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Coordinates: 35°16′N 136°16′E / 35.267°N 136.267°E / 35.267; 136.267
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{{redirect|Hikone}}
{{Infobox City Japan
{{Infobox settlement
|Name= Hikone
| name = Hikone
|JapaneseName= 彦根市
| official_name =
|MapImage=
| native_name = {{nobold|{{nobold|{{lang|ja|彦根市}}}}}}
|Region= [[Kansai]]
| native_name_lang = ja
|Prefecture= [[Shiga Prefecture]]
| settlement_type = [[Cities of Japan|City]]
|District=
| other_name =
|Area= 98.15
<!-- images, nickname, motto -->
|PopDate= 2003
| image_skyline = View of hikone-jo from sawayama-jo ruins.JPG
|Population= 108,613
| imagesize =
|Density= 1106.60
| image_caption = City central, Lake Biwa and Hikone castle viewed from Sawayama castle ruin
|Coords={{coor dm|35|15|N|136|15|E}}
| image_flag = Flag of Hikone, Shiga.svg
|Tree= [[Orange (fruit)|Tachibana Orange]]
| image_seal = Emblem of Hikone, Shiga.svg
|Flower= [[Iris (plant)|Russian Iris]]
| seal_type = Emblem
|Bird=
<!-- maps and coordinates -->
|SymbolImage=
| image_map = Hikone in Shiga prefecture Ja.svg
|SymbolDescription=
|Mayor=
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture
|CityHallPostalCode= 522-8501
| pushpin_map = Japan
|CityHallAddress= Shiga-ken, Hikone-shi Motomachi-cho 4-2
| pushpin_relief =
|CityHallPhone= 0749-22-1411
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Japan
|CityHallLink= [http://www.city.hikone.shiga.jp/ City of Hikone]
| coordinates = {{coord|35|16|N|136|16|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}}
}}'''Hikone''' (彦根市; -shi) is a [[cities of Japan|city]] located in [[Shiga Prefecture|Shiga]], [[Japan]].
| coordinates_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
<!-- location -->
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Japan
| subdivision_type1 = [[List of regions of Japan|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kansai region|Kansai]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Prefectures of Japan|Prefecture]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Shiga Prefecture|Shiga]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Districts of Japan|District]]
| subdivision_name3 =
<!-- established -->
| established_title = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date =
| extinct_title = Now part of
| extinct_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
<!-- seat, smaller parts -->
| seat_type = <!-- defaults to: Seat -->
| seat =
<!-- government type, leaders -->
| government_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Hiroyuki Wada (since May 2021)
| leader_title1 = Vice Mayor
| leader_name1 =
<!-- display settings -->
| total_type = <!-- to set a non-standard label for total area and population rows -->
| unit_pref = Metric
<!-- area -->
| area_magnitude = <!-- use only to set a special wikilink -->
| area_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_total_km2 = 196.84
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =
<!-- elevation -->
| elevation_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_m =
<!-- population -->
| population_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| population_total = 111958
| population_as_of = August 31, 2021
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
<!-- time zone(s) -->
| timezone1 = [[Japan Standard Time|JST]]
| utc_offset1 = +09:00
<!-- postal codes, area code -->
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type = <!-- defaults to: Area code(s) -->
| area_code =
<!-- blank fields (section 1) -->
| blank1_name_sec1 = Phone&nbsp;number
| blank1_info_sec1 = 0749-30-6111
| blank_name_sec1 = City hall address
| blank_info_sec1 = 4-2 Motomachi, Hikone-shi, Shiga-ken 522-8501
<!-- blank fields (section 2) -->
| blank_name_sec2 = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]
<!-- website, footnotes -->
| website = {{Official homepage|https://www.city.hikone.lg.jp/}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = [[Tachibana orange|Tachibana Orange]]
| flower = [[Iris (plant)|Iris]]
| bird =
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
| fish =
| other_symbols =
}}
}}


{{nihongo|'''Hikone'''|彦根市|Hikone-shi}} is a [[Cities of Japan|city]] located in [[Shiga Prefecture]], [[Japan]]. {{As of|2021|08|01}}, the city had an estimated [[population]] of 111,958 in 49066 households and a [[population density]] of 570 persons per km².<ref name="Hikone-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.hikone.lg.jp/kakuka/shimin_kankyo/2/2/3132.html|title= Hikone city official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}}</ref> The total area of the city is {{convert|196.84|sqkm|sqmi}}.
The city was incorporated on [[February 11]], [[1937]].


