Adachi Museum of Art

Incredible gardens, and well worth the visit

If you're heading to Shimane Prefecture, there are several must-do's on the itinerary - and one of them has to be the Adachi Museum of Art. Getting there is easy if you're based in Matsue, with a short train ride to Yasugi Station and then a free shuttle bus that takes you from the station to the museum premises themselves. One of the best parts about visiting here as an expat is that you get half price off the admission if you show your passport or alien registration card. The usual admission fee is 2300 yen, but show either one of those and you'll only pay 1150. Honestly, it's worth the full admission price, but the discount is nice. You can't take photos of the inside exhibits, of which there are many, including pottery, hanging scrolls and more - but for me, the main drawcard was the gardens. They're immaculately sculpted and look like artwork themselves - seeing the groundskeepers gently perfecting some of the plants was incredible, it looked like they were doing surgery they were so intricate with it! There are cafes and tea houses on the grounds which are also worth a look. Highly, highly recommended - it's no wonder this place wins awards for the best gardens in Japan year after year.