 Matsue is the center of the Lake Shinji-Nakaumi metropolitan area, and with a population of approximately 600,000 is the second largest on the Sea of Japan coast after Niigata.Matsue is sometimes called the due to the prominence of the lakes, rivers and canals in the city-scape and scenery.Matsue is home to the Tokugawa-era Matsue Castle, one of the last surviving feudal castles in Japan.