==Geography==
Hikone's most famous historical site is [[Hikone Castle]]. Its construction was begun in [[1603]] by Ii Naokatsu, son of the former lord, [[Ii Naomasa]], but was not completed until [[1622]]. Naokatsu's lands had been taken from him in the interval by the Tokugawa shogunate, and when his brother Naotake assumed control of the Omi area, he was able to complete the castle by collecting stones from the former Sawayama castle. When the [[Meiji period|Meiji]] era began in [[1868]], many castles were scheduled to be dismantled and only a request from the emperor himself, touring the area, kept Hikone-jo intact. Today it remains one of the oldest original-construction castles in Japan.
Hikone is located in central Shiga Prefecture, on the eastern shore of [[Lake Biwa]], and extending inland to the Ibuki Mountains. Parts of the city are within the borders of the [[Biwako Quasi-National Park]].


===Neighboring municipalities===
Hikone lies on the [[Nakasendō]], which was one of the most important trading routes until modern times. Today, a small area south of the castle, called the Yume Kyobashi Castle Road, is built in the old style and attracts visitors keen to see modern construction fused with traditional looks. Even the [[Lake Biwa|Biwako]] Bank in this district has remodeled itself to fit in with the surrounding structures.
Shiga Prefecture
[[Image:JapanShigaHikoneCastle.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Hikone Castle]]
*[[Aishō, Shiga|Aishō]]
Hikone is the home of the [[Japan Center for Michigan Universities]] (JCMU), a facility operated jointly by a consortium of the fifteen public universities in the State of Michigan and the government of Shiga Prefecture that offers programs for American university students and scholars for the study of Japanese language and culture, as well as courses in English for the citizens of the Shiga Prefecture. The Michigan Center, as it is known, was founded in 1989 under the auspices of the Michigan-Shiga Sister State Agreement, the oldest such relationship between a US state and Japanese prefecture.
*[[Higashiōmi]]
*[[Kōra, Shiga|Kōra]]
*[[Maibara, Shiga|Maibara]]
*[[Taga, Shiga|Taga]]
*[[Toyosato, Shiga|Toyosato]]


===Climate===
In 2003, meetings were held to discuss the merger of Hikone city with [[Toyosato, Shiga|Toyosato]] (豊郷町), [[Kora, Shiga|Kora]] (甲良町), and [[Taga, Shiga|Taga]] (多賀町) towns. However, a survey conducted by the city in February of 2004 revealed that most of the city's citizens opposed the merger, leading the city government to shelve the proposal for the time being.
Hikone has a [[Humid subtropical climate]] (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hikone is 14.6&nbsp;°C. The average annual rainfall is 1810&nbsp;mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.4&nbsp;°C, and lowest in January, at around 3.6&nbsp;°C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/shiga/hikone-4805/ Hikone climate data]</ref> The highest recorded temperature was 37.7&nbsp;°C (July 26, 2014) and the lowest was -11.3&nbsp;°C (January 23, 1904).


