thumb|right|The coast of [[Gōtsu, Shimane|Gōtsu City, Shimane Prefecture seen from the Osakihana lighthouse]]

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a geographic area of 6,708.26 km<sup>2</sup>. Shimane Prefecture borders Yamaguchi Prefecture to the southwest, Hiroshima Prefecture to the south, and Tottori Prefecture to the east.

Matsue is the capital and largest city of Shimane Prefecture, with other major cities including Izumo, Hamada, and Masuda. Shimane Prefecture contains the majority of the Lake Shinji-Nakaumi metropolitan area centered on Matsue, and with a population of approximately 600,000 is Japan's third-largest metropolitan area on the Sea of Japan coast after Niigata and Greater Kanazawa. Shimane Prefecture is bounded by the Sea of Japan coastline on the north, where two-thirds of the population live, and the Chūgoku Mountains on the south. Shimane Prefecture governs the Oki Islands in the Sea of Japan which juridically includes the disputed Liancourt Rocks (竹島, Takeshima). Shimane Prefecture is home to Izumo-taisha, one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan, and the Tokugawa-era Matsue Castle.

History

thumb|[[Matsue Castle]]

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 wrote a poem on Shimane's nature when he was sent as the Royal governor.

Later on in the Kamakura period (1185–1333), the Kamakura shogunate forced emperors Go-Toba and Godaigo into exile in Oki. Emperor Go-Daigo later escaped from Oki and began rallying supporters against the shogunate, which proved successful.

Middle Ages

thumb|right|A view of Shimizudani silver mine refinery ruin, a part of UNESCO World Heritage area

During the Muromachi period (1336–1573), Izumo and Oki were controlled by the Kyōgoku 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, and there were many battles between the clans for the silver. In 1566 Mōri Motonari conquered Izumo, Iwami, and Oki.

Modern age

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 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. Shimane also claims the use of Liancourt Rocks, over which they are in dispute with South Korea.

As of 1 April 2012, 6% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks, namely Daisen-Oki National Park; Hiba-Dōgo-Taishaku and Nishi-Chūgoku Sanchi Quasi-National Parks; and eleven Prefectural Natural Parks.

Most major cities are located either on the seaside, or along a river.

  • Izumo Airport
  • Iwami Airport
  • Oki Airport

Rail

JR West and Ichibata Electric Railway serves the prefecture in terms of rail transportation. The Sanin Main Line goes through the prefecture on the Sea of Japan side into major cities such as Matsue and Izumo. and stations are the major stops in the prefecture. The Kisuki line, which forks from Shinji Station on the Sanin Line, connects with the Geibi Line in Hiroshima Prefecture, cutting into the Chūgoku Mountains.

JR West has three Limited Express trains to Shimane, which are Super Matsukaze, Super Oki, and Yakumo. Additionally, the overnight limited express Sunrise Izumo operates daily between Tokyo and Izumoshi.

  • West Japan Railway Company
  • Kisuki Line
  • Sanin Main Line
  • Sankō Line
  • Yamaguchi Line
  • Ichibata Electric Railway
  • Kita-Matsue Line
  • Taisha Line

Roads

General roads

  • Japan National Route 9
  • Izumo Bypass
  • Gōtsu Road
  • Japan National Route 54
  • Japan National Route 180
  • Japan National Route 184
  • Japan National Route 186
  • Japan National Route 187
  • Japan National Route 191
  • Japan National Route 261
  • Japan National Route 314
  • Japan National Route 375
  • Japan National Route 431
  • Japan National Route 432
  • Japan National Route 485
  • Japan National Route 488

Highways

The four expressways in the prefecture connect major cities with other prefectures. The Matsue expressway connects Matsue with Unnan and Yonago in Tottori prefecture. Hamada Expressway forks from the Chūgoku Expressway at Kita-Hiroshima and stretches to Hamada. The province had an estimated 743 centenarians per million inhabitants in September 2010, the highest ratio in Japan, overtaking Okinawa Prefecture (667 centenarians per million).

Population by age

<div style="width:50%;float:left"><!-- 1pix=1,000x1.58 -->

Total Population in age groups<br/>

2007 Estimated Population<br/>

Unit: Thousands

{| cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0

|-

! Age

! Population

|-

|0 - 4

|Image:g30.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.png 30

|-

|5 - 9

|Image:g50.pngImage:g01.pngImage:g01.png 33

|-

|10 - 14

|Image:g50.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.pngImage:g01.png 35

|-

|15 - 19

|Image:g50.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.png 37

|-

|20 - 24

|Image:g30.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.pngImage:g01.pngImage:g01.png 32

|-

|25 - 29

|Image:g50.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.png 38

|-

|30 - 34

|Image:g50.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.png 44

|-

|35 - 39

|Image:g50.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g01.png 41

|-

|40 - 44

|Image:g50.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.png 38

|-

|45 - 49

|Image:g50.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.png 44

|-

|50 - 54

|Image:g50.pngImage:g30.pngImage:g01.png 51

|-

|55 - 59

|Image:g50.pngImage:g30.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g10.png 66

