored seats as soon as possible.

All seats on the limited express "Yakumo" are reserved, and there are no unreserved seats. I had not yet bought a ticket, so I made a reservation through the "e5489" website on my smartphone, and the normal price for the limited express was 1,880 yen, but I could buy it for only 500 yen! This is a service called "Tokutekutoku Ticketless," and if you make a reservation on the day before or on the day of the reservation through "e5489," you can get this fare. I did not know this.

Prices are set at 300 yen, 500 yen, or 700 yen, depending on the section. Incidentally, the farthest station from Izumo where "Tokuteki Ticketless" can be used is Yonago. This section was 700 yen. This service is currently available until the end of March 2026. (There is a possibility that it will be continued.)

2. enjoy a relaxing "Horikawa Meguri" tour on a sightseeing boat

Arriving at Matsue Station, we left our luggage in a coin locker. For now, the "Gurutto Matsue Lake Line" bus is a convenient way to get to the castle area. First, purchase a day pass for the bus, which is sold at the "Omiyage Rakuichi" (souvenir market) at the station. The structure of Matsue City is a bit complicated, so don't forget to get a map from the tourist information center just around the corner.

Get off at the bus stop "Otemae Horikawa Pleasure Boat Boarding Area, Rekishikan-mae". From here we will take the Horikawa sightseeing boat for a tour of the river. The cruise takes about 50 minutes. I decided to go around from here, but there are several stops along the way, so you can get on and off at any of them.

By the way, if you buy a ticket once, you can get on and off freely for a day. For those who can take their time sightseeing, we also recommend taking a boat trip.
The boats are small, with a capacity of about 10 to 12 passengers. It is first-come, first-served, so be sure to check in early.

Even though it was a hot day, the breeze felt cool as the boat moved slowly over the water. While listening to the boatman's guide, you can enjoy the view of the coast and watch the ducks playing. In winter, the boat is used as a kotatsu (a table with a kotatsu on it).

On the way, the boat passes under several bridges. This is actually a specialty. Some bridges are so low that you wonder if they are passable. There are some bridges that are so low that you may wonder if they are passable, but to their surprise, the roof of the boat lowers. When the roof goes down, you have to bend your body to fit the roof. If you are stiff, please do your best.

(3) Walking in the atmosphere of the castle town Visit Matsue Castle, a national treasure, and places associated with Koizumi Yakumo. 4.

After enjoying the Horikawa tour, we went to Matsue Castle. It is a short walk from where you boarded the cruise ship.
Matsue Castle's keep, built in 1611, is said to be the only one still standing in the San-in region.

Incidentally, admission to the castle and the Horikawa sightseeing boat are both discounted for groups if you show a one-day pass for the "Gurutto Matsue Lake Line".

There are also the Koizumi Yakumo Memorial Museum and the former residence of Yakumo Koizumi. The popular TV drama Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn) and his wife, Setsu, are currently being broadcast. Here, you can learn about the life of Koizumi Hearn.

I have always loved ghost stories and mysterious tales. I learned about Koizumi Yakumo when I was in elementary school living in a place called Yakumo-machi in Hokkaido, and the name "Yakumo" made me feel familiar with him. If you are into dramas, you should definitely visit there.

From Tamatsukuri Hot Spring Station to Tamatsukuri Onsen Town

Now, from Matsue, we will take a local train to Tamatsukuri hot spring, where we will stay today. On the train, I had a snack of rose bread, which I bought at the souvenir market in Izumo Station along with an ekiben. This is a specialty bread produced by Nampo Bread in Izumo City, and is characterized by the fact that the bread is rolled up like a rose. It comes in a variety of flavors, including normal cream, anko (red bean paste), and coffee.

We have arrived at Tamatsukuri hot spring. The station does not have an elevator, so you have to carry your luggage up and down the stairs. There are still many stations in rural areas that do not have elevators.

I am a seasoned traveler, but I carry a lot of luggage. I am a worrier at heart, so I feel safer if I have a lot of things. I think the measure of how much luggage I have for a trip is whether or not I can carry that luggage responsibly by myself.

5. to the Adachi Museum of Art with its beautiful Japanese garden

The next morning, after leaving the inn, we took a cab again to Tamatsukuri Onsen Station. We then headed for Yasugi Station, four stops ahead of Matsue.

The Adachi Museum of Art, which is our destination, is a 20-minute drive from Yasugi Station. There is a free shuttle bus that runs between the station and the museum. Buses leave approximately every 30 minutes.

Adachi Museum of Art was founded by Zenyasu Adachi in 1970. It has a beautiful Japanese garden and a collection of about 2,000 pieces.

The garden, in particular, has been voted No. 1 in a row since 2003 by an American magazine specializing in Japanese gardens. As this was my first visit here, I was really looking forward to seeing the garden.

The beautiful garden is cleaned early in the morning by the entire staff. The garden is also designed in various ways. For example, the pine trees in the front are thinned and the trees in the back are thickened to create a sense of perspective.

In addition, he replaces overgrown trees with spare trees. It is true that if the trees were to grow to different sizes, it would be impossible to maintain the beautiful shape of the garden. I was told that there are eight dedicated gardeners to maintain the garden.

The founder, Zenyasu Adachi, said, "A garden is also a painting.

I often write in my books and other publications that a window frame is a frame that cuts out a landscape. The window frame of a train is also a frame. The scenery of the four seasons cut out of the window frame can sometimes be considered a fine painting. The scenery seen from a running train is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Returning to Yasugi Station, I took the limited express Yakumo again to Okayama. This time, I took the Green Car. Of course, the green car is also much more economical than usual if you make a reservation through "e5489".

This is a green car, but the seats here are orange. Normal reserved seats are 2 rows + 2 rows of 4 seats, but the green car has 1 row + 2 rows of 3 seats. Of course, I took a seat on the one-row seat side and spent the rest of the trip to Okayama in comfort.

From Okayama, we transferred to the Shinkansen to return to Tokyo. I could have taken the "Sunrise" sleeper express on the way back, but that is a matter for another time. But I will leave that for another time.