is the capital
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
of
Shimane Prefecture,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, located in the
Chūgoku region
The , also known as the region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori, and Yamaguchi. In 2010, it had a population of 7,563,428.
History
''C ...
of
Honshu
, historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...
. The city has an estimated population of 202,008 (February 1, 2021) following the merger with
Higashiizumo from
Yatsuka District.
Matsue is located at the northernmost point of Shimane Prefecture, between
Lake Shinji
is a lake in the northeast area of the Shimane Prefecture in Japan. The lake is the seventh largest in Japan, with a circumference of . It is enclosed by the Shimane Peninsula to the north, and the Izumo and Matsue plains to the west and east r ...
and
Nakaumi
is a brackish lake located between Tottori and Shimane prefectures in Japan. The lake is enclosed by the Shimane Peninsula to the north and Yumigahama Peninsula to the east. It is the fifth largest lake in surface area in Japan.
Nakaumi co ...
on the banks of the Ohashi River connecting the two
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
s, though the
city proper
A city proper is the geographical area contained within city limits. The term ''proper'' is not exclusive to cities; it can describe the geographical area within the boundaries of any given locality. The United Nations defines the term as "the sin ...
reaches the
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...
coast. Matsue is the center of the Lake Shinji-Nakaumi
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
, and with a population of approximately 600,000 is the second largest on the Sea of Japan coast after
Niigata and Greater
Kanazawa
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a population density of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the city was .
Overview Cityscape
...
.
Matsue is home to the
Tokugawa-era
Matsue Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture.
Matsue Castle was constructed from 1607 to 1611 by Horio Yoshiharu, the first ''daimyō'' of the Matsue Domain, during the early Edo period. Ownership was passed to the Izumo branch of ...
, one of the last surviving
feudal
Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a wa ...
castles in Japan.
History
The present-day castle town of Matsue was originally established by
Horio Yoshiharu
was a Japanese ''daimyō'' during the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. He was appointed to the position of one of san-''chūrō'' (three arbiters) by Toyotomi Hideyoshi along with Ikoma Chikamasa and Nakamura Kazuuji. He was the first l ...
, lord of the Matsue clan, when he built Matsue castle and planned the surrounding Castle town over a five-year period from 1607 to 1611. Matsue continued to be the seat of power in the Sanin Region for many years.
Matsue was first ruled by the Horio family. Horio Yoshiharu's son Tadauji died before his father, thus the province was inherited by his grandson Tadaharu. However, Tadaharu died childless so the province was passed on to the
Kyogoku. The Kyogoku were ''daimyō'' from Omi and Wakasa. Kyogoku Takatsugu served Nobunaga and Hideyoshi. Takatsugu's son Tadataka married the 4th daughter of Hidetada, Hatsu. He served in the Battle of Osaka and reportedly took 300 heads. In 1634, he received the province of Izumo, succeeding the childless Horio Tadaharu. During his rule he was instrumental in engineering projects that helped control the flow of the Hiikawa river.
In 1637, Tadataka also died childless and the domain passed to the Matsudaira. Naomasa was the third son of Hideyasu. Hideyasu, daimyō of Echizen, himself was the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, making Naomasa the grandson of the first Tokugawa Shōgun Ieyasu. Naomasa made a name for himself fighting in the Battle of Osaka at the age of 14. He was daimyō of Ono in Echizen and later Matsumoto in Shinano before becoming the ruler of Izumo 1638. Unlike the previous rulers Naomasa had children and his heirs managed to keep Izumo for ten generations until the end of the Edo Bakufu.
Overall, ten Matsudaira Daimyō ruled from Matsue. The most famous after the first (Matsudaira Naomasa) is the seventh,
Matsudaira Harusato, more commonly referred to as Lord Fumai (不昧公). He revolutionized the administrative system of the Matsue clan which was in financial difficulties and put it back on its feet. He invested in Mulberry bushes and promoted special foods like clams that were a delicacy in Matsue. Harusato was a great enthusiast of Tea Ceremony. His Tea Ceremony name was Fumai. He founded his own school, Unshyu. He has left the Meimei-An a famous tea house still operating in Matsue. Because his influence on wagashi, Japanese sweets for Tea Ceremony from Matsue are famous, especially one called ''wakakusa''.
The city boasts
Matsue Castle
is a Japanese castle located in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture.
Matsue Castle was constructed from 1607 to 1611 by Horio Yoshiharu, the first ''daimyō'' of the Matsue Domain, during the early Edo period. Ownership was passed to the Izumo branch of ...
, the "black castle" or "plover castle". It is one of the 12 remaining original castles in Japan. It is the second largest, the third tallest and the sixth oldest. The castle grounds include a winding path through mixed forests of bamboo, shrubs and trees, many of which are very old and identified by species. Surrounding the grounds and the castle park is the old moat, "horikawa".
Author
Lafcadio Hearn taught in Matsue from 1890–1891. His
house is now a museum about his life, and a popular tourist attraction in Matsue. Throughout the city there are monuments and landmarks honouring Hearn. Other museums in the city include the
Shimane Art Museum
The opened in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Japan in 1999. Designed by Kiyonori Kikutake and with a total floor area of 12,500 square metres, it houses a collection of Japanese and Western art, including Momoyama folding screens and paintings by ...
and
Tanabe Art Museum.
Sada Jinja
is a Shinto shrine in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. The Taisha-zukuri north, central and south halls of 1807 are Important Cultural Properties.
