Chugoku, one of Japan's best kept secrets and a region full of charm and nature

The famous funaya that is the main draw in Ine.

We gasped as the coach we were on turned the corner, revealing the emerald green waters of Ine Bay. We then caught sight of the boathouses – funaya in Japanese – that sit along the coastline of the bay and there was an almost synchronised chorus of “ooohs” and “ahhhs” from the group on board.

The scene was postcard-perfect and as we drove along the narrow two-lane road, with hills on one side and the bay and boathouses on the other, we felt transported to a part of Japan that doesn’t get showcased as much as its bright, vibrant cities.

Ine was the first stop on the media familiarisation trip organised by the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) Kuala Lumpur recently. A handful of off-the-beaten-track destinations, largely in Japan’s Chugoku region (the westernmost region of Honshu, Japan’s largest island) were included in the trip. The region consists of the Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi prefectures.

Technically, Ine is in Kyoto but, it was added to the trip as it is part of the “Kyoto by the sea” tourism initiative meant to lure people away from the city and into the many beautiful coastal locations in the prefecture. It was the perfect introduction to the hidden gems that we were going to experience, albeit hard to beat because of the arresting beauty of the place.

A seaside fishing village situated on the Tango Peninsula, Ine sits on the coast of the Sea of Japan. It is most famous for the waterfront wooden boathouses that have a unique architecture: The bottom floor of the funaya is basically the “garage” where fishermen dock their boats and store their fishing gear, while the first floor is usually the living quarters. The garage lines up with the waterline, and so the houses look as if they are floating on the bay.

Most of the funaya are, till today, occupied by fishermen, who go out either in the mornings or later in the day to bring in their daily catch, but some boathouses have been turned into guesthouses for tourists who wish to experience living in a funaya.

There are sightseeing boats that take you around the bay, past the boathouses, which is ideal because the best way to admire the funaya is from the sea. You can choose between going on a large sightseeing boat which will go on a 25-minute loop around the bay, and a sea taxi operated by the local fishermen for a more personalised experience.

The sea taxis would need to be booked ahead of time at the tourism office in Ine.

A highlight of the tours is the bird-feeding session: Ine is home to many species of birds, including sea hawks, who circle around the boats waiting to be fed. There are also walking tours available – just head to the tourism office to ask about this.

The population of Ine is only about 1,900 so it really is a quiet town – when we arrived it was just before sunset, so the road was empty and there was hardly anyone about. We Malaysians, of course, brought our trademark rambunctious-ness which we had to consciously dial down ... a tad.

We did not stay in a funaya, unfortunately, but at Miyabi Villa, a quaint wooden guesthouse located behind the row of boathouses. In the mornings, monkeys roam the area but they quietly go back into the hills when people start stirring.

Ine is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy Japan’s countryside.

Walking around the village is worth your while as the views are really breathtaking and the air is fresh.

Aside from the monkeys, some in our group even saw a herd of deer in the hillside, just beside our guesthouse.

It was early September and the weather was cool at night but warm during the day, making it quite comfortable to be out and about. There aren’t too many restaurants or shops in the village itself but do try Nagisa restaurant which is known for its abalone porridge.

The owner, Alex Takahashi, has been to Malaysia and can even speak a few Malay words. He is ever eager to share information about Ine and point you to places to visit in the area. Originally from Kobe (Hyogo prefecture), Alex and his wife moved to Ine after a visit to the fishing village left them smitten.

A few kilometres away is the Funaya no Sato Park, located on a hill, with an observation deck where you can have a bird’s-eye view of Ine and its surrounding towns. There are some restaurants and souvenir shops here.

You could also visit Amanohashidate or Heaven’s Bridge, located not too far away, said to be one of three most scenic views in Japan. It is a natural sand bridge, covered with black pine trees that stretches for 3.5km – it will take you about 45 minutes to walk through the place.

However, the main draw of staying in Ine may just be to enjoy the quiet beauty of the picturesque fishing village.

Getting there: Ine is quite remote and it is accessible by bus from Amanohashidate Station. You can take a JR Hashidate limited express train from Kyoto Station to Amanohashidate Station and then an hourly bus that runs between the Station and Ine. The ride takes about 60 minutes.

If you’re up for it, it may be wiser to rent a car and drive to Ine (and surrounding towns mentioned below) as driving in Japan is safe and easy, especially with the aid of Google Maps – thankfully, online connectivity isn’t an issue even in small towns and along the highways and byways.

