Kicked off the morning by burning time admiring the sculptures outside Yonago Station while I waited for the hourly train to Sakaiminato. There are a lot of creative statues around Yonago Station as you walk to the cultural centre. Sculpture Road was lined with them. They didn't quite look as good once they're all illuminated like...

Izumoshi Taisha [Izumo City Grand Shrine] was another spot on my list of places to visit in Japan but again the distance from Tokyo had put me off. I was reminded of it after watching Zatsu Tabi and it also happened to be near Sakaiminato so I decided to add it to my itinerary. Chain hotel Tokoyo Inn's breakfast buffet was a very simple and...

After Kyoto, it was making base in Yonago because it was closest to Sakaiminato and Izumo. I had wanted to visit Shigeru Road and the Kitaro author's hometown since my first trip to Japan but the distance from Tokyo seemed too daunting at the time. As far as hotel choice was concerned in Yonago, there were only two choices during the...