Lake Shinji

Lake Shinji (宍道湖, Shinji-ko) is a lake in the northeast area of the Shimane Prefecture in Japan. The lake is the seventh largest in Japan, with a circumference of 48 kilometres (30 mi). It is enclosed by the Shimane Peninsula to the north, and the Izumo and Matsue plains to the west and east respectively. 7,652 ha of wetland are a Ramsar Site.[2]

Lake Shinji
View from Matsue Castle
Lake Shinji
LocationShimane Prefecture
Coordinates35°27′N 132°58′E
TypeBrackish
Basin countriesJapan
Official nameShinji-ko
Designated8 November 2005
Reference no.1556[1]

Lake Shinji offers an economic benefit to nearby residents in the form of active fisheries and mild tourism opportunities, such as the various hot spring resorts built along the lake's coast and sunset cruises offered by local companies.

Lake Shinji is connected to the Sea of Japan via Nakaumi Lagoon, and as a result is made up of brackish water of good quality, which adds to the abundance of aquatic life, such as whitebait, eel, sea bass, and the most famous Lake Shinji delicacy, the Shijimi clam (Corbicula japonica). The Shijimi shellfish is caught using a 'joren', a tool unique to Lake Shinji, which is made up of a basket tethered to a rake. The shellfish is often referred to as one of the 'Shiji-ko Shitchin', the 'Seven Delicacies of Lake Shinji.'

Lake Shinji

References
  1. "Shinji-ko". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. "Ramsar Sites in Japan - Shinji-ko" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
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