Shiga滋賀県

Shiga-ken, しがけん. The name ends in 県 (ken), prefecture.

Shiga surrounds Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, which covers a sixth of the prefecture.

Open Shiga on the map

Facts

Japanese name

滋賀県

Reading

Shiga-ken / しがけん

Region

Kansai / Kinki 関西・近畿

Capital

Ōtsu 大津市

Population

1,413,610 (2020 census)

Area

4,017 km²

Density

352 people per km²

Municipalities

19: 13 cities and 6 towns

Designated cities

None

Districts (郡)

3

Codes

JIS 25, ISO 3166-2 JP-25

Website

www.pref.shiga.lg.jp

Tree

maple モミジ

Flower

rhododendron シャクナゲ

Bird

little grebe カイツブリ

The tree, flower, and bird are the prefectural symbols, chosen by ordinance. Every prefecture has all three.

The most populous municipalities

2020 census. Share is the municipality's part of the prefecture's population. The other 9 are listed below.

How an address here begins

The prefecture name is written first, then the municipality name. The guide explains the rest of the address, and the map finds any address you paste into it.

Neighbouring prefectures

• Fukui福井県
• Gifu岐阜県
• Mie三重県
• Kyoto京都府

Questions about Shiga

What is the capital of Shiga?

Ōtsu (大津市). The prefectural office is there. It is also the largest municipality in the prefecture.

What does 県 mean in 滋賀県?

県 (ken) means prefecture. It is the ordinary word for prefecture, used by 43 of the 47. The other four are Tokyo (都), Hokkaidō (道), Osaka, and Kyoto (府), which are the same kind of government with a different word at the end of the name.

How many municipalities are in Shiga?

19: 13 cities and 6 towns. Each is a local government with its own mayor and assembly. The towns and villages are grouped into three districts (郡), names used in addresses, not governments.

What is the population of Shiga?

1,413,610 at the 2020 census, on 4,017 km², which is 352 people per km². Shiga is the 26th most populous of the 47 prefectures and the 38th largest by area.

Which prefectures border Shiga?

Four prefectures: Fukui (福井県), Gifu (岐阜県), Mie (三重県), and Kyoto (京都府). Borders across water are not counted.

What region is Shiga in?

Kansai / Kinki (関西・近畿). A region is a customary grouping of prefectures, not a government, so Shiga elects a governor and an assembly but the region elects nothing.

How is Shiga written in Japanese?

滋賀県, read Shiga-ken and written しがけん in hiragana. The last character, 県, is the word for prefecture, and the name is often used without it in English.

How does an address in Shiga begin?

With the prefecture name, then the municipality name: 滋賀県大津市… (Shiga-ken, Otsu-shi, …). After that are written the named area, the chōme, the block, and the building number.

What is the largest city in Shiga?

Otsu City (大津市), with 345,070 people at the 2020 census. It is also the capital. The three most populous municipalities are Otsu City (大津市, 345,070), Kusatsu City (草津市, 143,913), and Hikone City (彦根市, 113,647).

What are the symbols of Shiga?

The prefectural tree is the maple (モミジ), the flower the rhododendron (シャクナゲ), and the bird the little grebe (カイツブリ). Shiga chose them by ordinance, as every prefecture has.