Serving as the crown jewel of the Iwami’s region’s artistic and cultural renaissance is the Shimane Arts Center, or Grand Toit. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, the complex has won numerous awards for its stunning and innovative architecture and earned recognition for promoting traditional and modern art and performance from throughout Shimane prefecture.
The building itself, designed by architect Hiroshi Naito, pays homage to the feudal history of the region, making use of traditional sekishu gawara tiles on its roof as well as its outer walls. The colour of the tiles changes throughout the day with the position of the sun, both matching and subtly influencing the centre’s surroundings.