Shiga Prefecture

Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県, Shiga-ken) is a prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan on the island of Honshu.[1] The capital is the city of Ōtsu.[2]

Shiga Prefecture
滋賀県
Prefecture
Flag of Shiga Prefecture
Flag
Official seal of Shiga Prefecture
Seal
Shiga Prefecture in Japan
Shiga Prefecture in Japan
Country Japan
RegionKansai
CapitalŌtsu
Subdivisions
List
Government
 • GovernorTaizō Mikazuki
Area
 • Total4,017 km2 (1,551 sq mi)
Population
 (October 1, 2020)
 • Total1,413,610
 • Density351.9/km2 (911/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
Postal code
520-8577
Area code25000-7
ISO 3166 codeJP-25
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Shiga used to be called Ōmi Province or Gōshū before Japan began using the prefectural system.[3]

Geography

Shiga borders Fukui Prefecture in the north Gifu Prefecture is in the east. Mie Prefecture is in the southeast. Kyoto Prefecture is in the west.

Lake Biwa is at the center of this prefecture. The lake divides the prefecture into four areas:

  • Kohoku (湖北), north of lake and centered at Nagahama
  • Kosei (湖西), west of lake and centered at Imazu
  • Kotō (湖東), east of lake and centered at Hikone
  • Konan (湖南), south of lake and centered at Ōtsu

Cities

Cities in Shiga Prefecture include

  • Higashiōmi
  • Hikone
  • Iga
  • Kōka
  • Konan
  • Kusatsu
  • Maibara
  • Moriyama
  • Nagahama
  • Ōtsu (capital)
  • Ōmihachiman
  • Rittō
  • Takashima
  • Yasu

National Parks

National Parks are established in about 37% of the total land area of the prefecture.[4]

Education
University of Shiga Prefecture

There are ten universities, two junior colleges, and a learning center of The Open University of Japan in Shiga.[5]

  • Shiga University (Hikone and Otsu)
  • Shiga University of Medical Science (Otsu)
  • University of Shiga Prefecture (Hikone)
  • Shiga Junior College (Otsu)
  • Shiga Bunkyo Junior College (Nagahama)
  • Seian University of Art and Design (Otsu)
  • Seisen University (Hikone)
  • Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology (Nagahama)
  • Biwako-Gakuin University (Higashiomi)
  • Biwako-Gakuin College (Higashiomi)
  • Biwako Seikei Sport College (Otsu)
  • Ritsumeikan University (Kyoto and Kusatsu)
  • Ryukoku University (Kyoto and Otsu)

Sister states

Shiga has agreements with three states.[6]

Shrines and Temples

Takebe jinja is the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) in the prefecture. [7]

References
  1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Shiga-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 853; "Kansai" at p. 477; JETRO, Shiga Prefecture, Regional Information Archived 2013-01-22 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-4-6.
  2. Nussbaum, "Ōtsu" at p. 765.
  3. Nussbaum, "Provinces and prefectures" at p. 780.
  4. Japan Ministry of the Environment, "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture"; retrieved 2012-3-14.
  5. Shiga Prefecture. "滋賀県内の大学・短期大学" [Universities and junior colleges in Shiga prefecture] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-05-08.
  6. Shiga Prefecture. "滋賀県の紹介（滋賀県の国際交流 姉妹・友好都市）" [Introduction of Shiga prefecture; International exchanges of Shiga, friendship sister cities] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2011-06-13. Retrieved 2010-11-25.
  7. "Nationwide List of Ichinomiya," p. 1 Archived 2013-05-17 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2012-3-14.

Further reading
  • Shiga-ken hyakka jiten (滋賀県百科事典, trans., Encyclopedia Shiga), 1984. Tokyo: Yamato Shobo.

Other websites

Media related to Shiga prefecture at Wikimedia Commons

35°7′N 136°4′E


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