Sakaiminato Port

Sakaiminato is a natural, well-protected harbor shielded from the north by the Shimane Peninsula, and geographically located roughly midway between Tsuruga Port and Shimonoseki Port. It is close to Busan, Korea, at a distance of 221 NM, and regular passenger-cargo ferry services operate between Dong Hae and Sakaiminato. It is also one of Japan's leading fishing ports, boasting the highest crab landing volume in the country. This region is home to numerous sites regarded as the central stage of Japanese mythology, and is known as "the land where the gods dwell." At Izumo Taisha Shrine, which enshrines the great god Okuninushi, it is believed that all the gods from across Japan gather during the tenth month of the old lunar calendar, drawing worshippers from all over the country. Many of the myths have been passed down among local residents in the form of Kagura (dance and music dedicated to the gods), forming the core of the region's spiritual culture.