city, Shimane ken (prefecture), western Honshu, Japan. It lies in the basin of the Takatsu River, near the Sea of Japan. The commercial hub of the surrounding agricultural region, Masuda has a few rural industries such as tatami mat production, silk manufacture and spinning, and lumbering. It is also a small trade centre for charcoal and lumber. The San-in Line (railway) between Kyōto and Shimonoseki runs through the city. Pop. (2005) 52,368.