Gotsu City

Shimane Prefecture · City

Official website Shimane Prefecture page

Gotsu City, the smallest city in Shimane Prefecture by area, is where the Gonokawa River, the Chugoku region's largest river, enters the Sea of Japan. The city long prospered as a river and sea shipping hub and is known for red Sekishu roof tiles. Arifuku Onsen (hot spring) lies in the mountains, and the Ogawa family's Sesshu garden remains.

Key facts

Population: 20,412 892nd in Japan2025 Census
5-year change: −11.1% 351st in Japanfrom 22,959 in 2020
Area: 268 km² 456th in Japan
Population density: 76 people/km² 1,146th in Japan

Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2025 Population Census (population, area and density); area from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI), Area Statistics of Prefectures and Municipalities (2025). National ranks are among the 1,741 municipalities, ordered by this site from these values.

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Chosen automatically, most popular first, from landmarks and cultural properties registered in Wikidata (we have not checked whether each is open). Names and descriptions: Wikidata (CC0); photos: Wikimedia Commons (photographer and license under each photo).

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Municipalities sharing a boundary (computed from the National Land Numerical Information administrative boundaries, January 2021).

Other municipalities in Shimane Prefecture

The description was written for this site, picking out representative features.

Figures come from official Japanese statistics (such as the 2025 Census by the Statistics Bureau of Japan), with the source and year shown next to each one. Photos are freely licensed images from Wikimedia Commons; the photographer and license are shown under each photo.

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