Izumo Province
Izumo ( Japanese 出 雲 国 , Izumo no kuni ) or Unshū ( 雲 州 ) was one of the historical provinces of Japan . Today the area is the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture in the Chugoku region .
etymology
The origin of the word or the reading "Izumo" is derived from the goddess Izanami . She is considered the creator of Japan and is said to be buried on Mount Hiba on the border of the provinces of Izumo and Hoki near today's Yasugi .
The written word meaning “clouds coming out” goes back to a poem by the god Susanoos in Kojiki , when he was looking for a place for a palace for himself and Kushinadahime .
history
Izumo was one of the politically influential regions of historic Japan. In the 4th century, the region came under the influence of the expanding Yamato Empire , in which it took on the role of priestly possession. To this day, the Izumo Shrine , along with the Ise Shrine , is one of the most important holy places of Shinto : It is dedicated to several kami , but especially Ōkuninushi ( Ō-kuni-nushi-no-mikoto ), the mythical ancestor of Susanoo and all Clans of Izumo.
In the Sengoku period , Izumo had lost a lot of its importance. From 1566 until before the Battle of Sekigahara it was dominated by the Mōri , after the battle it became a fiefdom of Matsue under Horio Yoshiharu with the main castle in today's Matsue .
Coordinates: 35 ° 16 ' N , 132 ° 56' E