Hofu Tenmangu Mitokuji temple Izumo Taisha Omori Silver mine Xavier memorial church peace memorialpark miyajima sanctuary_outline Shukkeien Adachi garden Ikouji Rurikouji temple Amida-ji Sourin-ji Kourakuen Japanese trad.Garden_outline Matsue Yonago Shimonoseki Okayama Hiroshima HAB CITY_outline TSUYAMA TSUWANO MATSUE CHOFU IWAKUNI HAGI SAMURAI towns_outline ONOMICHI YANAI TAKEHARA KURASHIKI TOMO SHIMOKAMAGARI Xavier Cathedral SHIMONOSEKI Washi Touken Bizen Pottery Hagi Pottery & Kilns Japanese trad.artcrafts Experience-outline GEGEGENO Kitaro Matsuda museum Naval Base of Kure MAZDA,Hofu plant Modern Japan-outline Kirin beer Park in Okayama Tottori sand dune Mt.Fuji of Sanin DAISEN SHINJI Lake Iwami coast Oki Hagi coast Nagato SANIN COAST-outline SHUHODO Trail to Hikimi Hiruzen Highland Kibi Highland Tsuyama Travel with Stream locomotive Deep Inland Tour-outline SETO-OHASHI Seto-inland seas OANORAMA view Tiboli Park Tokiwa Park Inland-sea-outline List of Japanese terms Bathing in Japan 7seafood of the Lake Shinji Blow fish Stone fish Show Crab Oysters Buchwheat Noodles Peach and Other fruits Okonomiyaki
 
 
Trail to trout sream;Hikimi
Masuda is a small town in Shimane prefecture, located on the Sea of Japan. The home of beautiful sunsets and festivals that occur at regular intervals from April through November, Masuda - along with Hagi and Tsuwano - makes part of a “tourist triangle” for western Japan. It also is a stop along the spectacular western Japanese seacoast and boasts some great stream fishing.

Masuda is known for its festivals. Two of the most beautiful are the firefly festival on the second Saturday in June, in which the luminescent insects can be seen floating above local creeks, and the Summer Festival (held on the 1st Saturday in August), actually three festivals in one, which includes a fireworks display on the river.

If you enjoy fishing, check out this site: http://www2.odn.ne.jp/~cba52220/fandsjapan.html. Although the directions are given for coming from Hiroshima, it's actually much easier to get to Hikimi from Masuda (just take Highway 9 to Highway 488), as it's only about 20km as the crow flies. In 2005, Hikimi and Masuda are slated to be combined in accordance with Japan's ongoing municipality consolidation plan.

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  The master-piece of Sesshu Gardens  
 
Also to be found in Masuda is the famous Sesshu-style garden called Ikouji. These gardens, found at Zen temples here and there in Japan, stress a layered vertical composition and provide a three-dimensional analog to Chinese landscape paintings in the Northern Song (12th-13th centuries) style. Their rock arrangements, somewhat monochromatic palettes and geometric shapes offer a unique visual experience and are a must for garden lovers.

IMasuda has a good number of ryokans and hotels, many delicious restaurants where you can sample traditional Japanese dishes, and lots of beautiful beaches. If you're traveling in the area, and especially if you're making the trip up or down the coast of the Sea of Japan, Masuda is worth a stop.

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