{{Weather box
== Miscellaneous topics ==
|width=auto
=== Sister cities ===
|metric first = yes
* [[Ann Arbor, Michigan]], [[USA]]
|single line = yes
* [[Xiangtan]], [[Hunan]], [[China]]
|location = Hikone (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1893−present)
|Jan record high C = 17.2
|Feb record high C = 19.9
|Mar record high C = 24.5
|Apr record high C = 28.7
|May record high C = 31.6
|Jun record high C = 35.2
|Jul record high C = 37.7
|Aug record high C = 37.5
|Sep record high C = 36.5
|Oct record high C = 32.1
|Nov record high C = 26.1
|Dec record high C = 21.4
|Jan high C = 7.1
|Feb high C = 7.7
|Mar high C = 11.6
|Apr high C = 17.4
|May high C = 22.6
|Jun high C = 26.0
|Jul high C = 30.2
|Aug high C = 32.1
|Sep high C = 27.6
|Oct high C = 21.8
|Nov high C = 15.6
|Dec high C = 9.8
|Jan mean C = 3.9
|Feb mean C = 4.2
|Mar mean C = 7.2
|Apr mean C = 12.4
|May mean C = 17.6
|Jun mean C = 21.8
|Jul mean C = 26.1
|Aug mean C = 27.5
|Sep mean C = 23.6
|Oct mean C = 17.7
|Nov mean C = 11.7
|Dec mean C = 6.5
|Jan low C = 1.0
|Feb low C = 1.0
|Mar low C = 3.5
|Apr low C = 8.1
|May low C = 13.5
|Jun low C = 18.4
|Jul low C = 22.9
|Aug low C = 24.1
|Sep low C = 20.2
|Oct low C = 14.0
|Nov low C = 8.0
|Dec low C = 3.2
|Jan record low C = -11.3
|Feb record low C = -8.9
|Mar record low C = -7.9
|Apr record low C = -2.1
|May record low C = 0.9
|Jun record low C = 6.9
|Jul record low C = 12.8
|Aug record low C = 14.0
|Sep record low C = 8.3
|Oct record low C = 1.5
|Nov record low C = -2.4
|Dec record low C = -8.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 112.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 99.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 114.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 117.3
|May precipitation mm = 146.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 175.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 219.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 124.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 167.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 140.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 85.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 105.9
|year precipitation mm = 1610.0
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 14.1
|Feb precipitation days = 12.1
|Mar precipitation days = 12.2
|Apr precipitation days = 10.6
|May precipitation days = 9.8
|Jun precipitation days = 11.6
|Jul precipitation days = 12.0
|Aug precipitation days = 8.0
|Sep precipitation days = 10.3
|Oct precipitation days = 9.0
|Nov precipitation days = 8.6
|Dec precipitation days = 13.2
|Jan snow cm = 36
|Feb snow cm = 29
|Mar snow cm = 6
|Apr snow cm = 0
|May snow cm = 0
|Jun snow cm = 0
|Jul snow cm = 0
|Aug snow cm = 0
|Sep snow cm = 0
|Oct snow cm = 0
|Nov snow cm = 0
|Dec snow cm = 11
|year snow cm = 81
|unit snow days = 3 cm
|Jan snow days = 5.3
|Feb snow days = 4.8
|Mar snow days = 0.9
|Apr snow days = 0
|May snow days = 0
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 0
|Oct snow days = 0
|Nov snow days = 0
|Dec snow days = 1.8
|humidity colour= green
|Jan humidity = 75
|Feb humidity = 74
|Mar humidity = 72
|Apr humidity = 70
|May humidity = 71
|Jun humidity = 76
|Jul humidity = 77
|Aug humidity = 73
|Sep humidity = 75
|Oct humidity = 74
|Nov humidity = 74
|Dec humidity = 75
|Jan sun = 99.8
|Feb sun = 115.6
|Mar sun = 162.6
|Apr sun = 183.8
|May sun = 197.3
|Jun sun = 154.4
|Jul sun = 169.8
|Aug sun = 213.0
|Sep sun = 162.9
|Oct sun = 163.0
|Nov sun = 134.6
|Dec sun = 106.4
|year sun = 1863.3
|source 1 = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=60&block_no=47761&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = February 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=60&block_no=47761&year=&month=&day=&view=h0
|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）
| publisher = [[Japan Meteorological Agency|JMA]]
| access-date = February 26, 2022}}</ref>}}


==Demographics==
== External links ==
Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-shiga.php Hikone population statistics]</ref> the population of Hikone has increased steadily over the past 60 years.
* {{wikitravelpar|Hikone}}

* [http://www.city.hikone.shiga.jp/ Official website] in Japanese
{{Historical populations
* [http://www.isp.msu.edu/jcmu/ Information on the Japan Center for Michigan Universities and its academic programs]
| 1920 | 55,280
| 1930 | 62,877
| 1940 | 64,264
| 1950 | 77,606
| 1960 | 72,931
| 1970 | 78,753
| 1980 | 89,701
| 1990 | 99,519
| 2000 | 107,860
| 2010 | 112,156
| 2020 | 113,647
|align = none
| footnote =
}}

