Shimane
Izumo Taisha (Shinto's oldest shrine), Iwami Ginzan UNESCO (2007); lowest population, fastest decline. 2026: mythological heritage vs. demographic collapse.
Shimane exists at Japan's mythological origin. Izumo Taisha, one of Shinto's oldest and most important shrines, predates recorded history. Japanese mythology locates the gods' assembly here; the shrine's architecture differs from all others. Where Ise Shrine represents solar worship, Izumo represents something older—chthonic, tied to earth and underworld.
This spiritual centrality contrasts with modern marginality. Shimane and neighboring Tottori are Japan's least populous prefectures, losing population faster than almost anywhere. Young people leave for Osaka or Tokyo; those who remain are aging. The isolation that preserved mythology now threatens communities.
Yet isolation also preserved. The Iwami Ginzan silver mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, operated from the 16th century until 1923, funding the Tokugawa shogunate. The town around it remains largely unchanged. By 2026, Shimane bets on spiritual tourism and heritage preservation—the prefecture where Japan's myths began may need new stories to survive.