What is a hamlet walk?
In Hōki Town, the real face of this land is found exactly in the places that aren’t on the tourist maps. Old stone walls, narrow farm lanes, the stone steps of a shrine, the color of the rice paddies shifting with the seasons—setting out on foot to discover scenery like this is what a “hamlet walk” is all about.
This town is dotted with hamlets that still carry traces of the post towns along the old Izumo Kaidō highway, villages of countryside that stretch along the foot of Mt. Daisen, and small settlements where farming and faith have long overlapped. Even if you find yourself leaning on the map on your smartphone, walking turns up unexpected discoveries.
Highlights
- Hamlets along the Izumo Kaidō — Settlements along the old highway where travelers once stayed the night and relayed their loads. The shape of the road and the stone walls still hold the memory of the post towns
- Village shrines and their stone steps — Each hamlet has its own small shrine. The well-kept grounds and the stillness of the trees that enfold the stone steps leave a lasting impression
- Farm lanes and rice paddy scenery — Rice planting in spring, the green of summer, the harvest of autumn. With the seasons, the very same lane shows an entirely different face
- Old buildings and stone walls — Within the hamlets you can sometimes still find stone walls stacked in the old traditional way, and buildings that carry a sense of history
- Village landscapes with Mt. Daisen behind them — Stand somewhere a little higher up, and a pastoral landscape opens out with a view of Mt. Daisen
Things to keep in mind while walking, and access
The hamlets are still places where people live today. Walk quietly so as not to disturb anyone at work in the fields, and take care not to step into the rice paddies or farmland. As a basic rule, don’t enter anywhere that looks like private property without permission.
Access
- From Hōki-Daisen Station or Yonago Station, drive to each hamlet
- Only a limited number of hamlets can be reached by public transport. Having a rental car or a bicycle widens the range of where you can go
You can check the location of each hamlet from the spots on the map.
Who this is for
- Anyone who wants to walk through plain, unspoiled scenery that hasn’t been turned into a tourist attraction
- Anyone living in Hōki Town, or staying here for an extended time
- Anyone who wants to walk slowly and take in the air of the land
Places to stop by nearby
For more on the traces of the post towns along the Izumo Kaidō, take a look at the article on Nibu-shuku, where we go into greater detail. If you find yourself drawn to the history of the highway, the history stories are worth a read too.
You can check all the spots within Hōki Town from the map.