Sand and sea

The main must-see attraction in Tottori are the Tottori sand dunes, or Tottori Sakyu. The dunes span roughly 16km along the coast of the Sea of Japan; it is 2km wide and can go up to 50m high. The dunes came about over thousands of years as sand from the nearby Sendaigawa River was washed out to sea and eventually redeposited along the coast by currents.

The Tottori sand dunes are breathtaking.

Today, the movement of the tides and the coastal winds continuously shape the sand dunes and provide an ever-changing landscape.

Our guide Fumi-san pointed to patches of green in the dunes which she says were an invasive plant species that was threatening the preservation of the dunes, which are part of the Sanin Kaigan National Park.

Though vast, the main sightseeing area is only about a 500m-long swath of sand between the sea and the visitor’s centre.

There are activities to enjoy around the dunes such as camel rides and horse-drawn cart rides, paragliding and even sandboarding (a variation of snowboarding). These are offered by local companies when the weather is good.

You could also go to the observation deck of the Sakyu Centre via a chair lift to get an expansive view of the dunes. There’s also a sand museum that displays large sand sculptures from international artistes. We spent most of our time marvelling at the views from the dunes and didn’t try any of the attractions as after about an hour or so, big drops of rain started to fall from the dark grey and ominous sky.

As we made our way to the coach, the drizzle had developed into a proper downpour and we just about made it back to the vehicle without getting soaked.

We headed to Tottori city and ended the night with a chilled izakaya meal that felt comforting after a day of travelling.

Getting there: The Tottori Sand Dunes lie outside Tottori city and is accessible by bus from the Tottori Station. Most of the Tottori attractions are located in the city and can be reached by short bus rides from the station, or even on foot from the main station.

The beautiful train

From the Tottori train station, you can hop on the “Ametsuchi” (which means Heaven and Earth), a sightseeing train that runs between Tottori Station and Izumoshi Station. It offers stunning views of the San’in coastal area, including Mount Daisen, Lake Shinji-ko, and the Sea of Japan. The train only runs on weekends and can accommodate up to 59 passengers, so early booking is a good idea.

The Ametsuchi experience begins even before the train leaves the station: Admire the design of the train which kind of looks like a coach from the past with bits of local legends embedded into its design.

Take the ceilings of the coaches, for example, which feature drawings of nature and local crafts. The table tops are decorated with tiles that are local to the San’in region.

Apart from regular seating, there are also seats that look directly out of the extra-large window panels so that passengers can take in the panoramic views as the train chugs on.

Oh, as this is a sightseeing train, it moves along on a slower speed than the regular trains so that you can actually enjoy the views more, or eat the bento meals that are sold onboard, without missing any of the landmarks featured on the route map given to you.

We got off the train at the Kurayoshi station for a very special visit to ... the Tottori Nijisseiki Pear Museum. Yes, I did not think this museum would be all that appealing, but it turned out to be a fun experience – plucking pears off the trees and sampling a few different varieties of Japan’s juicy, sweet, delicious pears.

Perfect for me, the only vegan in the group – although it turns out vegan food isn’t too hard to get in Chugoku, if you aren’t too picky.

Getting there: The Pear Museum is about 10 minutes by car/taxi from Kurayoshi Station (which is 30 minutes from Tottori Station on the JR San-in Line Limited Express).

Adventure awaits

One of the highlights of our trip promised to be the “shower climbing” at the Daisen river in the Daisen-Oki National park, which straddles three prefectures: Okayama, Shimane, and Tottori. What this is, essentially, is the experience of walking the river upstream, without using any ropes or harness, but just a skilled guide showing us the way.

It sounded daunting but we were all looking forward to the adventure but alas, the weather wasn’t on our side. Continuous rain in the morning meant that the river was swollen and unsafe to be in.

Although we were disappointed, we were treated instead to a short hike in the national park, before heading to Mori no Kuni, a facility with a myriad of outdoor activities (aside from shower climbing) such as camping, tree climbing, obstacle courses to zip lining and more.

Determined to have an adrenalin-filled afternoon, we opted to do the obstacle course – boy, this was not as easy as we first thought it would be, and a few of us even landed with our bottoms in the mud!).

We also tried our hand at zip lining, which was thrilling. And we did all these in the rain.

If you are heading to the Daisen-Oki National park area, check out Mori no Kuni for outdoor activities. Aside from shower climbing you can also go camping, tree climbing and try their obstacle courses.