|-

|60 - 64

|Image:g50.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.png 44

|-

|65 - 69

|Image:g50.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.pngImage:g01.png 45

|-

|70 - 74

|Image:g50.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.png 50

|-

|75 - 79

|Image:g50.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g01.png 45

|-

|80 and over

|Image:g50.pngImage:g30.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.png 64

|}

</div>

<div style="width:50%;float:left">

Population in age groups by gender<br/>

2007 Estimated population<br/>

Unit: Thousands

{| cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0

|-

! style="text-align:right;" |Male

! style="text-align:center;" |Age

! Female

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |15 Image:g10.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g03.png

| style="text-align:center;" |0 - 4

|Image:r10.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r03.png 15

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |17 Image:g10.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g01.png

| style="text-align:center;" |5 - 9

|Image:r10.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r05.png 16

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |18 Image:g10.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g01.pngImage:g01.png

| style="text-align:center;" |10 - 14

|Image:r10.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r05.pngImage:r01.png 17

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |19 Image:g30.png

| style="text-align:center;" |15 - 19

|Image:r10.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r05.pngImage:r03.png 18

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |16 Image:g10.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.png

| style="text-align:center;" |20 - 24

|Image:r10.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r05.png 16

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |19 Image:g30.png

| style="text-align:center;" |25 - 29

|Image:r30.png 19

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |22 Image:g30.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.png

| style="text-align:center;" |30 - 34

|Image:r30.pngImage:r03.pngImage:r01.png 22

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |20 Image:g30.pngImage:g01.png

| style="text-align:center;" |35 - 39

|Image:r30.pngImage:r01.png 20

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |19 Image:g30.png

| style="text-align:center;" |40 - 44

|Image:r30.png 19

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |22 Image:g30.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.png

| style="text-align:center;" |45 - 49

|Image:r30.pngImage:r03.pngImage:r01.png 22

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |26 Image:g30.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g03.png

| style="text-align:center;" |50 - 54

|Image:r30.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r01.pngImage:r01.png 25

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |34 Image:g30.pngImage:g10.pngImage:g05.pngImage:g03.png

| style="text-align:center;" |55 - 59

|Image:r30.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r05.pngImage:r01.png 32

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |22 Image:g30.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.png

| style="text-align:center;" |60 - 64

|Image:r30.pngImage:r05.pngImage:r03.png 23

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |20 Image:g30.pngImage:g01.png

| style="text-align:center;" |65 - 69

|Image:r30.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r01.png 24

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |22 Image:g30.pngImage:g03.pngImage:g01.png

| style="text-align:center;" |70 - 74

|Image:r30.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r03.pngImage:r01.png 28

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |19 Image:g30.png

| style="text-align:center;" |75 - 79

|Image:r30.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r03.png 26

|-

| style="text-align:right;" |20 Image:g30.pngImage:g01.png

| style="text-align:center;" |80 and over

|Image:r50.pngImage:r10.pngImage:r05.png 44

|}

</div>

  • Source: Graph 10/Prefectures Age（In Age groups）, Gender divided population－Total Population<br/>(Ministry of Internal Affairs Statistics Bureau)

Culture

Cultural assets

thumb|right|Nima Sand Museum in Oda

;World Cultural Heritage

  • The Historic Remains of Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Background (Ōda City)

;National Treasures

  • Armour Laced with white thread (Hinomisaki Shrine)
  • Bronze bells from the Kamo-Iwakura site Unearthed bronze bell-shaped vessel (Unnan City)
  • Izumo-taisha Main Shrine (Izumo City)
  • Kamosu Shrine Main Shrine (Matsue City)
  • Kojindani Ruins Unearthed ruins (Izumo City)
  • Toiletry case with autumn field and deer design (Izumo-taisha)

;Important Traditional Building Preservation Area

  • Ōmori (Ōda City)
  • Yunotsu (Ōda City)

Dialects

  • Iwami dialect
  • Unpaku dialect (Izumo dialect, Oki dialect, etc.)

Universities in Shimane Prefecture

  • Shimane University, Matsue and Izumo (National university)
  • The University of Shimane, Hamada (Prefectural university)

Tourism

  • Adachi Museum of Art
  • Aquas Aquarium
  • Iwami Art Museum
  • Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine
  • Izumo-taisha
  • Izumo Province
  • Matsue Castle
  • Mt. Sanbe
  • Shimane Art Museum
  • Shimane Vogel Park
  • Shimane Winery
  • Tamatsukuri Onsen

thumb|Garden of the [[Adachi Museum of Art in Yasugi]]

Prefectural symbols

The prefectural flower is the mountain peony. On the island of Daikonjima, they have been grown from at least the 18th century.

See also

  • Lafcadio Hearn

Notes

References

  • Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ; OCLC 58053128
  • Official homepage of Shimane Prefecture
  • National Archives of Japan ... Shimane map (1891)
  • Sightseeing In Shimane

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