Hikone, Shiga
Encyclopedia
is a city
located in Shiga
, Japan
. The city was incorporated on February 11, 1937.
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 Ōmi Province
, he was able to complete the castle by collecting stones from the former Sawayama Castle
. When the Meiji period
began in 1868, many castles were scheduled to be dismantled and only a request from the emperor himself, touring the area, kept Hikone Castle intact. Today it remains one of the oldest original-construction castles in Japan.
Hikone lies on the Nakasendō
, which was one of the most important trading routes during the Edo period
, and is home to two former post stations
, Toriimoto-juku
and Takamiya-juku
. Today, a small area south of the castle, called the Yume Kyōbashi Castle Road, is built in the old style and attracts visitors keen to see modern construction fused with traditional looks. Even the Biwako
Bank in this district has remodeled itself to fit in with the surrounding structures.
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 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.
In 2003, meetings were held to discuss the merger of Hikone with the towns of Toyosato
, Kōra
, and Taga
. However, a survey conducted by the city in February 2004, revealed that most of the citizens opposed the merger, leading the city government to shelve the proposal for the time being.
The key industries of Hikone are Butsudan
, textile
and valve
. Bridgestone
has a tire manufacturing plant here. Fujitec
, Ohmi Railway
and Heiwadō (the largest supermarket chain in Shiga) are headquartered in Hikone.
Ann Arbor
, Michigan
USA Xiangtan
, Hunan
, China
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
located in Shiga
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The city was incorporated on February 11, 1937.
Hikone's most famous historical site is Hikone Castle
Hikone Castle
is the most famous historical site in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. This Edo period castle traces its origin to 1603 when Ii Naokatsu, son of the former daimyo Ii Naomasa, ordered its construction. The keep was originally built in 1575, as part of Ōtsu Castle, and was moved to Hikone by the Ii...
. Its construction was begun in 1603, by Ii Naokatsu, son of the former lord, Ii Naomasa
Ii Naomasa
was a general under the Sengoku period Daimyo, and later Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. He is regarded as one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa along with Honda Tadakatsu, Sakakibara Yasumasa and Sakai Tadatsugu.-Early life:...
, 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 Ōmi Province
Omi Province
is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. It is nicknamed as .Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province...
, he was able to complete the castle by collecting stones from the former Sawayama Castle
Sawayama Castle
is a castle in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. This castle was an important military stronghold of Ōmi Province. The Azai clan held this castle in the Sengoku Period. Ishida Mitsunari held it at the end of the 16th century after the ruin of the Azai clan.This castle was attacked by...
. When the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
began in 1868, many castles were scheduled to be dismantled and only a request from the emperor himself, touring the area, kept Hikone Castle intact. Today it remains one of the oldest original-construction castles in Japan.
Hikone lies on the Nakasendō
Nakasendo
The , also called the , was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 stations between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi, Kōzuke, Shinano, Mino and Ōmi provinces...
, which was one of the most important trading routes during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, and is home to two former post stations
Shukuba
were post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes or one of its sub-routes. They were also called shukueki . These post stations were places where travelers could rest on their journey around the nation...
, Toriimoto-juku
Toriimoto-juku
was the sixty-third of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the north of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.Even today, there are remnants of the former post town around. If you enter from the north, you pass by a pine colonnade that leads to the still-standing buildings...
and Takamiya-juku
Takamiya-juku
was the sixty-fourth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the present-day city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan on the right bank of the Inukami River. It stretches from the center of the city out towards the east. It became a post town shortly after its original founding...
. Today, a small area south of the castle, called the Yume Kyōbashi Castle Road, is built in the old style and attracts visitors keen to see modern construction fused with traditional looks. Even the Biwako
Lake Biwa
is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located in Shiga Prefecture , northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Because of its proximity to the ancient capital, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.-...
Bank in this district has remodeled itself to fit in with the surrounding structures.
Hikone is the home of the Japan Center for Michigan Universities
Japan Center for Michigan Universities
The , a study center operated by a consortium of the fifteen public universities in the State of Michigan and the government of Shiga Prefecture in Japan, is located on the shore of Lake Biwa, in the city of Hikone...
(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 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.
In 2003, meetings were held to discuss the merger of Hikone with the towns of Toyosato
Toyosato, Shiga
is a town located in Inukami District, Shiga, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 7,292 and a density of 937.28 persons per km². The total area is 7.78 km², the smallest town in Shiga...
, Kōra
Kora, Shiga
is a town located in Inukami District, Shiga, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 8,024 and a density of 587.41 persons per km². The total area is 13.66 km²....
, and Taga
Taga, Shiga
is a town located in Inukami District, Shiga, Japan. It has developed as a shrine town of Taga-taisha, one of the most famous shrines in Shiga.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 8,322 and a density of 61.22 persons per km². The total area is 135.93 km².-External links:* *...
. However, a survey conducted by the city in February 2004, revealed that most of the citizens opposed the merger, leading the city government to shelve the proposal for the time being.
The key industries of Hikone are Butsudan
Butsudan
A butsudan is a shrine commonly found in temples and homes in Japanese Buddhist cultures. A butsudan is a wooden cabinet with doors that enclose and protect a gohonzon or religious icon, typically a statue or painting of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, or a "script" mandala scroll...
, textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
and valve
Valve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
. Bridgestone
Bridgestone
The is a multinational rubber conglomerate founded in 1931 by in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of ishibashi, meaning "stone bridge" in Japanese....
has a tire manufacturing plant here. Fujitec
Fujitec
is a company that manufactures elevators, escalators, and vertical mechanized parking equipment. It first began in Japan in 1948, and eventually expanded to many countries around the world.-Outline:...
, Ohmi Railway
Ohmi Railway
is a Japanese private railway company which operates in Shiga Prefecture, and a member of the Seibu group since 1943. The company is named after the Ōmi Province, the former name of the present-day Shiga. The railway is nicknamed by local users because of its noisy sound.- History :Ohmi Railway is...
and Heiwadō (the largest supermarket chain in Shiga) are headquartered in Hikone.
Sister cities
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
USA Xiangtan
Xiangtan
Xiangtan is a city in China's Hunan Province that is located on the lower reaches of Xiang river. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and Peng Dehuai are in the Xiangtan Municipal District, as well as the hometowns of Qing...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
See also
- Shiga UniversityShiga Universityis a national university in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It has campuses at the cities of Ōtsu and Hikone. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1943, and it was chartered as a university in 1949.-External links:*...
- University of Shiga PrefectureUniversity of Shiga Prefectureis a public university in Hikone, Shiga, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1950, and it was chartered as a university in 1995....
- CarromCarromCarrom is a family of tabletop games with gameplay that lies somewhere between billiards and table shuffleboard. Carrom is known by many names around the world, including carrum, couronne, carum, karam, karom, karum, fatta and finger billiards...
- Oniroku DanOniroku Danwas a Japanese author who had been called, "the most celebrated writer of popular SM novels in Japan." Many of his stories have been filmed, most notably by Nikkatsu studio in their Roman Porno series. Dan had a close professional association with actress Naomi Tani throughout her career...
- Yoshihide FukaoYoshihide Fukaois a Japanese former volleyball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics.He was born in Hikone.In 1972 he was part of the Japanese team which won the gold medal in the Olympic tournament. He played all seven matches....
- Takanori NishikawaTakanori Nishikawais a renowned Japanese singer and actor. He performs as T.M.Revolution , which stands for although the name stems from the famous 80s pop electronic band TM Network...