The Daisen-Oki National Park itself is worth exploring as it boasts various hiking and winter sports options. The temperature is rather cool even in the late summer because of the high altitudes – it was 19°C when we visited.

Our journey to these off-the-beaten-track destinations revealed how incredibly diverse the landscape of Japan is. The Land Of The Rising Sun has lovely coastal towns and fishing villages, lakes, enchanting mossy forests and hillsides all of which we passed on our drive through the Chugoku region.

Getting there: The best way to get to the hills is to either rent a car and drive yourself there, or book a tour that will lock in not just your ground transportation, but also accommodation and the activities you would like to do.

Journey back in time

Matsue, the capital city of Shimane, is certainly a beautiful city that retains a kind of old-world charm. Not surprising as it is one of Japan’s historic cities and home to one of only five remaining of ancient castles.

We began our time in Matsue with a ride on the Horikawa “pleasure boat” around the moat that surrounds Matsue Castle. On the 50-minute ride, our boat driver shared some historical facts about the place, pointed out the old Samurai quarters (they are splendid – you can go off and tour the Samurai district on your own, too) and even sang us some old tunes.

You can spot the castle from the moat but you would get a better experience if you toured the castle. Be prepared to climb some stairs, though, as the castle is five levels tall, with some rather steep steps.

Check out the beautiful Yushien Gardens while in Matsue too. Known as a “miniature garden of Izumo”, you can have lunch or some snacks while admiring the meticulously manicured traditional Japanese walk-through garden. A bonus: Every 15 minutes, a mist machine goes off, adding a mystical and magical feel to the place.

You should also make a stop at the Adachi Museum of Art in Yasugi (also in Shimane Prefecture) which houses not just a vast collection of nihonga (Japanese painting or art), including paintings by Yokoyama Taikan, but an award-winning garden too. This garden has been awarded the “best garden in Japan” annually since 2003 by the Journal of Japanese Gardening.

Adachi Museum of Art in Yasugi is worth checking out as you not only get to appreciate the artworks on display but its award-winning garden, too.

The museum was founded by Adachi Zenko, a businessman who grew up poor but always had a fascination for both art and gardening. When he made his fortune, he opened the Adachi Museum to showcase not just art but also beautiful gardens. There are six different gardens in the museum that are not for walking through; rather they are part of the museum experience and design. Adachi made sure that the wide windows act as frames for the beautiful landscapes outside.

We capped the day off with a visit to Izumo Taisha, one of Japan’s most important shrines where it is believed that from the 10th to the 17th day of the 10th lunar month (usually in October/November) all of the Shinto deities from across the land gather here for a meeting. This time is dubbed the Kamiarizuki or “month with deities” in Izumo, and Kannazuki (“month without deities”) everywhere else in Japan.

Getting there: Limited express trains run from Okayama to Matsue Station (en route, you can get off at Yasugi Station and hop onto free shuttle buses (there are two per hour) to the Adachi Museum. To get to Izumo Taisha, you can take the Ichibata Railway from the Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station.

All dressed up

From one beautiful city to another: Kurashiki (Okayama Prefecture), another historical city located on Japan’s Seto Inland Sea is famous for its well-preserved canals lined by perfectly droopy willow trees with stone bridges connecting the cobbled-like roads on either side of the canals. Historically, it used to be a rice-distribution centre; “Kurashiki” roughly translates to “town of storehouses”. Many of these storehouses have been converted into museums, shops and cafes.

There is a Denim Street in the old quarter as Kurashiki is the birthplace of the famous Japanese denim and you will find shops selling local designer denim goods here. You can even rent a denim (or traditional) kimono or yukata and walk about the historical quarter and fill your social media pages with aesthetic photos as there are numerous photo-worthy spots around every corner.

You can also check out the Ohara Museum, said to be the oldest Western art museum in Japan which has masterpieces by the likes of famous Western artists including Pable Picasso, El Greco, Paul Gauguin, Amadeo Modigliani, Auguste Rodin, Paul Klee, Jackson Pollock and Wassily Kandinsky, on display.

Getting there: Take a train to Kurashiki from Okayama Station (there are frequently departing local and rapid trains along the JR Sanyo Line).

Kurashiki’s attractions are all located around the city’s historic canal district, which is a 10 to 15-minute walk from Kurashiki Station’s south exit.