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 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. == Geography ==