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■Profile
of Hikone
The City of Hikone is in Shiga Prefecture, near the center of Japan. Hikone
lies on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, the country's largest lake, and
covers an area of 196.84 km2. Some 110,000 people live here.
Distinct seasons and rich natural surroundings give Hikone an appealing
year-round beauty. While serving as a center of industry and transportation,
the city also attracts visitors from around Japan and overseas. Hikone
Castle, standing in elegant profile against Lake Biwa, is both the city's
symbol and its main tourist attraction. Hikone proudly maintains close
sister city ties with Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the United States and Xiangtan,
Hunan, in China.
■Nature and Terrain
The city of Hikone sits on the Eastern shore of Lake Biwa. Wooded mountains suitable for climbing and low lying plains together create a picturesque, scenic landscape around the city. The city experiences all four seasons, which provide fun
activities all year round. The spring season is filled with cherry blossoms,
followed by summer when people come out to play water sports. The fall is filled with brightly colored changing
leaves and cool breezes along the shoreline. In winter, many people enjoy
skiing in the nearby mountains. As the seasons change throughout the year,
the beautiful sunsets across Lake Biwa remain breathtaking.
■History
The City of Hikone has a very rich history. Hikone was first inhabited
during the Jomon Period (8000 years ago) and was famous for its agriculture,
providing rice to the imperial court. During the shogunate era of the
late 16th century, Hikone served as a central battle ground
for two opposing forces during a nation-wide feudal war. On September
15th, 1600, the ruling lord in Hikone was defeated. The lord's
castle was destroyed, and a new one was built years later, with support
from the new Tokugawa government. The erection of Hikone Castle resulted
in the swift development of Hikone as a castle town. In 1622, the construction
of the new castle and surrounding town was completed. During the Edo Period
(1603- 1867), Hikone was governed by a strict shogunate and feudal system
allowing peace and prosperity for over 200 years.
During this period Hikone grew and prospered with the building of major
roads linking the city to the surrounding areas and a system for shipping
rice to major ports on Lake Biwa.
In 1853 the American Commodore Matthew Perry led his ships to Japan causing
great change for the previously secluded country. The Japanese were divided
into two factions: one opposed to opening up the country, and one in favor
of it. Hikone's Lord Naosuke Ii, although highly criticized at the time,
signed a treaty with the U.S. that established free trade between the
U.S. and Japan. He was later assassinated as a result.
In 1868, the new Meiji government was established. The end of the shogunate
era brought great changes to the city of Hikone. Samurai and townsmen
were forced to find new occupations, and left Hikone in search of work.
Hikone's population drastically decreased. However, over time, the city
of Hikone adjusted to the change, and began attracting people back because
of its convenient rail line, strong educational tradition, and its industrial
focus.
■Industry and Agriculture
Industry has flourished in Hikone since the late 1960s. During this time
of economic expansion Hikone City convinced many companies to locate their
factories within its area. Partly due to the ideal climate and location
near Lake Biwa, which provides an adequate water resource, three main
industries were established. These were the production of Butsudan (Buddhist
Altars), machinery valves, and garments. This has led to newer industries
such as tire production, aluminum, and electricity. In addition, agriculture
in Hikone is still plentiful. Within the southern part of Hikone large
rice fields can be found. Unfortunately, the population of farmers has
been decreasing. However, other areas of agriculture,such as the production
of pears and green vegetables,are developing.
■Getting to Hikone
Three types of trains are available:
- Local (Futsu)
trains-stop at every station
- Express (Shinkaisoku)
trains-stop at the larger cities, including Hikone
- Bullet Train (Shinkansen)-runs
between selected cities in Japan, the nearest being Maibara
Coming from Tokyo/
Nagoya:
- Take the JR Tokaido
Shinkansen to Maibara Station.
- Change trains
at Maibara. You can reach Hikone by taking the JR Biwako Line, using
either an express or local train.
- Hikone is approximately
5 minutes from Maibara.
Coming from Kyoto/
Osaka:
- Take the JR Biwako
Line. You can reach Hikone by either express or local train, however
the express train is much faster in this case.
- Hikone is approximately
50 minutes from Kyoto Station and 90 minutes from Osaka station by
express train.
■City Statistics
◎Population：111,514(July 2008)
- Number of Men
：54,897
- Number of Women
：56,617
- Number of Households：42,507
◎ Area：196.84km2
◎ Temperature (2000)
- Average：15.1℃
- Maximum：37.0℃
- Minimum：-2.5℃
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