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The sun begins to set, and exquisite astonishments
of tinting appear in water and sky.' This is how the
author Lafcadio Hearn (Japanese name: Koizumi Yakumo)
described the beauty of Matsue and Lake Shinji. This
beautiful town, surrounded by water and blessed with
an abundance of beautiful natural scenery, is the town
you are now in, the 'water city', Matsue.
At the beginning of the 17th century, a feudal lord
built a formidable castle on a beautiful area of land,
on the banks of a Lake and surrounded by pine trees.
This castle became the center of a castle town, and
this was the beginning of the city of Matsue. Matsue
Castle, surrounded by woodland and with a relaxed atmosphere
and appearance, and facing onto the castle moat, Matsue
has a calming influence on residents and visitors alike.
There is also a large number of artifacts from the
period when the ancient Izumo culture flourished (4th
- 8th century), as well as a number of cultural assets
from middle ages and more modern times, including Matsue
Castle. In 1951, Matsue was designated as an International
Culture and Sightseeing City.
The people of Matsue, surrounded by an abundance of
nature, also enjoy a very distinct type of Matsue tradition
and culture.
We hope that this guidebook will be of some help to
you during your stay in Matsue, and that you will have
many pleasant memories to take home with you.
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