Not sure what to do in the area besides visiting one of Japan’s most ancient shrines? Here are our recommendations to make the most of your visit.
Izumo
Mr. (and Mrs.) Sato ride the overnight rails back to his hometown on one of Japan’s coolest cross-country travel options.
Shintoism has such a large pantheon of gods that the religion even has a structured way in which they all keep in touch with each other. Every October, the deities enshrined across the nation are said to gather in Shimane Prefecture’s Izumo Taisha Shrine, where they convene for their annual divine meeting.
We imagine it’s a busy conference, considering that some eight million deities are thought to attend. So we’re sure several of them were happy to find Izumo City now has a Starbucks, with the same tasty beverages the chain serves all over Japan, but with Japanese décor that’s unique to Izumo.
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