Shimane is one of Japan's 47 prefectures, including
Hokkaido. It sits far west of Tokyo, facing the Sea of
Japan on the north. Valleys and mountains cut off the
south side edges for the most part. The long-running
mountain ridge forms the prefectural boundary between
Hiroshima and Shimane—the western end of Shimane borders
on Yamaguchi and the east end on Tottori.
Each of the four seasons here is very distinct, and
atmospheric temperature ranges from below 0 to around 35
degrees Celsius, depending on the season. Generally,
there is relatively much rainfall. The soil type is
acidic and partly alkaline, with a pH range of 5.0 to
8.0. Therefore, this part of the country enriches
environmental factors that create flora diversity.
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