is a city

Cities of Japan

||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...

 located in Shimane

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...

, Japan

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...

. Izumo is known for Izumo soba

Soba

is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It is synonymous with a type of thin noodle made from buckwheat flour, and in Japan can refer to any thin noodle . Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup...

noodles and the Izumo Taisha

Izumo Taisha

is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. No record gives the date of establishment. Located in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, it is home to two major festivals. It is dedicated to the god Ōkuninushi , famous as the Shinto deity of marriage.A style of architecture,...

 Shinto shrine.
The modern city was founded on November 3, 1941.

As of 2003, the city had an estimated population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of 87,940 and density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 510.30 persons per km². The total area was 172.33 km².

On March 22, 2005, the city merged

Merger and dissolution of municipalities of Japan

Municipal mergers and dissolutions carried out in Japan can take place within one municipality or between multiple municipalities and are required to be based upon consensus.- Merger policy:...

 with the city of Hirata

Hirata, Shimane

was a city located in Shimane, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Hirata, along with the towns of Koryō, Sada, Taisha and Taki, all from Hikawa District, was merged into the expanded city of Izumo....

, and the towns of Koryō

Koryo, Shimane

was a town located in Hikawa District, Shimane, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Koryō, along with the towns of Sada, Taisha and Taki, all from Hikawa District, and the city of Hirata, was merged into the expanded city of Izumo....

, Sada

Sada, Shimane

was a town located in Hikawa District, Shimane, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Sada, along with the towns of Koryō, Taisha and Taki, all from Hikawa District, and the city of Hirata, was merged into the expanded city of Izumo....

, Taisha

Taisha, Shimane

was a town located in Hikawa District, Shimane, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Taisha, along with the towns of Koryō, Sada and Taki, all from Hikawa District, and the city of Hirata, was merged into the expanded city of Izumo....

 and Taki

Taki, Shimane

was a town located in Hikawa District, Shimane, Japan.On March 22, 2005 Taki, along with the towns of Koryō, Sada and Taisha, all from Hikawa District, and the city of Hirata, was merged into the expanded city of Izumo....

, all from Hikawa District

Hikawa District, Shimane

was a district located in Shimane, Japan.As of 2003, the district had an estimated population of 57,333 and a density of 185.14 persons per km². The total area was 309.68 km².- Towns and villages :*Hikawa*Koryō*Sada*Taisha*Taki-Merger:...

, to form the new city of Izumo.

After the creation

Merger and dissolution of municipalities of Japan

Municipal mergers and dissolutions carried out in Japan can take place within one municipality or between multiple municipalities and are required to be based upon consensus.- Merger policy:...

 of the new city, as of 2010, the estimated total population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 is 145,008 and the combined area of the new city of Izumo is 543.48 km².

On October 1, 2011, the city merged with the town of Hikawa

Hikawa, Shimane

was a town located in Hikawa District, Shimane, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 27,246 and a density of 337.87 persons per km². The total area was ....

, also from Hikawa District.