Page 218 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

216  JAP AN REGION B Y REGION

Kasamatsu Park to its hilltop
summit, which is the best
viewing point of the sand
bar. It is said that if you look
at Amanohashidate up side
down through your legs it
seems to be floating in mid-air.

i Tottori Sand
Dunes
View across Lake Biwa toward hotels on the shore Tottori Sand Dunes
y Lake Biwa virtually intact. From the top Tottori prefecture. £ Tottori.
Lake Biwa floor of the keep is a superb @ from stn to entrance to dunes.
n at Tottori stn (0857) 22-3318.
view of Lake Biwa.
Shiga prefecture. £ n outside Otsu A huge expanse of wavy,
stn (077) 522-3830. _ Sanno Matsuri E Hikone Castle sahara-brown and yellow
(Apr 12–15, Otsu). Open daily. & undulations, the Tottori sand
With a total mass of 674 sq km E Lake Biwa Museum dunes stretch for 16 km
(263 sq miles), and a depth at Open 9:30am–5pm Tue–Sun. & (10 miles) along the San-in
some points of 105 m (340 ft) coast. To the Japanese, the
Biwa-ko, Japan’s largest lake, towering dunes, some rising to
covers an area greater than any u Amanohashidate 90 m (300 ft), and the shifting
Japanese city, including Tokyo. Sand Bar patterns and shadows formed
A calm expanse of water dotted across the sand, are lyrical
with islets, the lake is named reminders of the human condi-
after the biwa, a Japanese Kyoto prefecture. £ Amanohashidate. tion. Abe Kobo’s powerful
musical instrument whose n at Amanohashidate stn (0772) existential novel, The Woman
outline it is said to resemble. In 22-8030. in the Dunes (1962), made into
the 15th century the highlights a classic Japanese film, is set
of Lake Biwa were named Omi One of the highlights of Miyatsu here. Commercialization has
Hakkei, “the eight views of Bay, along the San-in coast, is inevitably hit the area – head
Omi.” Although development Amanohashi date, the “bridge east acrosss the dunes or rent
has changed some of of heaven.” The 4-km a bike for a quieter experience.
these views radi cally, (2-mile) pine-studded
Lake Biwa is still one of sand bar separates
Western Honshu’s most the bay from Asokai o Matsue
beautiful places, its lagoon. According to Matsue
shore fringed with Japan ese mythology,
shrines, temples, Amanohashidate is Shimane prefecture. * 193,000.
hotels, and modest Windsurfing on the spot where the k Yonago and Izumo. £
n at Matsue JR stn (0852) 21-4034.
pensions. Lake Biwa Lake Biwa gods conceived the _ Matsue Castle Festival (Mar–Apr),
Museum gives visitors Japanese islands. Many Doh Drum Festival (3rd Sun in Oct).
a chance to learn more writers have used the setting for ∑ city.matsue.shimane.jp/
about this ancient lake. novels and poetry. Visitors
Otsu, on the southwest usually take the boat Situated at the
edge, is the lake shore’s largest across the lagoon from intersection of
city with a population of nearly the pier near the Lake Shinji with
336,000. Visitors come here station, then a Miho bay and
to see Onjo Temple with its cable car from Nakaumi
huge gates. Also in Otsu is the base of
Ishiyama-dera Temple, which
has some 8th-century
buildings. Murasaki Shikibu,
author of the Tale of Genji, is
believed to have used one of
the chambers of the Main Hall
in which to write her early
11th-century masterpiece.
Hikone, on the lake’s east ern
shore, has the 17th-century
Hikone Castle, remarkable for
retaining its original struc ture The towering keep of Matsue Castle
For hotels and restaurants see pp304–5 and pp331–3

216-217_EW_Japan.indd 216 08/08/16 3:07 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm