Shinmon-dori Street
神門通り
The shopping street on the approach to Izumo Taisha's main gate, lined with warigo soba shops, zenzai red bean soup and en-musubi sweets shops, starting from a giant wooden torii.
Shinmon-dori is the approach road to Izumo Taisha, running about 700 m south from the Sekisuri Great Torii. It ends at the 23-meter-tall concrete Ukahashi Great Torii. Old soba restaurants, dessert shops and souvenir stores line both sides. Izumo soba is one of Japan's three great soba styles. It is made by grinding whole buckwheat including the husk, giving it a deep color and rich aroma. Common ways to eat it are warigo soba, served in three-tiered round lacquer boxes with dipping broth poured over, or kamaage soba, served in hot broth. Izumo is regarded as the birthplace of zenzai, a sweet red bean soup, whose name is said to derive from kamiarizuki (the Month of Gods). Most shops open around 9:00 to 17:00. Access: Izumotaisha-mae Station is right there.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–17:00 (varies by shop)
Nearby sights
- Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo
- Izumo Taisha
- Inasa Beach
- Izumo Hinomisaki Lighthouse & Shrine
- Matsue Vogel Park
- Tamatsukuri Onsen
- Gessho-ji Temple
- Lake Shinji Sunset