Tachikue-kyo Valley, a vestige of what the place used to be in the ancient days
There are a number of traces of ancient culture around Izumo city. Izumo-taisha Shrine in Taisha-machi, for example, is a major cultural heritage. Other inheritances include Kojin-dani ruins in Hikawa-cho, where 358 copper swords were unearthed, and also Kamo-iwakura ruins in Kamo-cho, where in October, 1996, 39 pieces of bronze bell-shaped vessels were found. The city of Izumo is the main gate to the surrounding Izumo sightseeing tour routes. Of course, there are some interesting spots found in the city, such as Hii-gawa River, which appears in a myth of killing the Yamata-no-orochi, a monstrous snake, and Izumo Dome, the biggest wooden architecture in Japan. Tachikue-kyo Valley is especially worth visiting. A kilometer long range of cliffs, higher than 100 meters, at the upstream of Kando-gawa River has been nationally designated as a natural monument, and is often referred to as an enchanted land in ancient times. The weather and water erosion created the fantasy-like geographical features of the valley.
