0. Beaty of San-In Return to Intro

Beauty of San-in area

San-in is one of the least known areas in Japan. In old times
when the Japan Sea was the major waterway for trading between Japan and
Asian countries, it was a spotlighted area. But now, mostly due to the
inconvenient rail network, it is an  area unknown to most people. The
San-in area is located in the north part of Chugoku Mountains. (Western
part of Honshu (main island).) The population is notincreasing and few
major industries are growing. But this fact does preserve the beauty of
history and nature. There are several places where history is kept intact
and nature is shown in her naive shape.

I am inclined to introduce some of them which gave me a strong
impression, in this case, to people whose tongue is not Japanese. I am
writing from the point of view of a mere visitor, not from the view point
of an expert. My description is based on my impression on the place when I
visited, vague recollections, imagination, and some readings. I do not
claim accuracy of the facts. I do not claim perfection of English, either;
I am not a native of an English speaking country, nor have I asked for a
native check. But I am willing to make corrections, to polish my English.
I would appreciate it if any of the readers pointed out mistakes or suggested
better expressions.

My true intension is to have non-Japanese speaking people discover
unknown parts of Japan. The San-in  main railroad system is inconvenient.
You may go to Hiroshima by the Shinkansen (a bullet train) and rent a car
there. San-in is less than two hours by driving. Or you can fly. There are
quite a few air ports; Izumo, Iwami, Tottori, Oki, and Yonago to mention a
few. I believe the area is worth visiting even at the expense of an air fare.

I will start with the description of Iwami-Ginzan (Silver Mine).