When Gods are on the guest list, you know it’s an important event not-to-be-missed. One day each year all the Gods from across Japan descend on Kaminomiya shrine to plan the coming year’s business relations, family ties and matchmaking.
It’s windy, and the waves are picking up. Izumo-taisha, the most ancient, important and highest shrine in Japan, stands at twenty-four metres. It enshrines the deity, Okuninushi, the creator of Japan, ruler of Izumo, and God of good relationships and marriage.
Upon entrance to the grounds, we clap our hands four times: twice for ourselves, and twice for the partner we desire. As the Gods convene, their stories are retold through the ancient art of Kagura that flourishes in Shimane. It is the oldest performance art in Japan.
Tucked into the Tatsuno Gozen Shrine in Yunotsu we watch highly charged theatrics that bring ancient folklore to life. As the tension mounts, the flautist and percussionists intensify their playing to a rising crescendo, whilst on-stage masked-performers uncoil their giant serpentine costumes in billowing smoke and fire. How they avoid entangling themselves, I have no idea. The costumes, surprisingly, are all made of paper, but the colossal size and length of each is quite heavy. It’s obvious that these performers are all, necessarily, in phenomenal cardio-shape. As they dance and consume every inch of the stage and proscenium, I’m on the edge of my seat with excitement. One by one, the protagonist smites off their heads with his shining sword.
Unlike other Japanese ceremonial arts like Noh or Kabuki, the living tradition of Kagura that flourishes mainly in Shimane Prefecture is highly charged. An English pamphlet tells of the folkloric tradition and the fable that is about to be re-enacted, but the performance is so alive that it’s easy to follow along.
These performances bring folktales to life. The dancing, the constant movement, whirling and twirling, is an electric energy that amazes us. We want to see more. We want to know how they trained, what’s their diet–we even return a second night to watch them rehearse. Across villages there is diversity in the folk dances and the folk tales, but the rising climax of each performance follows the same formula.
Afterwards we visit the Kobayashi Kobo and, surrounded by demons, paint our own Kagura masks. In keeping with the spirit of craftsmanship, we visit Yakimono no Sato, one of the largest climbing kilns in Japan, for a ceramic workshop in which we bake earthenware cups in traditional Yunotsu-yaki style.
These workshops are remote. We walk through lush green forests to reach them, breathing in fresh clean air, feeling reinvigorated with each step. Hiking through bamboo woods of darting monkeys and wild boars we reach tiny fishing villages along the shore. Along the way we indulge in Ayu river fish, local soba and sake, weaving in and out of samurai residences and local shops, each one more charming than the last.
Shimane’s waters flow through lush green mountains and countryside. Their purity is renowned across Japan. Its capital, Matsue, is known as the Venice of Asia for its rivers and canals that flow beyond the castle walls. It’s no surprise then that a tradition of tea has been infused here over centuries, and has created a culture steeped in romance and purity of life.
Teahouses dot the landscape, and the emphasis is on the panoramic views of meticulous gardens—an essential ingredient to the calming tea experience. At Meimei-an Teahouse, established by Lord Fumai in the 18th century, the view of the castle through the tea garden is marvelous. Seated on the tatami floor of the Kiharu open-air café at the Matsue History Museum, popular wagashi chef and “Contemporary Master Craftsman” Tsugio Itami showcases his daily selection from the confectionary bar, offering his original wagashi prepared a la minute. For all things green tea, we visit Nakamura Chaho’s green tea emporium, including tea infused with cherry blossoms. Earthenware and green tea pots with intricate designs are specific to different styles of tea and ceremony. In the garden teahouse we sample a range of high-grade matcha.
At Yuushi-en Garden we sip tea and walking through a manicured oasis of 250 types of peonies. We’re intoxicated by the sweetness permeating the air. The Adachi Museum of Art, recognized by the Journal of Japanese Gardening as Japan’s number one garden for 19 consecutive years (in 2021), is another marvel of nature. Every pebble, every leaf, every blade of grass is immaculately maintained. Following the winding path, each vantage point is more breathtaking than the one before. The long narrow windows of the garden teahouse appear as poetic hanging scrolls. It’s as if the Gods and the gardeners fell in love. I could sip matcha and stare at this landscape all day knowing that I’m gazing upon the most awe-inspiring display of horticulture in all Japan.
Shimane is the spiritual meeting place of the Gods. It is the home of Kagura, entertainment for the Gods. And it is a place for us to sip matcha and be contemplative amidst impeccably tended natural beauty fit for the Gods.
About the writer
Adam Waxman is the Publisher of DINE and Destinations magazine, and has written for several travel guides from Fodor’s to Lonely Planet. Adam has lived and worked in Kyoto and Tokyo, and is passionate about Japan travel. For 2 consecutive years, he has been appointed by the Commissioner of Japan Tourism Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tourism, as the member of Advisory Board.
The opinions expressed in the above article do not reflect the views of JNTO. All content and images are property of the writer unless otherwise specified.
* This article is based on the writer’s experience before COVID-19.
