Shimane

This was the first time we encountered a typhoon that caused our flight to be moved up, and our 8-day trip only had 2 sunny days, but we still had a great time. Currently, the Super Oki and Matsukaze trains from Tottori Station to Matsue still have one unreserved section, but in 2027 they will be all reserved. The Yakumo train is also all reserved. When picking up tickets or reserving seats, it's best to check other people's experiences using the ticket machines on blogs first. The green counter staff has been reduced to just one person, and you have to wait about 8 people to get a number. The Tottori Sand Dunes, Matsue Castle (a national treasure), Conan Airport, and Izumo Shrine are all worth visiting. For places not accessible by train, use a sightseeing taxi (3 hours in Tottori costs 6000 yen) or a sightseeing bus (Kirin Bus 1-day pass costs 700 yen). I'll bring my family next year to experience spring and summer travel.

The driver was great, the customer service was excellent, they contacted me in advance, picked me up on time at the agreed time, communication in Chinese was smooth, the vehicle was clean, and the service was friendly.

It's much cheaper than buying it on-site, and you can use it immediately after purchase. However, do not slide the red button after purchase; that's for on-site staff to confirm.

This trip was planned to take us to Matsue and Izumo. Due to flight restrictions, we had to fly through Osaka Kansai Airport, so we opted for JR trains instead of domestic flights. From Kansai Airport, we took the Haruka train into the city. All train tickets, including the Shinkansen between Osaka and Okayama, and the Limited Express Yakumo between Okayama and Matsue, were free, and we even got six reserved seats – far exceeding the cost of the pass. Plus, the Shimane Prefecture Rail Pass we bought only cost about NT$150 more, saving us NT$1250 on Matsue Castle admission, and a NT$1000 discount per person at the station's souvenir shops with no minimum purchase requirement! It was incredibly good value! I highly recommend this for anyone traveling from Osaka to the San'in region by train.