Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, Chūgoku Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Izumo is a city in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Izumo is known for Izumo soba noodles and the Izumo Taisha Shinto shrine.

Geography Izumo is located in central eastern of Shimane Prefecture. It has the second largest population in Shimane Prefecture after Matsue, and the third largest population in the San'in region after Matsue and Tottori. Centered on the Izumo Plain, the northern part of the city borders the Shimane Peninsula and the Sea of Japan, and the southern part borders the Chugoku Mountains. The Hii River flows through the eastern part of the city, and it empties into Lake Shinji. The city has a variety of topography, including the sea, mountains, rivers, lakes, plains, canyons, and hot springs.

Neighboring municipalities Shimane Prefecture • Matsue • Ōda • Unnan • Iinan.

History The area of Izumo was part of the ancient Izumo Province and has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In 2009, a team of archaeologists announced that they likely discovered—at the Sunabara Site in Taki-chō, Izumo—the oldest stone tools ever found in Japan. The find totaled about 20 tools dating back an estimated 120,000 years: about 80,000 years earlier than previous estimates of when the first humans arrived in the Japanese archipelago. Later, this date was revised to 70,000 years before present upon the discovery of a layer of volcanic ash also dated 70,000 years before present. A powerful ancient kingdom developed in the fertile Izumo Plain from the Yayoi period, as evidenced by the area's rich mythology, ruins, large amount of excavated items, and a wide variety of ancient tombs. The Izumo area is also rich in Kofun period burial mounds. The Imaichi Dainenji Kofun is believed to have been constructed in the 6th century with highly sophisticated construction methods for the time and with an overall length of 100 meters is the largest in the Izumo region

During the Sengoku period, Izumo was the stronghold of the Amago clan, until their defeat by the Mōri clan. Under the Edo Period Tokugawa shogunate, the area came largely under the control of Matsue Domain. Following the Meiji restoration, the town of Imaichi was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1,1889. Imaichi merged with eight surrounding villages to form the town of Izumo on February 11, 1941. Izumo was raised to city status less than 9 months later, on November 3, 1941.

On March 22, 2005, Izumo absorbed the city of Hirata, and the towns of Koryō, Sada, Taisha and Taki (all from Hikawa District) to create the new and expanded city of Izumo.

On October 1, 2011, the town of Hikawa (also from Hikawa District) was also merged into the new Izumo. Hikawa District was dissolved as a result of this merger.

Government Izumo has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 30 members. Izumo contributes nine members to the Shimane Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Shimane 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy The main industries in are agriculture and commercial fishing, agriculture. Izumo is also a major tourist destination within the San'in region.

Education Izumo has 36 public elementary school and 14 public junior high schools operated by the city government, and six public high schools operated by the Shimane Prefectural Board of Education. There are also two private high schools, and the prefecture operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transport: Air There is one airport inside the city of Izumo, Izumo Airport, located in the former town of Hikawa.

Transport: Rail Izumo is serviced by two rail networks. The first is the JR West Sanin Main Line, connecting Izumo-shi Station to Tottori through Yonago and Matsue to the east, and connecting along the coast to Ōda, Hamada and Masuda to the west. The secondary rail network is the private Ichibata Electric Railway. Dentetsu Izumo-shi Station is the terminal, and the line runs from Izumo to Matsue, passing through and connecting Hirata. The Dentetsu line also branches out and runs to Izumo Taisha from Kawato Station. A JR West service to Taisha ran until 1990 when the line was closed and Izumo-Takamatsu and Arakaya stations removed. Taisha JR railway station still exists as a historic building.

Local attractions • Izumo Taisha is the oldest Shinto shrine in Japan. In 2008, the area was open to the public from 1 August until August 17, after which extensive renovation work began. The nearby Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo, also located in Taisha Machi, has artifacts from the site. • Izumo Dome is a venue located just north of the city proper. It has the distinction of being Japan's largest wooden building, at 49 metres high and 143 metres in diameter. It is used for sports and events such as baseball games and soccer matches, as well as for other events including sumo. It is a prominent symbol of Izumo, and can be seen from a distance from the train passing towards Hamada. • Hinomisaki Lighthouse (日御碕灯台, Hinomisaki tōdai) is a modern stone lighthouse with a powerful lamp. From the tower, one can see the Oki Islands, from where the story of the "white rabbit" comes. • Shimane Winery is known for its super-sweet wines. • "Kirara Taki" Beach is located in Taki (多伎町), one of the towns merged into Izumo in 2005. The beach has clean water and off-shore stacks of concrete tetrapods to break the waves. Nearby is an onsen called Marine Thalasso Izumo. • The Okuizumo Museum of Tatara and Sword-making features demonstrations twice a month, switching off every two weeks: one demonstration shows smithing techniques, while the other is a usage demonstration. • The Izumo Handicraft Museum is set in a traditional Japanese workshop complex.