Iwami Province
Encyclopedia
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the area that is today the western part of Shimane Prefecture
Shimane Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is Matsue. It is the second least populous prefecture in Japan, after its eastern neighbor Tottori. The prefecture has an area elongated from east to west facing the Chūgoku Mountain Range on the south side and to...
. It was sometimes called . Iwami bordered Aki
Aki Province
or Geishū was a province in the Chūgoku Region of western Honshū, comprising the western part of what is today Hiroshima Prefecture.When Emperor Shōmu ordered two official temples for each province , two temples were founded in Aki Province...
, Bingo
Bingo Province
was a province of Japan on the Inland Sea side of western Honshū, comprising what is today the eastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Bizen and Bitchu Provinces. Bingo bordered Bitchū, Hōki, Izumo, Iwami, and Aki Provinces....
, Izumo
Izumo Province
was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province is in the Chūgoku Region.- History :It was one of the regions of ancient Japan where major political powers arose...
, Nagato
Nagato Province
, often called , was a province of Japan. It was at the extreme western end of Honshū, in the area that is today Yamaguchi Prefecture. Nagato bordered on Iwami and Suō Provinces....
, and Suō
Suo Province
was a province of Japan in the area that is today the eastern part of Yamaguchi Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Suō bordered on Aki, Iwami, and Nagato Provinces....
provinces.
In the Heian era (794-1192) the capital was at modern-day Hamada
Hamada, Shimane
is a city located in Shimane, Japan. It is the third largest city in the prefecture and is located at the south-western end of the prefecture. It is a coastal city on the Sea of Japan and possesses beautiful white-sand beaches, which make the city a popular destination for local tourists in the...
.
In the Kamakura era (1192-1333) the Masuda clan
Masuda clan
Masuda clan was one of Kunishū in Iwami Province , Japan, from the 13th century until 1600. In the Middle Ages, Kunishū was the title given to a local lord or a leader of warriors .- History :...
belonged to the Minamoto clan (Genji
Genji
was a after Bunkyū and before Keiō. This period spanned only slightly more than a single year from February 1864 through April 1865. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
) and conquered Iwami province.
During the Muromachi era and Sengoku Period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
, the battles were very furious in this area.
At first, the Masuda clan was in alliance with the Ouchi clan in neighboring Sufu
Sufu
Sufu was a wartime material used briefly in Japan during World War II when cotton and other woven materials were scarce.It was an inexpensive, ersatz cloth made of wood fibers, basically cellulose, that disintegrated after three or four washings and was highly flammable. The warp threads were of...
, but later the Masuda clan belonged to the Mouri clan in neighboring Aki
Aki Province
or Geishū was a province in the Chūgoku Region of western Honshū, comprising the western part of what is today Hiroshima Prefecture.When Emperor Shōmu ordered two official temples for each province , two temples were founded in Aki Province...
.
Before the Sengoku Period, lords were more independent from the shogunate.