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In 2023, we decided to take a trip from Osaka to Izumo City in Shimane Prefecture using the "Dice Travel" plan organized by JR West. This program involves rolling dice that have destinations written on them to determine where you travel. We ended up going to Izumo City. This was Anna’s second trip to Izumo, and Ryo’s fifth. Speaking of Izumo City in Shimane Prefecture, there is Izumo Taisha. It is one of the most famous and important sites in Japanese Shinto, second only to places like Ise Jingu. Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the younger brother of Amaterasu Omikami, who is enshrined at Ise Jingu, is enshrined at Izumo Taisha. In other words, we were going to visit the younger brother of the highest deity in Japanese Shinto. For many, even just writing this much feels complicated due to the mythology. However, there are many very interesting stories and things rooted in Japanese life. You have surely heard the story of the White Rabbit of Inaba. (I highly encourage you to look it up.)
For this Izumo trip, we didn't have a car. Since it was a JR West plan, of course we traveled by train. By train, bus, and our own two feet.
Because it was a one-night, two-day trip, we took our time and enjoyed ourselves.
We took the train from Osaka to Okayama, then passed through Tottori and into Shimane.
It was the week after a major cold wave hit the Japanese archipelago, so there was heavy snow.
The express train ran through a purely silver world, heading straight for Shimane.
Because of the cold, the mountains were covered in mist.
In the foreground is the Takahashi River.
Before reaching Izumo City, we gracefully enjoyed the breathtaking scenery from the train window, heading straight to Izumo.
Before visiting Izumo Taisha, we paid our respects at Inasa Beach.
I heard that you can collect sand at Inasa Beach and exchange it at the Suga-no-yashiro shrine located behind Izumo Taisha, and then bring it home, so we collected some sand.
The sand was fine and felt very pleasant to the touch.
Naturally, we thought we should both collect it together, so we took turns gathering the sand.
By the way, this Inasa Beach is within walking distance of Izumo Taisha.
It is also the place that became the setting for the legend of the creation of the nation.
It was a place where calm waves washed ashore.
Faced with the beauty created by nature, we both couldn't help but touch everything.
What we often do while traveling is collect local information and enjoy seeing, touching, and feeling natural things and handmade items.
It’s not just about eyes or ears; there are many textures you can only understand by smelling them or touching them with your hands.
So, we touch everything.
Even while grinning, we keep touching things here too.
Touching more things here.
We obviously couldn't touch the giant shimenawa (sacred rope).
But we were touching things again here. While tying our fortune slips, we were touching the trunk of the large tree at Izumo Taisha.
Now, another purpose of this Shimane trip was to see pottery.
In Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, there is the Shussai-gama kiln.
It seems this kiln was started under the guidance of the central figures of the Mingei (folk art) movement (Soetsu Yanagi, Bernard Leach, Shoji Hamada, and others).
The kiln's works are impressive for their blue color, known as "Shussai Blue."
The products were displayed surrounded by beautiful, good old-fashioned furniture.
There were so many shapes, and the excitement of being able to choose was irresistible.
Even with so many items, the display was tidy and had a sense of negative space—as expected.
I learned a lot.
L'artesanna is all smiles. She seemed incredibly happy.
It was a kiln visit that gave us good inspiration, taught us a lot, and above all, was fun.
The pottery techniques and culture cultivated within the vast nature.
And the way people live their lives.
We were able to see things different from Osaka, and it was a great trip for us too.
The mountain surfaces are beautiful, and the rivers are grand.
Our trip to Izumo, surrounded by rabbits and pottery, ended in this relaxed manner.
It was a very satisfying trip.
Also, that important thing was delicious too, wasn't it?
What was that, you ask??
True to Izumo City being the birthplace of sake, the sake was also very delicious!!
We are very satisfied!