Kōka, Shiga

Kōka 甲賀市
City
Kōka City Hall
Flag Emblem
Location of Kōka in Shiga
Kōka Location in Japan
Coordinates: 34°58′N 136°10′E / 34.967°N 136.167°E / 34.967; 136.167Coordinates: 34°58′N 136°10′E / 34.967°N 136.167°E / 34.967; 136.167
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Shiga
Government
• Mayor	Hiroki Iwanaga
Area
• Total	481.62 km2 (185.95 sq mi)
Population  (June 1, 2019)
• Total	89,202
• Density	190/km2 (480/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	6053, Minakuchi, Minakuchichō, Kōka-shi, Shiga-ken 528-8502
Website	www.city.koka.shiga.jp
Symbols
Bird	Common kingfisher
Flower	Sasayuri (Lilium japonicum)
Tree	Cryptomeria

Kōka (甲賀市, Kōka-shi) is a city located in southern Shiga Prefecture, Japan. (The word 'Kōka' is often rendered as 'Koga' in English, especially when referring to the Koga Ninja.) As of June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 89,202 and a population density of 185 persons per km². The total area is 481.62 km².

The modern city of Kōka was established on October 1, 2004, from the merger of the former town of Kōka, absorbing the towns of Kōnan, Minakuchi, Shigaraki and Tsuchiyama (all from Kōka District).

Kōka is quite well known for its ninja history,^[1] fine quality ceramics (Shigaraki ware) and for containing two shukuba (post stations) (Tsuchiyama-juku and Minakuchi-juku) from the historic Tōkaidō. 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.

Geography[]

Neighboring municipalities[]

• Shiga Prefecture
  • Ōtsu
  • Rittō
  • Konan
  • Higashiōmi
  • Ryūō
  • Hino
• Kyoto Prefecture
  • Wazuka
  • Minamiyamashiro
  • Ujitawara
• Mie Prefecture
  • Yokkaichi
  • Suzuka
  • Kameyama
  • Iga
  • Komono

Transport[]

Shuriken theme at one of the train stations in Kōka, 2011

Koka is served by local buses as well as two train lines.

Rail[]

Koka sits on the Kusatsu Line of the JR. The line runs from Kusatsu to Tsuge Station in Iga, Mie Prefecture. There are five stops in Koka - Kibukawa, Kōnan, Terashō, Kōka, and Aburahi.

Kibukawa Station also has lines for the Shigaraki Kōgen Railway: Shigaraki Line and the Ohmi Railway: Main Line.

See also[]

• Kōga-ryū, the Koga Ninja school of ninjutsu
• Miho Museum
• Minakuchi Castle
• Shigaraki ware

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Kōka, Shiga at Wikimedia Commons
• Koka travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Kōka City official website (in Japanese)
• Kōka City official website (in English)
• Mapple Koka city -Secrets to Enjoying Kōka- Guide map of Kōka city

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