A small late 19th-century samurai house with pretty gardens where the writer lived. You can still see the desk where he penned his classic collection, Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan, which contains his famous essay on Matsue – 'Chief City of the Province of the Gods' – and the Japanese ghost stories of Kwaidan.
Lafcadio Hearn Old Residence
Western Honshū
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
21.21 MILES
Izumo Taisha, also known as Izumo Ōyashiro, is perhaps the oldest Shintō shrine in Japan. This shrine, dedicated to Ōkuninushi, god of marriage and…
0.29 MILES
Dating from 1611, picturesque Matsue-jō has a wooden interior showcasing treasures belonging to the Matsudaira clan. Known as 'Plover Castle' for the…
10.65 MILES
Local businessman and art collector Adachi Zenkō founded this excellent museum, located east of Matsue in Yasugi. The collection includes over 100…
28.06 MILES
This Buddhist temple dating from 718 on Daisen, long considered a sacred mountain, seems eternally tranquil. In reality, from the eighth to the 14th…
Shimane Prefectural Art Museum
1.35 MILES
With its white undulating roof and huge glass windows facing the lake, the museum building itself is an impressive sight. Inside, it displays rotating…
0.34 MILES
Matsue's excellent modern museum gives a broad-ranging introduction to the history of the regional clans and development of local industry and crafts…
Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo
21.09 MILES
Just to the right of Izumo Taisha's front gate, this informative museum contains modern exhibits on local history. These include reconstructions of the…
7.15 MILES
This pretty garden occupying an area of around 40,000 sq metres was established privately in 1975 on Lake Nakaumi's Daikonshima Island, between Matsue and…
Nearby Western Honshū attractions
1. Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn) Memorial Museum
0.02 MILES
This memorial museum has displays on the life and work of former Matsue resident Lafcadio Hearn, as well as some of the writer's personal effects –…
2. Buke Yashiki Samurai Residence
0.1 MILES
You'll take lots of pictures as you stroll around this immaculately preserved house and garden, built for a middle-ranking samurai family during the early…
0.29 MILES
Dating from 1611, picturesque Matsue-jō has a wooden interior showcasing treasures belonging to the Matsudaira clan. Known as 'Plover Castle' for the…
0.34 MILES
Matsue's excellent modern museum gives a broad-ranging introduction to the history of the regional clans and development of local industry and crafts…
5. Shimane Prefectural Art Museum
1.35 MILES
With its white undulating roof and huge glass windows facing the lake, the museum building itself is an impressive sight. Inside, it displays rotating…
7.15 MILES
This pretty garden occupying an area of around 40,000 sq metres was established privately in 1975 on Lake Nakaumi's Daikonshima Island, between Matsue and…
10.65 MILES
Local businessman and art collector Adachi Zenkō founded this excellent museum, located east of Matsue in Yasugi. The collection includes over 100…
11.25 MILES
This multimedia museum displays manga artist Mizuki Shigeru's illustrations, artwork, and personal collection of masks and folklore paraphernalia. Audio…