Free things to do in Matsue

15 places in Matsue with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Castle Festival
Held yearly from late March to mid April. Around this time the cherry trees around the castle will be in full bloom, and many people have hanami picnics on the castle grounds. In the evening lanterns are lit, making it possible to picnic until 9PM. On the weekends various events are held on the castle grounds.
Closed · opens 7 amFree
Do
Horan-enya
ホーランエンヤ
A very special festival, held only once every 12 years. Very colorful boats with many rowers and dancing kabuki actors on them accompany a portable shrine from Jozan Inari Shrine at Matsue Castle to a shrine in Higashi-Matsue. The festival lasts for three days, with the boats putting on a show underneath the bridges of Matsue on day 1 and 3, and a smaller show in Higashi-Matsue on day 2. Expect huge crowds especially on the final day. The next Horanenya festival will be held in May 2021.
Free
See
Jozan Inari Shrine
城山稲荷神社, Jōzan Inari Jinja
An Inari "fox" shrine surrounded by hundreds of fox statuettes. This shrine was one of Irish writer Lafcadio Hearn's favorite places in Matsue. It is the starting point and ending of the three-day Horanenya festival, which is held only once every 12 years.
Free
See
Kamosu Shrine
神魂神社 Kamosu Jinja
Built in 1583, Kamosu Shrine is the oldest shrine built in the "taisha-zukuri" architectural style remaining in Japan. The creator gods Izanami and Izanagi are enshrined together in Kamosu Shrine. It is believed to pre-date the Grand Shrine of Izumo, Izumo Taisha by several hundred years and is a designated National Treasure.
Free
See
Kumano Grand Shrine
熊野大社 Kumano Taisha
Kumano Taisha (Kumano Grand Shrine) rests imposingly at the foot of Kumano Mountain across a bright red bridge at the headwaters of the Iu river. It has long been the region's Ichinomiya, or principal shrine, though today the nationally revered Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine ranks higher.
Free
See
Kōunkaku
興雲閣
A sort of colonial house with Japanese architectural elements.
Closed · opens 8:30 amFree
Do
Matsue Dogyoretsu Drum Parade
An ancient and very loud festival, where massive drums on floats are pulled through the streets of Matsue. Every neighbourhood has their own drum, so competition to have the best drumming performance is fierce each year. Held yearly mid-October in the afternoon. Drummers gather around Matsue castle around noon and the parade starts at 2PM.
14:00Free
Do
Matsue Suitouro Lantern Festival
Paper lanterns luminate the streets along the Matsue Castle moat from the Shimane Prefectural office all the way along Shiomi Nawate street. On Fridays and weekends there are food stalls on the Matsue Castle parking area and the Horikawa Sightseeing Boats will also operate in the evening during this period. From mid-September to mid-October.
Closed · opens 6:30 pmFree
Do
Matsue Tenjin Festival
A lively festival held for two days every year in late July in the Tenjin-machi area, not too far from Matsue Station. On the first day a portable shrine is carried around town from 5PM to 9PM. On the second day there are food stalls and events in the Tenjin-machi area.
Free
See
Shimane University Museum - Old Okudani Lodging
島根大学旧奥谷宿舎 Shimane Daigaku Kyū Okudani Shukusha
Part of Shimane University Museum, this European style house was built in 1924 for foreign teachers at Matsue senior high school.
Sat Sun 10:00-17:00Free
Do
Suigosai Fireworks
Massive fireworks display over Lake Shinji on two consecutive evenings, the second evening having the larger show. The Suigosai festival is held yearly late July or early August. Many locals like to lay down a plastic sheet the day before to reserve a top viewing spot, so don't be afraid to do the same. The northern bank of Lake Shinji will be host to a huge amount of food stalls.
First day: 20:00-20:30, second day: 20:00-21:00Free
See
Sunset over Lake Shinji
Among Japanese sunset connoisseurs the sunsets over Lake Shinji rank as number 2 on the national list (the number 1 spot being taken by the floating torii at Miyajima). A special sunset viewing platform (Yuuhi Spot) which has been constructed along the lakeside is the best place to see the sun go down behind Yomegashima island. Especially on the weekends dozens of photographers gather here to try to take the perfect shot of the sunset.
Depending on the season. Sunsets tend to be the most spectacular during late summerFree
Do
Tamatsukuri Onsen Cherry Blossom Festival
玉造温泉桜まつり
Held yearly from late March to mid April. The cherry blossom trees in Tamatsukuri Onsen hot springs town will be in full bloom, so it's a great spot to have a picnic and maybe afterwards have a long soak in one of Tamatsukuri's many hot springs. Lots of events are held on the weekends and the streets are lit until late, making it an ideal place for a romantic evening stroll along the river which runs through town.
Closed · opens 7 amFree
See
The Entrance to the Underworld
黄泉比良坂 Yomotsuhirasaka
According to the Kojiki, Japan's oldest collection of myths from the 8th century CE, the entrance to Hell or the Underworld (Yomi, 黄泉) is in the province of Izumo, in what now is the eastern part of Matsue. The Underworld is ruled over by Susanoo, the god of sea and storms. The entrance to the underworld has been sealed off by a large boulder place there by the creator god Izanagi.
Free
See
Yaegaki Shrine
八重垣神社 Yaegaki Jinja
This shrine is dedicated to the gods of Japan's first official marriage and attracts many people who come and pray for a marriage partner or a divination of their future love life. In the woods behind the shrine is a small mirror pond on which people float fortune papers purchased at the shrine on which they place a coin to weigh them down. The time it takes for the paper to sink symbolizes the time it will take before a marriage partner will be found. Also note the small shrine with large stone genitalia on display. These carvings were not prayed to for fertility, but for the healing of various genital disorders.
Closed · opens 9 amFree

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Matsue (CC BY-SA 4.0).