This guide covers Ikoji, Manpukuji, Grandtoit, Takatsu Kakinomoto Shrine, Karaoto Daffodil Park and the practical details of visiting Masuda.
You can see the temple gardens that Sesshu laid out at Manpukuji and Ikoji in Masuda, each with a different view in every season. Ikoji is about ten minutes by car from Masuda Station. Ikoji has been closed on Wednesdays since May fourteenth, twenty twenty-five.
Karaoto Daffodil Park usually has its best viewing season from December twentieth through the end of January. Old guidebooks describe the grounds of Takatsu Kakinomoto Shrine as thick with bamboo and trees. Kujira gohan, rice cooked with whale skin, has long been eaten in the Iwami region, especially in Hamada and Masuda.
Ikoji and Manpukuji
From Masuda Station, a car reaches Ikoji in around ten minutes. Manpukuji is also about ten minutes by car from Masuda Station. By bus from Masuda Station on the San'in Main Line, the ride to the stop for Manpukuji takes about ten minutes, followed by a walk of about three minutes.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ikoji opening hours | 8:30 to 17:30 (until 17:00 in winter) |
| Ikoji admission | 500 yen for general visitors; 300 yen for high school students |
| Ikoji closing day | Wednesdays since May 14, 2025 |
| Manpukuji opening hours | 8:30 to 17:30 (until 17:00 in winter) |
| Manpukuji admission | 500 yen for general visitors; 300 yen for high school students; free for elementary and junior high school students |
| By car from Masuda Station to Manpukuji | about 10 minutes |
An old gazetteer records that Manpukuji faces the Masuda River, with old pines and cedars growing in its grounds. Check the latest closing days on the Masuda city tourism site before you set out. Give yourself time to walk both gardens rather than choosing between them.
Sesshu no Sato Memorial Museum and Taikian
Sesshu no Sato Memorial Museum reopened on October third, twenty twenty-six, after renovation work. It is about ten minutes by car from Masuda Station to the museum. The museum is closed every Tuesday and over the year-end and New Year period.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sesshu no Sato Memorial Museum opening hours | 9:00 to 17:00 (reception until 16:30) |
| Sesshu no Sato Memorial Museum closing days | every Tuesday, and December 29 to January 3 |
| Sesshu no Sato Memorial Museum admission | 300 yen for general visitors; 100 yen for elementary, junior high and high school students |
Taikian is also about ten minutes by car from Masuda Station. The gazetteer notes that Sesshu's grave lies in the grounds of Taikian, near Manpukuji. If Sesshu is the reason you came to Masuda, the museum, Taikian and both gardens belong on the same day.
Grandtoit and the Iwami Art Museum
From JR Masuda Station, the Iwami Kotsu bus bound for Ikoji reaches the stop in front of Grandtoit in about five minutes. On foot, the walk from JR Masuda Station to Grandtoit takes about fifteen minutes. The Iwami Art Museum and Grandtoit keep different schedules, so read both parts of the table below.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Grandtoit opening hours | 9:00 to 22:00 |
| Grandtoit closing days | the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month, and the year-end and New Year period |
| Grandtoit information counter (ticket sales) | 9:00 to 18:00 |
| Iwami Art Museum opening hours | 9:30 to 18:00 (exhibition rooms until 17:30) |
| Iwami Art Museum closing days | every Tuesday, and the year-end and New Year period |
A collection exhibition at the Iwami Art Museum runs from October fourteenth to December seventh, twenty twenty-six. Grandtoit is closed on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. The Iwami Art Museum is closed every Tuesday. Plan the museum for any day except Tuesday.
Where to stay
Places to stay near Masuda, Shimane, Japan →
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Takatsu Kakinomoto Shrine, Karaoto Daffodil Park and Ebisu Shrine
Takatsu Kakinomoto Shrine can be visited at any time of day, and its shrine office is open from nine until four in the afternoon. By car, the shrine is about ten minutes from Masuda Station, which makes it an easy first stop of the day.
