Koka, Shiga
Encyclopedia
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 the southern part of Shiga Prefecture
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 word 'Kōka' is often rendered as 'Koga' in English, especially when referring to the Koga Ninja.)
As of April 2008, the city has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 93,882 and a density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 195 humans per km². The total area is 481.69 km². The city was founded on October 1, 2004 when the towns of Kōka
Koka, Shiga (town)
was a town located in Kōka District, Shiga, Japan.As of 2004, the town had an estimated population of 11,630 and a density of 161.89 persons per km². The total area was 49.3 km²....
, Kōnan
Konan, Shiga
is a city located in the southern part of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 2004 by the merger of the towns of Kōsei and Ishibe, both from Kōka District. The total area is 70.49 km²....
, Minakuchi
Minakuchi, Shiga
was a town located in Kōka District, Shiga, Japan. In Edo period, it developed as a post town of Tokaido and a castle town for Minakuchi Castle....
, Shigaraki
Shigaraki, Shiga
was a town located in Kōka District, Shiga, Japan.On October 1, 2004 Shigaraki was merged with the towns of Kōka, Kōnan, Minakuchi and Tsuchiyama, all from Kōka District, to form the new city of Kōka....
, Tsuchiyama
Tsuchiyama, Shiga
was a town located in Kōka District, Shiga, Japan.On October 1, 2004 Tsuchiyama was merged with the towns of Kōka, Kōnan, Minakuchi and Shigaraki, all from Kōka District, to form the new city of Kōka....
, all from Kōka District
Koka District, Shiga
was a district located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.As of 2003, the district had an estimated population of 147,928 and a density of 267.90 persons per km²...
, merged to form the new city of Kōka.
Kōka is quite well known for its ninja history, fine quality ceramics and for containing two 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...
(Tsuchiyama-juku
Tsuchiyama-juku
was the forty-ninth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in the present-day city of Kōka, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.-History:...
and Minakuchi-juku
Minakuchi-juku
was the fiftieth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in the present-day city of Kōka, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.-History:This post station was developed as early as the Muromachi period, as its location was convenient for travelers going to Ise Shrine and Ise Bay. On the...
) from the historic Tōkaidō
Tokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
. The city launched a new English version of their homepage in April 2007, and they have begun to actively promote themselves as a little known yet highly authentic sightseeing destination
Rail
Koka sits on the Kusatsu LineKusatsu Line
The is a railway line in western Japan operated by West Japan Railway Company . It connects Tsuge on the Kansai Main Line with Kusatsu on the Biwako Line .-Stations:...
of the JR
West Japan Railway Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshū. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka.-History:...
. The line runs from Kusatsu
Kusatsu, Shiga
is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on October 15, 1954, and as of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 123,690 and the density of 1,820 persons per km². The total area is 67.92 km².- Overview :...
to Tsuge Station
Tsuge Station
is a train station in Iga, Mie Prefecture, Japan.-Layout:There are a side platform and an island platform with three tracks on the ground level.The Kusatsu line tracks are electrified but the Kansai Line tracks are not.-Stations next to Tsuge:...
in Iga
Iga, Mie
was a town located in Ayama District, Mie Prefecture, Japan.On November 1, 2004 Iga absorbed the old city of Ueno, the towns of Ayama, the villages of Ōyamada and Shimagahara, all from Ayama District, and the town of Aoyama, from Naga District, to become the new city of Iga.-Geography:Located on...
, Mie Prefecture
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
. There are five stops in Koka - Kibukawa
Kibukawa Station
is a train station in Kōka, Shiga, Japan.-Lines:*West Japan Railway Company**Kusatsu Line*Shigaraki Kōgen Railway**Shigaraki Line*Ohmi Railway**Main Line-JR West, Shigaraki Kogen Railway:*There are 2 platforms with 3 tracks on the ground....
, Kōnan
Konan Station (Shiga)
is a train station in Koka, Shiga, Japan.-Stations next to Kōnan:...
, Terashō
Terasho Station
is a train station in Kōka, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.-Stations next to Terashō:...
, Kōka
Koka Station
is a train station in Koka, Shiga, Japan.-Layout:*There are two platforms, with two tracks.-Stations next to Kōka:...
, and Aburahi
Aburahi Station
is a train station in Koka, Shiga, Japan.-Stations next to Aburahi:...
.
Kibukawa Station also has lines for the Shigaraki Kōgen Railway
Shigaraki Kogen Railway
is a Japanese Third Sector railway company whose investors are Shiga Prefecture and the city of Koka.The railway operates the Shigaraki Line, a former Japanese National Railways line that was transferred to the third sector in 1987. The Shigaraki Line runs from Kibukawa on the JR West Kusatsu Line...
: Shigaraki Line and the 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...
: Main Line
Ohmi Railway Main Line
The is a regional railway line in Shiga Prefecture operated by Ohmi Railway. It connects the cities of Maibara and Koka. It is running parallel with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Takamiya and Gokasho.The line is long, stretching from Maibara to Kibukawa...
.
See also
- Capital of JapanCapital of JapanThe capital of Japan, where the seat of the Government of Japan and home of the Emperor are located, is de facto. While this is generally not in dispute, the capital de jure is unclear. There is a dispute as to exactly when Tokyo became the capital. Some state that it occurred when Tokyo...
- Kōga-ryūKoga-ryuKōka-ryū is a historical school of ninjutsu. It originated from the region of Kōka...
, the Koga Ninja school of ninjutsu - Shigaraki ware
- Miho MuseumMiho MuseumThe Miho Museum is located southeast of Kyoto, Japan, near the town of Shigaraki, in Shiga Prefecture. The museum was the dream of Mihoko Koyama , the heiress to the Toyobo textile business, and one of the wealthiest women in Japan. In 1970 Koyama founded the Shinji Shumeikai spiritual movement...