Shiga Prefecture

Japanese: 滋賀[県] - しが

A prefecture in the northeastern part of the Kinki region. The prefectural capital is Otsu City. It has an area of 4,017.38 ^km2 and a population of 1,410,777 (2010). It is an inland prefecture, with Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, in its center. [History] Formerly Omi Province. As it borders the eastern side of Kinai, it was developed since ancient times, with Emperor Tenchi building Otsu Palace, and it was also a key transportation point from Kinai to the eastern provinces. In the Nara period, Emperor Shomu's Shigaraki Palace and Ishiyama-dera Temple were built here, and in the Heian period, Enryaku-ji Temple and Onjo-ji Temple were built here. Water transportation on Lake Biwa also developed, and ports such as Shimosakamoto and Katata flourished. In the Middle Ages, the Sasaki clan, Enryaku-ji Temple, and the Rokkaku clan, Kyogoku clan, and the Azai clan, vassals of the Sasaki clan, wielded power, but Oda Nobunaga defeated Enryaku-ji Temple and the Azai clan, unified Omi, and built Azuchi Castle. In the Edo period, it was ruled by the Ii clan of Hikone and the Honda clan of Zeze. Omihachiman flourished as the base of Omi merchants. In 1871, Otsu and Nagahama were divided into two prefectures, and the following year they were renamed Shiga and Inukami prefectures, and in the same year they became Shiga prefecture. [Nature] The Ibuki Mountains and Suzuka Mountains are to the east, the Hira Mountains to the west, and the Shigaraki Mountains to the south, surrounding Lake Biwa and the Omi Basin in the center. Within the Omi Basin, the Yasu River, Hino River, and Aichi River flow into the lake in the eastern part of Lake Biwa, forming the Koto Plain, and a small plain has also developed in the lower reaches of the Azumi River on the west bank. The northern part of the lake has a Japan Coast type climate with a strong influence of northwesterly winter monsoons and a lot of snowfall, while the southern part of the lake has a Pacific coast type climate with relatively little rain. [Industry] The population by industry is 3.7% primary, 34.4% secondary, and 60.5% tertiary (2005). About 9% of the industrial population is agricultural, and the rate of full-time farmers is 8.3%, a low level nationwide (2003). About 92% of all cultivated land is paddy fields. Rice produced mainly in the Koto Plain has long been known as Goshu rice, and is shipped to the Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe areas. In recent years, due to the rice production reduction policy, there has been a shift to vegetable and flower cultivation, and in addition to the traditional breeding of beef cattle (Omi beef), dairy cattle and poultry farming have also become active. Tea (Omi tea) is cultivated in the southeast. Lake Biwa has long been a fishing area, producing shellfish, crucian carp, and moroko, and exporting small fish all over the country, but in recent years, with the development of housing and industrialization, the water quality has deteriorated and the catch has dropped sharply. Mining includes manganese and limestone from Mt. Ibuki. Since the Taisho era, the textile industry has flourished in each city, but industrialization has progressed with the opening of the Meishin Expressway, and chemical, electrical equipment, and machine factories have been established mainly along National Route 8 and the Meishin Expressway, and recently factories have also been established in the north and west of Kohoku. Local specialties include crepe paper from Nagahama, fan bones from Azumigawa, Buddhist altars from Hikone, bamboo root products from Kusatsu, home medicines from Koga, and pottery from Shigaraki. In addition to the ruins of Azuchi Castle and Hikone Castle, there are famous temples such as Onjo-ji Temple, Ishiyama-dera Temple, and Enryaku-ji Temple (a World Heritage Site) which straddles Kyoto Prefecture, as well as many old temples to the east of the lake, including Kogen-ji Temple (Togan-ji Temple), which houses the eleven-faced Kannon statue. Blessed with natural scenery, the area is also home to Lake Biwa Quasi-National Park, Suzuka Quasi-National Park which occupies most of the Suzuka Mountains, and three prefectural natural parks. In 1993, Lake Biwa was designated a Ramsar site. [Transportation] The Tokaido Main Line, Shinkansen, Hokuriku Main Line, National Route 8, Meishin Expressway, and Hokuriku Expressway run through the eastern part of the lake. Other lines include the Kusatsu Line, Kosei Line, Shigaraki Kogen Railway, Keihan Electric Railway Keishin Line, Keihan Electric Railway Ishiyama Sakamoto Line, Ohmi Railway, and National Route 1. The Biwako Ohashi Bridge and Omi Ohashi Bridge span the southern part of the lake.
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Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

