Shimane

Shimane is located in the western part of the Sanin region and has complex geographical conditions, including an elongated terrain facing the Sea of Japan and the offshore Oki Islands. Due to the Sea of Japan climate, winter snowfall is high, and agricultural land area is limited outside the Izumo Plain and the Gonokawa River basin. The average annual temperature is about 15℃, and the annual precipitation is about 1,800 to 2,000 mm. The areas around Izumo and Matsue are relatively warm, but winters are characterized by continuous cloudy weather and short sunshine hours. The brackish lakes of Lake Shinji and Nakaumi are important stages for the prefecture's agriculture and fisheries. In Lake Shinji, shijimi (freshwater clam) fishing takes place, and the brackish environment where fresh water and seawater mix nurtures large shijimi. In the alluvial plains of the Hii River and Gonokawa River, rice cultivation is central, but buckwheat (soba) and vegetables are also cultivated in the Izumo Plain. The Oki Islands are relatively warm due to the influence of the Tsushima Current, and marine products such as rock oysters and turban shells are abundant. In the eastern part of the prefecture around Yasugi City and Matsue City, Shimane wagyu (beef cattle) are also fattened, creating an industrial structure where agriculture, fisheries, and livestock farming are combined by region.

Source: MAFF Crop Statistics (Reiwa 5 / 2023), JMA historical weather data

The agriculture and fisheries of Shimane are defined by the uniqueness created by the brackish lakes, the Sea of Japan, and the terrain of the Sanin region. While Shinjiko shijimi is a fishery brand ranking 1st nationally in production, it relies on the specific ecological environment of a brackish lake, giving it a uniqueness that is difficult to replicate elsewhere. Izumo soba functions as a regional food culture system rather than just an agricultural product, forming an ecosystem that integrates buckwheat farmers, milling, restaurants, and Izumo Taisha shrine tourism. Oki rock oysters serve as summer-season oysters, complementing the winter-season farmed oysters, and hold a distinct temporal position in the national oyster distribution. Although it is not a large prefecture in terms of population and agricultural land area, having the limited global environment of the brackish Lake Shinji as a foundation for its agriculture and fisheries is a strength unique to Shimane, and the rarity that it would be irreplaceable if lost forms the background of the Shimane brand.