==History==
[[File:Nakasendo in Tsuzuracho Hikone 20110809.jpg|thumb|left|180px|[[Nakasendō|Nakasendo]]]]
[[File:Hikone castle17s3200.jpg|thumb|left|180px|[[Hikone Castle]]]]
Hikone is part of ancient [[Ōmi Province]] and was originally a market town that developed around a Buddhist temple called Hogon-ji which was founded in the [[Heian period]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=International Dictionary of Historic Places, Volume 5: Asia and Oceania|publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers|year=1996|isbn=1-884964-04-4|editor-last=Schellinger|editor-first=Paul|location=Chicago|pages=338, 339|editor-last2=Salkin|editor-first2=Robert}}</ref> The site was a natural bottleneck on the route of the [[Tōsandō]] (later the [[Nakasendō]]) highway connecting [[Heian-kyō]] with the eastern provinces. Hikone is home to two former [[shukuba|post stations]], [[Toriimoto-juku]] and [[Takamiya-juku]] on the Nakasendō and the [[Chōsenjin Kaidō]] also passed through the area. Strategically, it was a vital point in protecting the capital from attack from the east. In the [[Sengoku period]], this area was controlled by the [[Azai clan]], who were based in northern Ōmi, and who built a castle called Sawayama Castle. The Azai were defeated by [[Oda Nobunaga]], who assigned Sawayama Castle to his general [[Niwa Nagahide]]. Under [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], this closest advisor, [[Ishida Mitsunari]] was entrusted with the castle. After Ishida Mitsunari was defeated at the [[Battle of Sekigahara]] in 1601, [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] appointed his general [[Ii Naomasa]] as ''[[daimyō]]'' of a new domain centered at Sawayama Castle. Ii Naomasa began the construction of [[Hikone Castle]], which was completed by his son [[Ii Naokatsu]] in 1622. The area remained under the control of [[Hikone Domain]] through the end of the [[Edo Period]].<ref name="Shiseki">{{cite book |last1=Isomura |first1=Yukio |last2=Sakai |first2=Hideya |title=(国指定史跡事典) National Historic Site Encyclopedia |date=2012 |publisher=学生社 |isbn=4311750404}}{{in lang|ja}}</ref>

The town of Hikone was established on April 1, 1889 within [[Inukami District, Shiga]] with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to city status on February 11, 1937 by merging with the neighboring villages of Matsubara, Aonami, Kitaaoyagi, Fukumitsu and Chimoto. The city escaped major damage in [[World War II]].

In 2003, meetings were held to discuss the merger of Hikone with the towns of [[Toyosato, Shiga|Toyosato]], [[Kōra, Shiga|Kōra]], and [[Taga, Shiga|Taga]] (all from [[Inukami District, Shiga|Inukami District]]). However, a survey conducted by the city in February 2004, revealed that most citizens opposed the merger, leading the city government to shelve the proposal.{{Citation needed|date=January 2013}}

==Government==
[[file:Hikone City Hall.jpg|right|thumb|Hikone City Hall]]
Hikone has a [[mayor-council]] form of government with a directly elected mayor and a [[unicameral]] city council of 24 members. Hikone, collectively with the towns of Inukami District, contributes four members to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Shiga 2nd district of the [[House of Representatives of Japan|lower house]] of the [[Diet of Japan]].

==Economy==
[[File:Hikone Apples 07.jpg|thumb|Hikone apples, a local [[apple]] cultivar]]
The key industries of Hikone are the manufacturing of [[butsudan]], [[textile]]s, and [[valve]]s. [[Bridgestone]] has a tire manufacturing plant here. [[Fujitec]], [[Ohmi Railway]], and Heiwadō (the largest supermarket chain in Shiga) are headquartered in Hikone.<ref name=":0" />

In 1999, a small area south of the castle, called the Yume Kyōbashi Castle Road, was built in the old style and attracts visitors keen to see modern construction fused with traditional looks. Even the [[Kansai Urban Bank]] in this district has remodeled itself to fit in with the surrounding structures.

