Shiga Prefecture
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- For the seiyuu, see Mariko Shiga.
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| Capital | Ōtsu |
| Region | Kinki |
| Island | Honshū |
| Governor | Yukiko Kada |
| Area (rank) | 4,017.36 km² (38th) |
| - % water | 14.0% |
| Population (April 1, 2000) | |
| - Population | 1,337,770 (31st) |
| - Density | 332 /km² |
| Districts | 5 |
| Municipalities | 26 |
| ISO 3166-2 | JP-25 |
| Website | www.pref.shiga.jp/ english/index.html |
| Prefectural Symbols | |
| - Flower | Rhododendron (Rhododendron metternichii var. hondoense) |
| - Tree | Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) |
| - Bird | Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) |
 Symbol of Shiga Prefecture |
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Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県 Shiga-ken?) is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kinki region on Honshū Island. The capital is the city of Otsu.
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[edit] History
Shiga was known as Ōmi Province before the prefectural system was established.
[edit] Geography
Shiga shares a border with Fukui Prefecture in the north, Gifu Prefecture in the east, Mie Prefecture in the southeast, and Kyoto Prefecture in the west.
Different areas of the prefecture include Kohoku (north of lake), Kosei (west of lake), Koto (east of lake), and Konan (south of lake).
Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of this prefecture. It occupies one-sixth the total area of Shiga. The prefecture is enclosed by mountain ranges with the Hira Mountains in the west, the Ibuki mountain range in the east, and the Suzuka Mountains in the southeast. Northern Shiga is substantially colder with higher snowfall than in southern Shiga, which is usually warmer.
Seta River flows out from Lake Biwa to Osaka Bay through Kyoto. This is the only natural river which flows out from the lake. All of the other natural rivers flow into the lake.
[edit] Cities
Thirteen cities are located in Shiga Prefecture:
[edit] Towns
These are the towns in each district.
[edit] Mergers
[edit] Politics
[edit] Economy
A number of major companies have factories in Shiga such as IBM Japan, Canon, Yanmar Diesel, and Toray. Trading house C.Itoh was founded in Shiga among the well-known Omi merchants.
[edit] Demographics
The population is concentrated along the southern shore of Lake Biwa in Otsu city (adjacent to Kyoto) and along the eastern shore of Lake Biwa. Cities on the eastern shore like Kusatsu and Moriyama are within commuting distance to Kyoto. In recent years, many Brazilians have settled in Shiga to work in nearby factories. The lake's western shores are more rural and resort-oriented with white-sand swimming beaches.
[edit] Culture
The Tonda Traditional Bunraku Puppet Troupe, a Japanese puppet theater in the form known as ningyō jōruri or Bunraku, is based in Biwa Town, on the shore of Lake Biwa in the northeastern part of Shiga Prefecture. Founded in the 1830s, the Tonda Puppet Troupe is one of the most active traditional puppet theaters in Japan outside the National Theater in Osaka. In Moriyama, there is also the Sagawa Art Museum.
[edit] Sports
The sports teams listed below are based in Shiga.
Volleyball
[edit] Tourism
The main gateways to Shiga are the Maibara bullet train station in northern Shiga and the city of Otsu in the south. Before being incorporated as a prefecture in the modern era, Shiga's old fief name was Omi.
There are temples, castles, festivals, historical persons, and natural beauty that rank among those of national importance. Shiga's most prominent feature is Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. It looks like Japan's belly button on a map of Japan. The lake can be visited either by car (you can drive completely around it in one day) or by boat. The northern part of the lake is especially scenic. The western shore has white-sand swimming beaches, popular among Kyotoites during the summer. It is less developed than the eastern shore where there are cities such as Nagahama, Hikone, and Omi-Hachiman.
Boat cruises such as the well-known Michigan paddlewheeler and cruises to scenic Chikubushima island are worthy excursions. Many lakeside towns in Shiga also offer rental bicycles where you can hop on the bicycle at one train station and ride to another train station to return it. Cycling is a great way to see Shiga and the lake shore roads are very scenic. In spring, don't miss riding (or driving) through a stretch of road in Kaizu Osaki on the northern shore lined with cherry trees. It is one of Japan's most famous places for cherry blossoms.
Beautiful views of the lake can also be had from mountain roads like the Oku Biwako Parkway road up north and the Hiei-san Driveway and Oku Hiei Driveway overlooking the southwestern shore. In the capital city of Otsu, the Otsu Prince Hotel's Top of Otsu restaurant provides a superb high, panoramic view of the lake and city.
Like most prefectures, festivals abound in Shiga. Unique festivals include the Hikiyama Festival held each April in Nagahama. During this festival ornate floats are mounted with miniature stages on which highly-skilled boys (playing both male and female roles) act in kabuki plays. Meanwhile, Higashi Omi (formerly Yokaichi) city holds a Giant Kite Festival every May along the riverbank. Ordinary people are invited to pull the rope that sends the kites aloft (unfortunately they don't fly very long if there's no wind).
Shiga's most famous building is Hikone Castle, a national treasure. The castle tower is well preserved and provides a good glimpse into how a real castle looked during Japan's feudal period. It also has many cherry trees. The castle is associated with Ii Naosuke, who was the Tokugawa shogunate's Great Elder (Tairo). He favored and concluded commercial treaties with the Western powers and thus broke Japan's isolation from the world in the 19th century. Foreigners were then allowed to trade with Japan and take up residence in cities like Yokohama and Hakodate. Unfortunately, Ii was later assassinated in 1860 by people who sought to oust the foreign "barbarians".
Shiga's second-most famous building is Ishiyama Temple in Otsu. It has a room where one of Japan's most famous novels was written: Genji Monogatari or Tale of Genji written by Murasaki Shikibu.
Shiga Prefecture is also famous for its Omi Hakkei or Eight Views of Omi, popularized by Hiroshige's picturesque woodblock prints. Unfortunately, most of the original eight views are now almost gone or totally different from what they were centuries ago. One of them was set in Katata, home of the Ukimido, another famous building in Shiga. It is a small temple building built on stilts (now concrete pillars) on the lake near the shore, accessible by a short bridge.
[edit] Prefectural symbols
Lake Biwa, Hikone Castle (national treasure), Omi Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi), funa-zushi fermented fish, Omi beef
[edit] Miscellaneous topics
Shiga also produced a prime minister in Sosuke Uno from Moriyama. Unfortunately, he was also one of the shortest-serving prime ministers in Japan, being forced to resign after only three months (June-August 1989) in office. His extramarital affair with a Kagurazaka geisha turned into a widely-reported sex scandal, leaving him no choice but to resign.
[edit] Sister states
[edit] External links
- Shiga Prefecture Home page (English)
- Shiga Photos at PHOTOGUIDE.JP
- Shiga Videos from PHOTOGUIDE.JP via YouTube
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| Cities | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Higashiōmi | Hikone | Kōka | Konan | Kusatsu | Maibara | Moriyama | Nagahama | Ōtsu (capital) | Ōmihachiman | Rittō | Takashima | Yasu | |||
| Districts | |||
| Echi | Gamō | Higashiazai | Ika | Inukami | |||
| Former Districts | |||
| Kanzaki | Koka | Kurita | Nishiazai | Sakata | Shiga | Takashima | Yasu | |||
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