Matsue can also serve as a base to explore the Iwami Ginzan silver mines.It has a beautiful castle and a wide range of accommodation options.Local trains via Izumo to Odashi and from there by shuttle bus every half an hour to Omori, the silver mine town with its beautifully restored old wooden houses, museums and old residences of rich families who made their fortune with the silver trade.

Gohyakurakan cave temple contains about 500 stone statues of Buddhist disciples and is one of the highlights of a a leisurely stroll through the village.

Check out the beautiful stone bridges in front of the temple.

Much further up is the Ryugenji Mabu shaft from where in the 17th century big quantities of silver was extracted.The shaft can be visited from one side to the other, but even in summer time it can get quite cold.The 5km return walk to the underground tunnel can be done by foot or by renting bicycles.

I also visited the Izumo Taisha shrine on my way back to Matsue, its not included in the Unesco list, but definitely worth the detour, since it is one of the oldest shrines in whole of Japan.