Castle Town Landscape - Shiomi Nawate Street
Just beyond Matsue Castle's northwest gate, a beautiful stretch of old samurai homes stretches 500 meters along the curving, tree lined bank of the northern moat. Several of the homes are open to the public, giving visitors a feel for the daily life of the samurai families who served in feudal Matsue. The largest of these, the Buké-Yashiki, is especially well kept. Home to the high-ranking Shiomi family in the 18th and early 19th centuries, you'll look into the rooms of the house as you walk around it's exterior.
Also set along Shiomi Nawate is the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum, dedicated to the life and work of the famous Irish and American writer who did perhaps more than any other early foreign resident of Japan to bring the country to life in the imagination of English-speaking readers. During his fifteen month residence (he couldn't bear the frigid winters) in Matsue, Hearn married the daughter of a local samurai family and became a naturalized citizen, taking the name Koizumu Yakumo. The museum is run by his great-grandson, and has excellent English interpretation for the exhibits. These include Hearn's favorite desk, writing implements and sketches and, touchingly, several old sheets of newspaper on which he tried to teach his children to write and read English. Hearn didn't actually live in the house which serves as the museum. For that you'll need to wander next door to Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence, which is still a private home, portions of which are opened to the public.
More Info.(Matsue Castle Town):
Matsue Castle Temple
Horikawa Moat Boat
Shiomi Nawate Street
Tea and Sweets in Matsue
Also set along Shiomi Nawate is the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum, dedicated to the life and work of the famous Irish and American writer who did perhaps more than any other early foreign resident of Japan to bring the country to life in the imagination of English-speaking readers. During his fifteen month residence (he couldn't bear the frigid winters) in Matsue, Hearn married the daughter of a local samurai family and became a naturalized citizen, taking the name Koizumu Yakumo. The museum is run by his great-grandson, and has excellent English interpretation for the exhibits. These include Hearn's favorite desk, writing implements and sketches and, touchingly, several old sheets of newspaper on which he tried to teach his children to write and read English. Hearn didn't actually live in the house which serves as the museum. For that you'll need to wander next door to Lafcadio Hearn's Old Residence, which is still a private home, portions of which are opened to the public.
More Info.(Matsue Castle Town):
Matsue Castle Temple
Horikawa Moat Boat
Shiomi Nawate Street
Tea and Sweets in Matsue
Kitahori-cho Matsue City, Shimane
JR Matsue station===(10 min. by Lake Line Bus)===Matsuejo stop===(15min. walk)===Shiomi Nawate
Sightseeing in Shimane: http://www.kankou.pref.shimane.jp/index.html