Karaoto Daffodil Park is about three minutes on foot from its parking lot. From Kamate Station, the park is about five minutes by car. The flowers are usually at their best from December twentieth until the end of January. If you come in winter, this is the stop to build the day around.
Ebisu Shrine stands on Miyagashima, about fifteen minutes on foot from Toda-Obama Station. By car from Masuda Station it is about twenty minutes, or roughly twelve kilometers. By bus, take the Obama-Esaki line, get off at Miyata and walk nine minutes to the shrine. Check the tide and the weather before you set out for Ebisu Shrine on Miyagashima.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Takatsu Kakinomoto Shrine visiting hours | open all day; shrine office from 9 in the morning until 16:00 |
| Karaoto Daffodil Park, from the parking lot | about 3 minutes on foot |
| Karaoto Daffodil Park, from Kamate Station by car | about 5 minutes |
| Ebisu Shrine, from Toda-Obama Station | about 15 minutes on foot |
| Ebisu Shrine, from Masuda Station by car | about 20 minutes (about 12 km) |
Eating in Masuda
At Mochiishi Kaiyo Okoku, the lunch seafood bowl is made with local fish and comes with miso soup, all-you-can-eat salad, a small simmered dish and pickles. Take no ya serves warigo soba, with the price in the table below. Tagosaku serves a set meal at lunch only. Tokita has a sashimi set meal.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Mochiishi Kaiyo Okoku local-fish seafood bowl (lunch) | 2,000 yen |
| Mochiishi Kaiyo Okoku restaurant hours | lunch 11:00 to 14:30 (last order 14:00), dinner 17:00 to 21:00 (last order 20:00) |
| Mochiishi Kaiyo Okoku closing day | Mondays (the following day if Monday is a public holiday) |
| Take no ya warigo soba | 630 yen |
| Take no ya sanshoku warigo | 780 yen |
| Take no ya tensaru soba | 1,300 yen |
| Take no ya business hours | 11:30 to 14:00 (last order 13:30) and 17:30 to 21:00 (last order 20:00) |
| Tagosaku set meal (lunch only) | 995 yen |
| Tagosaku business hours | 12:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 |
| Tokita sashimi set meal | 1,600 yen |
| Tokita makunouchi set meal | 1,200 yen |
Mochiishi Kaiyo Okoku is closed on Mondays, or on the following day when Monday is a public holiday. Take no ya breaks between its lunch and dinner service, so arrive before the last order at lunch. Tagosaku lists lunch from noon and an evening service from five.
Getting to Masuda and Staying Overnight
From Haneda in Tokyo, the flight to Hagi-Iwami Airport takes about ninety minutes. From Hagi-Iwami Airport, the bus to Masuda Station takes about ten minutes. From Tsuwano, the limited express train reaches Masuda Station in about thirty minutes. From Shin-Yamaguchi, the Yamaguchi Line takes about one hour and forty minutes to JR Masuda Station.
| Route | Time or fare |
|---|---|
| Tokyo (Haneda) to Hagi-Iwami Airport | about 90 minutes |
| Hagi-Iwami Airport to Masuda Station by bus | about 10 minutes |
| Hagi-Iwami Airport and Masuda Station, bus fare | 320 yen |
| Tsuwano to Masuda Station by limited express train | about 30 minutes (about 40 minutes by local train) |
| Higashi-Hagi to Masuda Station by San'in Main Line local train | about 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Shin-Yamaguchi to JR Masuda Station by the Yamaguchi Line | about 1 hour 40 minutes |
Masuda Kanko Taxi runs a taxi course in Masuda, and its phone number is in the table below. The sightseeing guide association in Masuda offers its guide service free of charge, with a fee for groups of ten or more. If you are not driving, these are the ones to ask.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Masuda Kanko Taxi course, phone | 0856-22-4323 |
| Masuda sightseeing guide association guide service | free; groups of 10 or more pay a fee for each guide |
Guides to Hagi and Tsuwano are also on this site. Each of those guides covers a castle town with its own set of practical details. Staying the night lets you take the gardens, the museum and the shrines at an easier pace. If you would like more time around Masuda, browse places to stay in Masuda.