Shimane

▪ prefecture, Japan

      ken (prefecture), southwestern Honshu, Japan, facing the Sea of Japan. It includes the Oki Archipelago. The interior is composed chiefly of a volcanic mountain chain, and the coast is dotted with numerous associated hot springs. In the north, the Shimane Peninsula encloses Lake Shinji, a popular resort area.

      Because of its distance from central Honshu and its unfavourable natural conditions, Shimane's culture, notable in ancient times, and industry have progressed slowly. Forestry and stockbreeding, however, are well developed, and rice paddies are scattered throughout the prefecture. Matsue (q.v.), the prefectural capital, is known outside Japan through the writings of the 19th-century American writer and teacher Lafcadio Hearn. Shimane University (1949) is located there.

      The Izumo Taisha, the oldest Shintō shrine in Japan, is located near the city of Izumo; it contains a valuable collection of ancient art. The Shimane area figures strongly in Japanese mythology, and it is said that in October all the Shintō gods gather at Izumo. Area 2,559 square miles (6,629 square km). Pop. (1990) 781,005.

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