Yakumoan Soba Restaurant

Yakumo-an is an Izumo-soba restaurant in Matsue City, created by remodeling a former samurai residence, giving it a richly atmospheric setting. Popular dishes include kamo-nanban soba and warigo soba. Carp swim in the garden pond, and the garden, the space, and the soba all feel refined and elegant. It’s also known as a shop praised highly by famous athletes such as Ichiro and Kei Nishikori. Private rooms are available, making it popular with families. Although it’s a soba restaurant, it also serves as a sweets shop, and Izumo zenzai is another popular item. Because it’s highly regarded for both soba and broth, you should expect lines; the parking lot can also require waiting depending on the time. It may be smart to visit nearby sights first—such as the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum, Matsue Castle, or Lake Shinji—then come here, but note the hours: around 10:00 to 14:00, so plan carefully. Access: take the Lake Line bus and get off at “Koizumi Yakumo Kinenkan,” then walk 1 minute; about 10 minutes by taxi from JR Matsue Station.