近畿地方北東部の県。県庁所在地は大津市。4017.38km²。141万777人（2010）。内陸県で，中央に日本最大の湖の琵琶湖がある。〔沿革〕　かつての近江(おうみ)国。畿内の東に接するため，天智天皇が大津宮を造営するなど古くから開発され，また畿内から東国への交通の要衝であった。奈良時代には聖武天皇の紫香楽(しがらき)宮や石山寺，平安時代には延暦寺や園城(おんじょう)寺が建てられた。琵琶湖水運も発達し下坂本，堅田などの港が栄えた。中世は佐々木氏や延暦寺，さらに六角氏，京極氏，佐々木氏の家臣浅井氏が勢力を振るったが，織田信長が延暦寺，浅井氏を破って近江を統一，安土城を築いた。江戸時代は彦根の井伊氏，膳所(ぜぜ)の本多氏らが支配。近江八幡は近江商人の本拠地として栄えた。1871年大津・長浜２県となり，翌年滋賀・犬上県と改称，同年滋賀県となる。〔自然〕　東に伊吹山地と鈴鹿山脈，西に比良山地，南に信楽(しがらき)山地があり，中央の琵琶湖と近江盆地を囲んでいる。近江盆地のうち，琵琶湖東部は湖に注ぐ野洲(やす)川，日野川，愛知(えち)川などが湖東平野を形成，西岸の安曇(あど)川下流域にも小平野が発達する。湖北は冬季北西季節風の影響が強い日本海岸型の気候で積雪が多く，湖南は比較的雨が少ない太平洋岸型気候である。〔産業〕　産業別人口構成は第１次3.7％，第２次34.4％，第３次60.5％（2005）。産業人口の約９％が農業人口で専業農家率は8.3％と全国的にも低水準（2003）。全耕地の約92％は水田である。湖東平野を中心に産する米は古来江州米として知られ，京阪神へ出荷される。近年は米の減反政策によって野菜・花卉(かき)栽培への転換も行われ，従来からの肉牛（近江牛）飼育に加えて，乳牛飼育，養鶏も活発になってきた。南東部では茶（近江茶）の栽培が行われる。琵琶湖では古くから水産が活発で，貝類，フナ，モロコなどを産し，コアユを全国へ移出するが，近年の宅地化，工業化の進展にともない，水質が悪化，漁獲量が激減した。鉱業ではマンガン，伊吹山の石灰岩など。大正以降，各市で繊維工業が盛んになったが，名神高速道路開通により工業化が進み，化学，電気機器，機械などの工場が主として国道８号線，名神高速道路沿いに進出，最近では湖北，湖西にも工場が立地。長浜のちりめん，安曇川(あどがわ)の扇骨，彦根の仏壇，草津の竹根製品，甲賀の家庭配置薬，信楽の陶器などの特産がある。安土城跡，彦根城のほか，園城寺，石山寺，京都府にまたがる延暦寺（世界遺産）などの名寺，湖東には向源寺（渡岸寺）など十一面観音を安置する多くの古寺がある。自然景観にめぐまれ，琵琶湖国定公園，鈴鹿山脈の大部分をしめる鈴鹿国定公園，３県立自然公園もある。1993年，ラムサール条約で琵琶湖が登録地に認定された。〔交通〕　湖東部を中心に東海道本線・新幹線，北陸本線，国道８号線，名神高速道路，北陸自動車道が通じ，ほかに草津線，湖西線，信楽高原鉄道，京阪電鉄京津線，同石山坂本線，近江鉄道，国道１号線があり，琵琶湖南部には琵琶湖大橋，近江大橋がかかる。
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