Sada Shin Noh, ritual purification dances performed annually on 24 and 25 September, have ...
in Matsue is the home to Sada Shin Noh, a sacred dance comprising a series of purification rituals related to the changing of the rush mats within the shrine. The mats are held by dancers who then offer them to deities to sit upon. Diverse dance forms are performed on a stage in the shrine accompanied by singing, flute and drums. The performance art is transmitted from generation to generation by the community. In November 2011, Sada Shin Noh was inscribed on the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. Other important shrines include
Yaegaki Jinja,
Kamosu Jinja, and
Miho Jinja
is a Shinto shrine in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. The Taisha-zukuri Honden of 1813 is an Important Cultural Property. A collection of 846 musical instruments
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical so ...
, and there are the ruins of
Izumo Izumo (出雲) may refer to:
Locations
* Izumo Province, an old province of Japan
* Izumo, Shimane, a city located in Shimane Prefecture
** Izumo Airport
* Izumo-taisha, one of Japan's most ancient and important Shinto shrines
Ships
* ''Izumo ...
Kokubunji, an
Historic Site
A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...
.
Municipal timeline
* April 1, 1889: the original city of Matsue was founded.
* March 31, 2005: the original city of Matsue absorbed the towns of
Kashima,
Mihonoseki,
Shimane
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 km2. Shimane Prefecture borders Yamaguc ...
,
Shinji,
Tamayu and
Yatsuka, and the village of
Yakumo, all from
Yatsuka District, to create the new and expanded city of Matsue.
* August 1, 2011: the town of
Higashiizumo (also from
Yatsuka District) was merged into Matsue.
* April 1, 2018: Matsue became a core city.
Geography
Climate
Matsue has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfa'') with very warm summers and cool winters. Precipitation is abundant throughout the year, and is somewhat heavier in June, July and September. The average annual temperature in Matsue is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around .
[ The highest temperature ever recorded in Matsue was on 1 August 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 19 February 1977.][
]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population of Matsue in 2020 is 203,616 people.[ Matsue has been conducting censuses since 1920.
]
Culture
Various traditional festivals are still held, such as Dōgyōretsu, a drum parade held annually on the third Sunday of October, and Hōranenya, one of Japan's top three boat festivals that is held only once every 10 years (most recently in May 2019).
Education
Universities and colleges
* Shimane University
— colloquially known as — is a national university in Japan. Although formally established as a university in 1949, Shima-dai's origins date back to the late 19th century. In 2003 it merged with the Shimane Medical University (established ...
* Shimane Prefectural Women's College
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Shimane Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-least populous prefecture of Japan at 665,205 (February 1, 2021) and has a geo ...
* Matsue College of Technology
* University of Shimane Junior College
Personalities
*Kei Nishikori
is an inactive Japanese professional tennis player. He is the second male Japanese player to have been ranked in the top 5 in singles (after Jiro Sato), and the only one to do so in the Open Era. Nishikori first reached his career-high singles ...
(b. 1989), tennis player, was born in Matsue.
*Shirō Sano
is a Japanese actor.
Career
Born in Yamanashi Prefecture, Sano lived in Tokyo and Matsue, Shimane as a child, before returning to Tokyo to enter art school. He joined several theatrical troupes, including Jurō Kara's Jōkyō Gekijō. He had h ...
(b. 1955), actor, was raised in Matsue.
International relations
International Friendship Cities
* , Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, United States, 1990 (commenced)/1994 (official agreement)
* Jilin City
Jilin City (), alternately romanized as Kirin, is the second-largest city and former capital of Jilin province in northeast China. As of the 2020 census, 3,623,713 people resided within its administrative area of and 1,895,865 in its buil ...
, Jilin
Jilin (; alternately romanized as Kirin or Chilin) is one of the three provinces of Northeast China. Its capital and largest city is Changchun. Jilin borders North Korea ( Rasŏn, North Hamgyong, Ryanggang and Chagang) and Russia (Prim ...
, China, 1995 (commenced)/1999 (official agreement)
* Jinju, South Gyeongsang
South Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상남도, translit=Gyeongsangnam-do, ) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World ...
, South Korea, 1999 (official agreement)
* Hangzhou
Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
, China, 1994 (commenced)/2003 (official agreement)
* Yinchuan
Yinchuan (, ; ) is the capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, and was the capital of the Tangut-led Western Xia dynasty. It has an area of and a total population of 2,859,074 according to the 2020 Chinese census, and its buil ...
, Ningxia
Ningxia (,; , ; alternately romanized as Ninghsia), officially the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR), is an autonomous region in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in ...
, China, 1994 (commenced)/2004 (official agreement)
Sister cities
* Takarazuka, Hyōgo
270px, Takarazuka City Hall
270px, Aerial view of Takarazuka city center
The kanji (UTF-8 code FA1016), which is part of Takarazuka's official name (), is not available on all systems. (It can be entered in Wikipedia with HTML character & ...
* Suzu, Ishikawa
* Onomichi, Hiroshima
is a city located in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, facing the Inland Sea. The city was founded on April 1, 1898. As of April 30, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 141,811 and a population density of 497.8 persons per km2. The total ar ...
* Ōguchi, Aichi
Other
Although not an official friendship city of Matsue, there has been ongoing exchange with Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
since 1988 when former mayor Nakamura Yoshijirō visited the city.
References
External links
Matsue City official website
Official tourism page
{{Authority control
Cities in Shimane Prefecture
Populated places established in 2005
2005 establishments in Japan