Matsue is the prefectural capital of Shimane, set between Lake Shinji, Lake Nakaumi, and the Sea of Japan coast. It is one of western Honshu's most rewarding smaller cities: compact, watery, old-fashioned in parts, and anchored by one of Japan's few surviving original castle keeps.
Matsue Castle is the obvious centrepiece. Around it, moats, black-walled storehouses, teahouses, and the Shiomi Nawate samurai street give the city a strong historical core. Writer Lafcadio Hearn lived here in the 1890s, and his former home and memorial museum help explain why Matsue has long been associated with ghosts, folklore, and old Japan.
The city pairs naturally with Izumo. Izumo has the great shrine; Matsue has the castle, museums, and Lake Shinji sunsets. Together they make a strong two-day stop in the San'in region, especially for travellers moving slowly along the Sea of Japan side of Honshu.