Higashiōmi (東近江市, Higashiōmi-shi) is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 September 2021, the city had an estimated population of 113,229 in 45771 households and a population density of 290 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 388.58 square kilometres (150.03 sq mi).

Higashiōmi
東近江市
A view from Aga-jinja
A view from Aga-jinja
Flag of Higashiōmi
Official seal of Higashiōmi
Location of Higashiōmi in Shiga Prefecture
Location of Higashiōmi in Shiga Prefecture
Higashiōmi is located in Japan
Higashiōmi
Higashiōmi
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°7′N 136°12′E / 35.117°N 136.200°E / 35.117; 136.200
CountryJapan
RegionKansai
PrefectureShiga
Government
 • MayorMasakiyo Ogura
Area
 • Total388.37 km2 (149.95 sq mi)
Population
 (September 1, 2021)
 • Total113,229
 • Density290/km2 (760/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address10-5, Yōkaichi Midorimachi, Higashiōmi-shi, Shiga-ken 527-8527
Phone number0749-30-6111
ClimateCfa
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
FlowerPurple Gromwell
TreeJapanese Maple
Higashiomi City Hall
Yōkaichi Kite Festival

Geography

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Higashiōmi is located in east-central Shiga Prefecture, with a small shoreline the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, and extending inland to the Suzuka Mountains and the border with Mie Prefecture. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Suzuka Quasi-National Park.

Neighboring municipalities

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Mie Prefecture

Shiga Prefecture

Climate

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Higashiōmi has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Higashiōmi is 12.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1673 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.5 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.1 °C.[2] The highest recorded temperature was 38.8 °C (July 26, 2014) and the lowest was -11.6 °C (January 31, 1982).

Climate data for Higashiōmi (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.6
(61.9)
20.6
(69.1)
24.9
(76.8)
30.4
(86.7)
33.8
(92.8)
36.0
(96.8)
38.8
(101.8)
39.2
(102.6)
36.9
(98.4)
33.2
(91.8)
25.0
(77.0)
23.5
(74.3)
39.2
(102.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.6
(45.7)
8.4
(47.1)
12.6
(54.7)
18.6
(65.5)
23.5
(74.3)
26.8
(80.2)
30.9
(87.6)
32.5
(90.5)
28.0
(82.4)
22.2
(72.0)
16.3
(61.3)
10.5
(50.9)
19.8
(67.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.1
(37.6)
3.5
(38.3)
7.0
(44.6)
12.4
(54.3)
17.7
(63.9)
21.7
(71.1)
25.7
(78.3)
26.7
(80.1)
22.8
(73.0)
16.7
(62.1)
10.7
(51.3)
5.5
(41.9)
14.5
(58.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.8
(30.6)
−0.7
(30.7)
1.7
(35.1)
6.5
(43.7)
12.3
(54.1)
17.3
(63.1)
21.7
(71.1)
22.4
(72.3)
18.5
(65.3)
11.9
(53.4)
5.6
(42.1)
1.2
(34.2)
9.8
(49.6)
Record low °C (°F) −11.6
(11.1)
−10.8
(12.6)
−7.6
(18.3)
−2.7
(27.1)
2.3
(36.1)
6.5
(43.7)
13.2
(55.8)
12.9
(55.2)
6.8
(44.2)
0.0
(32.0)
−2.9
(26.8)
−10.0
(14.0)
−11.6
(11.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 77.7
(3.06)
82.2
(3.24)
105.8
(4.17)
102.9
(4.05)
130.7
(5.15)
181.0
(7.13)
181.7
(7.15)
123.1
(4.85)
167.0
(6.57)
142.0
(5.59)
74.4
(2.93)
72.0
(2.83)
1,440.5
(56.71)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 11.3 11.7 11.7 10.4 10.2 11.8 12.3 8.6 10.4 9.5 8.6 10.6 127.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 106.0 114.1 154.6 175.5 186.3 135.2 152.7 201.0 149.4 151.0 136.4 119.2 1,781.3
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[3][4]

Demographics

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Per Japanese census data,[5] the population of Higashiōmi has recently plateaued after several decades of growth.

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1950 93,357—    
1960 86,945−6.9%
1970 85,214−2.0%
1980 98,664+15.8%
1990 106,509+8.0%
2000 114,395+7.4%
2010 115,479+0.9%
2020 112,819−2.3%

History

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Higashiōmi is part of ancient Ōmi Province. Portions of the area were under the control of Yamakami Domain, a 13,000 koku fudai territory during the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. With the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Yōkaichi was established within Gamō District, Shiga. Yōkaichi merged with the villages of Hirata, Ichinobe, and Tamano in Gamō District, and Misono and Takebe from Kanzaki District and was elevated to city status on August 15, 1954. The city of Higashiōmi was established on February 11, 2005, from the merger of Yōkaichi with the towns of Eigenji and Gokashō (both from Kanzaki District), and the towns of Aitō and Kotō (both from Echi District).

On January 1, 2006, the town of Notogawa (from Kanzaki District), and the town of Gamō (from Gamō District) were merged into Higashiōmi.

Government

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Higashiōmi has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 25 members. Higashiōmi, together with the town of Ryūō, contributes three members to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Shiga 2nd district and Shiga 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

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The economy of Higashiōmi is centered on agriculture and light manufacturing. There are several industrial parks in the city. Murata Manufacturing, Kyocera, Panasonic, Suntory and Toppan have large factories in the city.

Education

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Higashiōmi has 22 public elementary schools and ten public middle schools operated by the city government. There are five public high schools operated by the Shiga Prefectural Department of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped. The Biwako-Gakuin University, a private's university with associated junior college, is also located in Higashiōmi.

Transportation

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Railway

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  JR WestBiwako Line

  Ohmi RailwayMain Line

  Ohmi Railway Yōkaichi Line

Highway

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Local attractions

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Sister cities

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Higashiōmi maintains the following sister city relationships.[6]

Noted people from Higashiōmi

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References

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  1. ^ "Higashiōmi city official statistics" (in Japanese). Japan.
  2. ^ Higashiōmi climate data
  3. ^ "東近江 年・月ごとの平年値". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  4. ^ "東近江 観測史上1~10位の値". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  5. ^ Higashiōmi population statistics
  6. ^ Sister Cities and Cultural Exchange City of Higashiomi Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine. Higashiomi City Homepage. Retrieved on July 10, 2008.
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  Media related to Higashiōmi, Shiga at Wikimedia Commons