Shimane Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan.
Archaic term for an island nation; not used in modern Japanese outside historical contexts.
In old texts, Japan is sometimes referred to as 'the island country'.
Standard kanji spelling for Shimane Prefecture; also used in the archaic sense.
The name 島根 (Shimane) is of uncertain origin; it may derive from the geographical features of the region, but the exact derivation is unclear.