TsuwanoThings to do

Things to do in Tsuwano

  1. Yūki

    The tsuwano teishoku (a carp-themed sampler of local dishes; ¥2800) is recommended at this elegantly rustic restaurant, which has wooden tables and the sound of running water. There are koi (carp) in a pool in the floor here, and more on the menu. Look for the old-fashioned building with a brown noren and small pine tree outside.

    reviewed

  2. Tsuwano-jō

    The broken walls of Tsuwano-jō brood over the valley. A chairlift takes you up the hillside, and there's a further 15-minute walk to the castle ruins. There's nothing here but the walls, but there are good views over the town and the valleys.

    reviewed

  3. Tsurube

    The speciality here is fresh wheat noodles handmade on the premises, like sansai zaru udon (noodles with wild vegetables; ¥840) and umeboshi udon (noodles with dried plum; ¥630). It's next to the graveyard.

    reviewed

  4. Taikodani-Inari-jinja

    Just above the castle chairlift station, thriving Taikodani- Inari-jinja, built in 1773 by the seventh lord Kamei Norisada, is one of the five major Inari shrines in Japan. Walk up the hillside to it through a tunnel created by hundreds of torii (lit up beautifully at night). There are great views of the valley and mountains from the top.

    reviewed

  5. Pommes Soufflées

    The menu at this modern cafe-restaurant includes pastas and pizzas, plus there's a range of sweet bready items you can have with your coffee. Course menus are priced from ¥1575 to ¥4200. Reservations are recommended for dinner.

    reviewed

  6. Nishi Amane Former

    Worth taking a walk along the river to see is the thatched-roof former residence of Nishi Amane (1829–97), a philosopher and political scientist prominent in the Meiji government.

    reviewed

  7. Nagomi-no-sato

    An onsen complex a 15-minute walk along the main road south of the Mori museum.

    reviewed

  8. Mori Ōgai Former

    Across the river from the Nishi Amane house is the old residence of Mori Ōgai (1862–1922), a highly regarded novelist who served as a physician in the Imperial Japanese Army. It's next to the Mori Ōgai Memorial Museum.

    reviewed

  9. Morijuku Museum

    This is something of mixed bag. The lovely preserved building itself once served as the home of a shōya (village headman). Downstairs is a collection of soft-edged scenes painted by local-born artist Nakao Shō, a roomful of bullfight sketches by Goya, and a framed set of beautifully embroidered Taishō-era kimono collars. The caretaker will gladly point out the features of the building, including the pinhole camera hidden away upstairs.

    reviewed

  10. Katsushika Hokusai Museum

    Near the post office, this museum features a small collection by the Edo-period artist and his disciples, and shows the wood-block process plate by plate.

    reviewed

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  12. Chapel of St Maria

    The tiny Maria-dō dates from 1951. More than 150 'hidden Christians' were imprisoned in a Buddhist temple on this site in the early years of the Meiji Restoration; 36 died before a law allowing freedom of religion was passed in 1873. A procession is held here on 3 May.

    reviewed

  13. Catholic Church

    The church here is a reminder of the town's Christian history. Hidden Christians from Nagasaki were exiled here in the early Meiji period. It's interesting to peep inside to see tatami mats instead of pews.

    reviewed