滋賀県

Shiga Prefecture - Shiga-ken


Shiga Prefecture is located in the Kansai region of Honshu island and is mor or less in the center of the island. Japan's largest lake, Lake Biwa, is located at the center of this prefecture. The lake divides the prefecture into four different areas: 湖北 (Kohoku, north of lake), 湖西 (Kosei, west of lake), 湖東 (Kotō, east of lake), and 湖南 (Konan, south of lake). The plains along the eastern shore are densely populated. The center is enclosed by mountain ranges, with the Hira Mountains and Mount Hiei in the west, the Ibuki Mountains in the northeast, and the Suzuka Mountains in the southeast. Mount Ibuki (1,377 m asl) is the highest mountain in Shiga. About 37% of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks [2014], the highest percentage of any prefecture.