Minamikan

This wonderful ryokan, founded in 1888, is on Lake Shinji. That old? I was amazed to hear its age, but obviously this ryokan has undergone renovations to keep up with the times. To me, it felt quite modern. The room was spacious, with the ability to section off a living room, and dining area from the sleeping area. There was an in-suite hot tub (onsen) with windows overlooking the lake. Like many ryokans, the toilet was hidden away in another part of the suite, but it was quite adequate. I enjoyed the early morning when I could sip tea or coffee I made from the in-room appliances. Then, I could watch many small fishing boats going out to sea. The staff were quite accommodating. Japanese or "American" breakfast was included. I was with a group of 10 people. We had a kaiseki dinner in a private room. The food was terrific. The staff was amazing, truly fabulous staff who accommodated all our requests with such grace. This must be the best ryokan in Matsue!

The view is amazing and their food out of this world ! they are close to the station and Matsue Castle

Shimane (especially the Matsue & Izumo areas) are chock full of wonderful sights - the overall trip greatly exceeded our expectations. As far as accommodations go, Minamikan is the "Pride of Matsue," and after staying 3 nights at this famous ryokan, we understand why. Minamikan was everything we hoped it would be, and then some. It's nicely situated along the banks of Lake Shinji and is within easy walking distance to the main sites in the area, including Matsue Castle. As well, one of the docks of the canal boat tour is less than a minute away. There are several very nice restaurants, cafes and shops in the immediate vicinity so you could easily spend a day exploring Matsue on foot (with a few exceptions, including Kamosu Jinja Shrine, which I highly recommend.) Of course, you'll definitely also want to visit Izumo Taisha Shrine and the area around it - for this, you'll need to drive or take public transportation - it'll take about an hour each way. Further afield is the historic Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and the charming (and very nicely preserved) Omori Town, which were definitely a major highlight during our trip. We chose one of Minamikan's top suites (if not the top one) - "Mizu No Ito," (Room #101), which is one of the two "Special" rooms in a new, separate wing of the property ("Mizu No Iro" #102 being the other.) It's a expansive suite at a full 121m², complete with a Western-style bedroom along with two separate living rooms - one a Japanese tatami type and another with a couch and dining table. The Japanese style living room has a view of Lake Shinji as well as the property's main garden; ditto for the in-room Onsen bath. In the mornings, we were able to observe men in boats rounding up the famed "Shijimi" (Japanese freshwater clams) in the Lake. As ryokan rooms go, it's about as good as it can get. Given that Minamikan's room rates are far lower than famous ryokans in more touristy locations like Nikko or Hakone, splurging here will put less of a strain on your wallet - I highly recommend Mizu No Oto if it's available for booking. The property itself is relatively small - there's a parking lot in front of the main building, which houses the common area, restaurant and all guest rooms (aside from the two "Special" rooms. There is a total of 16 rooms at Minamikan, so a tour of the property will take no more than a few minutes. The highlight of the grounds is the garden that is right at the edge of Lake Shinji. It's a "dry" rock garden with nicely manicured Matsu Pine Trees that are reminiscent of Bonsai. It's a very tranquil place that can be enjoyed from the restaurant that faces the garden. Come evening, the garden is illuminated in such a way that it gives out a tranquil yet mysterious vibe. The entire experience is a tranquil one, in fact. Service is friendly but graceful and discreet, it's far from the busy streets, and the garden and view of Lake Shinji contributed to lower our blood pressure and stress level. Meals are served