==Education==
[[File:ShigaUniv Hikone AssemblyHall01.jpg|thumb|Shiga University]]
There are three universities in Hikone: [[Seisen University (Shiga)|Seisen University]], [[Shiga University]], and [[The University of Shiga Prefecture]] (USP).

Hikone is also the home of the [[Japan Center for Michigan Universities]] (JCMU), a facility operated jointly by a consortium of the [[List of colleges and universities in Michigan|fifteen public universities]] in the [[Michigan|State of Michigan]] and the government of Shiga Prefecture (in coordination with USP) that offers programs for American university students and scholars for the study of [[Japanese language]] and [[Culture of Japan|culture]], as well as courses in English for the citizens of Shiga Prefecture. The Michigan Center, as it is known, was founded in 1989, under the auspices of the Michigan-Shiga Sister State Agreement, the oldest such relationship between a US state and Japanese prefectures.

Hikone has 17 public elementary schools and seven public middle schools operated by the city government and one middle school operated by the Shiga Prefectural Department of Education. The prefecture also operates six public high schools and two special education schools for the handicapped. There are also two private high schools.

==Transportation==
===Railway===
[[File:JR logo (west).svg|20px]] [[West Japan Railway Company|JR West]] – [[Biwako Line]]
* {{STN|Hikone}} - {{STN|Minami-Hikone}} - {{STN|Kawase}} - {{STN|Inae}}
[[File:Ohtetsu Logomark.svg|20px]] [[Ohmi Railway]] – [[Ohmi Railway Main Line|Main Line]]
* {{STN|Fujitec-mae}} - {{STN|Toriimoto}} - {{STN|Hikone}} - {{STN|Hikone-Serikawa}} - {{STN|Hikoneguchi}}

===Highway===
* [[File:JP Expressway E1.svg|20px|link=|alt=]] [[Meishin Expressway]]
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|8}}
* {{jct|country=JPN|Route|306}}

==Sister cities==
Hikone is [[town twinning|twinned]] with the following two cities:<ref>[http://www.city.hikone.shiga.jp/english/inter/index.html International relations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214050145/http://www.city.hikone.shiga.jp/english/inter/index.html |date=2012-12-14 }} Retrieved 7 November 2012</ref>
*{{flagicon|United States}} [[Ann Arbor, Michigan]], United States 1969
*{{flagicon|China}} [[Xiangtan]], [[Hunan]], China

==Local attractions==
*[[Carrom]], unlike in most parts of Japan, carrom is still popular in Hikone ever since it was introduced in the early 20th century.
*[[Hikone Castle]], National Treasure and Special National Historic Site
*[[Kōjinyama Kofun]], National Historic Site
*[[Lake Biwa]]
*[[Sawayama Castle]] ruins

== Noted people from Hikone ==
* [[Oniroku Dan]]
* [[Yoshihide Fukao]]
* [[Hikonyan]]
* [[Ii clan]]
* [[Yoshihide Kiryū]]
* [[Ii Naokatsu]]
* [[Ii Naomasa]]
* [[Takanori Nishikawa]]
* [[Ippei Shimamura]]
* [[Kizo Yasui]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.city.hikone.shiga.jp/ Hikone City official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802011517/http://www.city.hikone.shiga.jp/english/index.html |date=2009-08-02 }} {{in lang|ja|en|pt}}
{{wikivoyage|Hikone}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041208054618/http://www.isp.msu.edu/jcmu/ Information on the Japan Center for Michigan Universities and its academic programs]


{{Shiga}}
{{Shiga}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Cities in Shiga Prefecture]]
[[Category:Cities in Shiga Prefecture]]
[[Category:Hikone, Shiga]]

[[de:Hikone]]
[[eo:Hikone]]
[[fr:Hikone]]
[[ko:히코네 시]]
[[ja:彦根市]]
[[pt:Hikone]]
[[zh:彦根市]]

