Minamikan
A · 8.3 / 10anchor a leg
A renowned but still underrated 16-room Matsue ryokan that KI-NRT calls by far the top in all of Shimane, where he loved a full 3-night stay in Mizu no Oto, the 121-square-metre suite with its own excellent onsen bath. The famous dry rock garden, which is particularly picturesque at night, and the castle-town location add to it, and the value comes up in nearly every account, since even the top suite ran 40,000 yen per person half board. All three stays were happy ones, though nobody in the thread has written about the service or the rooms in any detail.
Scores
Food 4 / 5
Elaborate kaiseki, served in a private room in the main building and built on local Shimane ingredients, which KI-NRT thought was done to great effect. Nobody has singled out a particular dish, and the praise is for the spread as a whole.
Bath 4.5 / 5
The Mizu no Oto suite has its own onsen bath, which KI-NRT called excellent. Nobody in the thread has written about the communal baths, so if bathing matters to you, book that suite.
Service
Nobody in the thread has written about the service here, though all three stays were happy ones.
Room
The inn has 16 rooms, and the one KI-NRT stayed in, Mizu no Oto ('the sound of water'), is the tokubetsu-shitsu in the annex building, an enormous 121 square metres with a bedroom, a dining room and a Japanese-style living room. Nobody in the thread has written about the furnishings or the condition of the rooms.
Place 4.5 / 5
Minamikan sits right on the water in Matsue with one of the most famous dry rock gardens in all of Japan, particularly picturesque at night, and it is an 8-minute walk from the amazing Matsue Castle and about 45 minutes by car or bus from Izumo Taisha, one of the most important shrines in the country. Fc912 found Tottori and Shimane as a region peaceful, with few tourists and many sites to explore, and particularly enjoyed visiting Yuushien.
Getting there
- Okayama — 2h40, 1 transfer. Okayama to Matsue ~2h35 on Yakumo LEX, then ~5 min taxi to Minamikan.
- Izumo Airport — 0h35, 1 transfer. Izumo Airport to Matsue Stn ~30 min by connecting bus, then ~5 min taxi.
Sources
FlyerTalk review #1 · FlyerTalk review by Fc912 #484 · TripAdvisor 5★ (October 2021) · #400 · #534 (thread mentions)