Tsuwano 津和野

Situated in the southwestern corner of Shimane prefecture, half way between Hiroshima and Hagi, Tsuwano is a small castle town locked in the hills and, like the not so distant Yamaguchi often refered to as "Little Kyoto".

Tsuwano-jo Castle was built in 1325, and used until the Meiji restoration, but is mostly in ruins at present.

Tsuwano is famous for its some 65,000 colourful koi (Japanese carps), which outnumber the local population by tenfold. They can be spotted swimming in the waterways along the streets in Tono-machi.

A steam train runs daily between Yamaguchi City and Tsuwano. (=> see Yamaguchi for more information).