Revision as of 23:02, 5 October 2024

"Hikone" redirects here. For other uses, see Hikone (disambiguation).
Hikone
彦根市
City
City central, Lake Biwa and Hikone castle viewed from Sawayama castle ruin
City central, Lake Biwa and Hikone castle viewed from Sawayama castle ruin
Flag of Hikone
Flag
Official seal of Hikone
Emblem
Location of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture
Location of Hikone in Shiga Prefecture
Hikone is located in Japan
Hikone
Hikone
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°16′N 136°16′E / 35.267°N 136.267°E / 35.267; 136.267
CountryJapan
RegionKansai
PrefectureShiga
Government
 • MayorHiroyuki Wada (since May 2021)
Area
 • Total
196.84 km2 (76.00 sq mi)
Population
 (August 31, 2021)
 • Total
111,958
 • Density570/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address4-2 Motomachi, Hikone-shi, Shiga-ken 522-8501
Phone number0749-30-6111
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
FlowerIris
TreeTachibana Orange

Hikone (彦根市, Hikone-shi) is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2021, the city had an estimated population of 111,958 in 49066 households and a population density of 570 persons per km².[1] The total area of the city is 196.84 square kilometres (76.00 sq mi).

Geography

Hikone is located in central Shiga Prefecture, on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, and extending inland to the Ibuki Mountains. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Biwako Quasi-National Park.

Neighboring municipalities

Shiga Prefecture

Climate

Hikone has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hikone is 14.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1810 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 3.6 °C.[2] The highest recorded temperature was 37.7 °C (July 26, 2014) and the lowest was -11.3 °C (January 23, 1904).

Climate data for Hikone (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1893−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.2
(63.0) 		19.9
(67.8) 		24.5
(76.1) 		28.7
(83.7) 		31.6
(88.9) 		35.2
(95.4) 		37.7
(99.9) 		37.5
(99.5) 		36.5
(97.7) 		32.1
(89.8) 		26.1
(79.0) 		21.4
(70.5) 		37.7
(99.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.1
(44.8) 		7.7
(45.9) 		11.6
(52.9) 		17.4
(63.3) 		22.6
(72.7) 		26.0
(78.8) 		30.2
(86.4) 		32.1
(89.8) 		27.6
(81.7) 		21.8
(71.2) 		15.6
(60.1) 		9.8
(49.6) 		19.1
(66.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.9
(39.0) 		4.2
(39.6) 		7.2
(45.0) 		12.4
(54.3) 		17.6
(63.7) 		21.8
(71.2) 		26.1
(79.0) 		27.5
(81.5) 		23.6
(74.5) 		17.7
(63.9) 		11.7
(53.1) 		6.5
(43.7) 		15.0
(59.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.0
(33.8) 		1.0
(33.8) 		3.5
(38.3) 		8.1
(46.6) 		13.5
(56.3) 		18.4
(65.1) 		22.9
(73.2) 		24.1
(75.4) 		20.2
(68.4) 		14.0
(57.2) 		8.0
(46.4) 		3.2
(37.8) 		11.5
(52.7)
Record low °C (°F) −11.3
(11.7) 		−8.9
(16.0) 		−7.9
(17.8) 		−2.1
(28.2) 		0.9
(33.6) 		6.9
(44.4) 		12.8
(55.0) 		14.0
(57.2) 		8.3
(46.9) 		1.5
(34.7) 		−2.4
(27.7) 		−8.7
(16.3) 		−11.3
(11.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 112.0
(4.41) 		99.6
(3.92) 		114.9
(4.52) 		117.3
(4.62) 		146.9
(5.78) 		175.6
(6.91) 		219.0
(8.62) 		124.6
(4.91) 		167.7
(6.60) 		140.7
(5.54) 		85.8
(3.38) 		105.9
(4.17) 		1,610
(63.39)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 36
(14) 		29
(11) 		6
(2.4) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		11
(4.3) 		81
(32)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 14.1 12.1 12.2 10.6 9.8 11.6 12.0 8.0 10.3 9.0 8.6 13.2 131.5
Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) 5.3 4.8 0.9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.8 12.8
Average relative humidity (%) 75 74 72 70 71 76 77 73 75 74 74 75 74
Mean monthly sunshine hours 99.8 115.6 162.6 183.8 197.3 154.4 169.8 213.0 162.9 163.0 134.6 106.4 1,863.3
Source: JMA[3][4]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Hikone has increased steadily over the past 60 years.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1920 55,280—    
1930 62,877+13.7%
1940 64,264+2.2%
1950 77,606+20.8%
1960 72,931−6.0%
1970 78,753+8.0%
1980 89,701+13.9%
1990 99,519+10.9%
2000 107,860+8.4%
2010 112,156+4.0%
2020 113,647+1.3%

