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Food & Beverage > Southeast Asian Food
Asia > Japan > Chugoku Region > Shimane Prefecture > Matsue
Transport > Airport
Asia > Japan > Chugoku Region > Shimane Prefecture > Oki District > Okinoshima
Introduction
Shimane Prefecture (島根県, Shimane-ken) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on the main Honshu island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to the Sea of Japan on the north side. It is divided into the Izumo Region in the East, the Iwami Region in the West and the Oki Region, a small group of islands off the northern coast. Most of the cities are near the shoreline of the Sea of Japan. Izumo Taisha in Izumo City is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan.
The Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan are also part of Shimane Prefecture, which also claims to have jurisdiction over the South Korea-controlled island of Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima).
History
Early history
The history of Shimane starts with Japanese mythology. The Shinto god Ōkuninushi was believed to live in Izumo, an old province in Shimane. Izumo Shrine, which is in the city of Izumo, honors the god. At that time, the current Shimane prefecture was divided into three parts: Iwami, Izumo, and Oki. That lasted until the abolition of the han system took place in 1871. During the Nara period, Kakinomoto no Hitomaro read a poem on Shimane's nature when he was sent as the Royal governor.
Later on in the Kamakura period, Kamakura Shogunate forced emperors Gotoba and Emperor Godaigo into exile to Oki. Emperor Godaigo later escaped away from Oki and began rallying supporters against the shogunate, which succeeded.
Middle Ages
During the Muromachi period, Izumo and Oki were controlled by the Kyogoku clan. However, after the Ōnin War, the Amago clan expanded power based in Gassantoda Castle and the Masuda clan dominated Iwami province. The Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine was located between Amago territory and Masuda territory, so there were many battles between these clans for the silver. However, in 1566 Mori Motonari conquered Izumo, Iwami, and Oki. After over 30 years of Mori control, in 1600 Horio Yoshiharu entered Izumo and Oki as the result of Battle of Sekigahara, which Mori lost. Following the change, Horio Yoshiharu decided to move to build Matsue Castle instead of Gassan-Toda, and soon after Yoshiharu's death the castle was completed. Later in 1638, the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Matsudaira Naomasa became the ruler because the Horio clan had no heir, and his family ruled until the abolition of the han system.
The Iwami area was split into three regions: the mining district, under the direct control of the Shogunate, the Hamada clan region, and the Tsuwano clan region. The Iwami Ginzan, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site produced silver and was one of the nation's largest silver mine by the early 17th century. The Hamada clan was on the shogunate's side in the Meiji Restoration, and the castle was burned down. The Tsuwano clan, despite the being ruled by the Matsudaira, was on the emperor's side in the restoration.
Modern times
In 1871, the abolition of the han system placed the old Shimane and Hamada provinces in the current area of Shimane Prefecture. Later that year, Oki became part of Tottori. In 1876, Hamada Prefecture was merged into the Shimane Prefecture. Also, Tottori Prefecture was added in the same year. However, five years later, in 1881, the current portion of Tottori Prefecture was separated and the current border was formed.
Culture
Cultural Assets
World Cultural Heritage- The Historic Remains of Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Background(Ōda City)
- Izumo-taisha Main Shrine(Izumo City)
- Kamosu Shrine Main Shrine(Matsue City)
- Toiletry case with autumn field and deer design(Izumo-taisha)
- Armour Laced with white thread(Hinomisaki Shrine)
- Bronze bells from the Kamo-Iwakura site Unearthed bronze bell-shaped vessel(Unnan City)
- Kojindani Ruins Unearthed ruins(Izumo City)
- Ōmori (Ōda City)
- Yunotsu (Ōda City)
Languages(Dialects)
- Unpaku dialect (Izumo dialect, Oki dialect, etc.)
- Iwami dialect
Universities in Shimane Prefecture
- Shimane University, Matsue and Izumo (National university)
- The University of Shimane, Hamada (Prefectural university)
Geography
Shimane prefecture is situated on the Sea of Japan side of the Chugoku region. Because of its mountainous landscape, rice farming is done mostly in the Izumo plain where the city of Izumo is located. Another major landform is the Shimane peninsula. The peninsula is located across on the Sea of Japan from Izumo to Sakaiminato, which is located in Tottori prefecture. Also, the peninsula created two sea water lakes Lake Shinji and Nakaumi. The island of Daikon is located in Nakaumi. Off from the island of Honshū, the island of Oki is in Shimane prefecture as well. The island itself is in the Daisen-Oki National Park. Shimane also claims the use of Liancourt Rocks, which they are in dispute with South Korea.
Most major cities are located either on the seaside, or along a river.
Cities
Eight cities are located in Shimane Prefecture, the largest being Matsue, the capital, and the smallest being Gōtsu. The cities Masuda, Unnan, Yasugi, and Gōtsu had a slight population increase due to the mergers in the early 2000s.
Towns and villages
These are the towns and villages of each district. The number of towns and villages greatly decreased during the mergers. However, they hold about one-third of the prefecture's population.
Mergers
Climate
The prefecture has a sub-tropical climate. Winter is cloudy with a little snow, and summer is humid. The average annual temperature is 14.6 degrees Celsius. It rains almost every day in the rainy season, from June to mid-July. The highest average monthly temperature occurs in August with 26.3 degrees Celsius. The average annual precipitation is 1799 millimeters, higher than Tokyo's 1467 mm and Obihiro with 920 mm.
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