History

Nakasendo
Hikone Castle

Hikone is part of ancient Ōmi Province and was originally a market town that developed around a Buddhist temple called Hogon-ji which was founded in the Heian period.[6] The site was a natural bottleneck on the route of the Tōsandō (later the Nakasendō) highway connecting Heian-kyō with the eastern provinces. Hikone is home to two former post stations, Toriimoto-juku and Takamiya-juku on the Nakasendō and the Chōsenjin Kaidō also passed through the area. Strategically, it was a vital point in protecting the capital from attack from the east. In the Sengoku period, this area was controlled by the Azai clan, who were based in northern Ōmi, and who built a castle called Sawayama Castle. The Azai were defeated by Oda Nobunaga, who assigned Sawayama Castle to his general Niwa Nagahide. Under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, this closest advisor, Ishida Mitsunari was entrusted with the castle. After Ishida Mitsunari was defeated at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu appointed his general Ii Naomasa as daimyō of a new domain centered at Sawayama Castle. Ii Naomasa began the construction of Hikone Castle, which was completed by his son Ii Naokatsu in 1622. The area remained under the control of Hikone Domain through the end of the Edo Period.[7]

The town of Hikone was established on April 1, 1889 within Inukami District, Shiga with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to city status on February 11, 1937 by merging with the neighboring villages of Matsubara, Aonami, Kitaaoyagi, Fukumitsu and Chimoto. The city escaped major damage in World War II.

In 2003, meetings were held to discuss the merger of Hikone with the towns of Toyosato, Kōra, and Taga (all from Inukami District). However, a survey conducted by the city in February 2004, revealed that most citizens opposed the merger, leading the city government to shelve the proposal.[citation needed]

Government

Hikone City Hall

Hikone has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 24 members. Hikone, collectively with the towns of Inukami District, contributes four members to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Shiga 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Hikone apples, a local apple cultivar

The key industries of Hikone are the manufacturing of butsudan, textiles, and valves. Bridgestone has a tire manufacturing plant here. Fujitec, Ohmi Railway, and Heiwadō (the largest supermarket chain in Shiga) are headquartered in Hikone.[6]

In 1999, a small area south of the castle, called the Yume Kyōbashi Castle Road, was built in the old style and attracts visitors keen to see modern construction fused with traditional looks. Even the Kansai Urban Bank in this district has remodeled itself to fit in with the surrounding structures.

Education

Shiga University

There are three universities in Hikone: Seisen University, Shiga University, and The University of Shiga Prefecture (USP).

Hikone is also the home of the Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU), a facility operated jointly by a consortium of the fifteen public universities in the State of Michigan and the government of Shiga Prefecture (in coordination with USP) that offers programs for American university students and scholars for the study of Japanese language and culture, as well as courses in English for the citizens of Shiga Prefecture. The Michigan Center, as it is known, was founded in 1989, under the auspices of the Michigan-Shiga Sister State Agreement, the oldest such relationship between a US state and Japanese prefectures.

Hikone has 17 public elementary schools and seven public middle schools operated by the city government and one middle school operated by the Shiga Prefectural Department of Education. The prefecture also operates six public high schools and two special education schools for the handicapped. There are also two private high schools.

Transportation

Railway

JR West – Biwako Line

Ohmi Railway – Main Line

Highway

Sister cities

Hikone is twinned with the following two cities:[8]

Local attractions

Noted people from Hikone

References

  1. ^ "Hikone city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ Hikone climate data
  3. ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  4. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  5. ^ Hikone population statistics
  6. ^ a b Schellinger, Paul; Salkin, Robert, eds. (1996). International Dictionary of Historic Places, Volume 5: Asia and Oceania. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers. pp. 338, 339. ISBN 1-884964-04-4.
  7. ^ Isomura, Yukio; Sakai, Hideya (2012). (国指定史跡事典) National Historic Site Encyclopedia. 学生社. ISBN 4311750404.(in Japanese)
  8. ^ International relations Archived 2012-12-14 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 7 November 2012
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