Maibara, Shiga

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The shinkansen bullet train streaks past Mt. Ibuki before reaching Maibara Station.

Maibara (米原市; -shi) is a city located in Shiga, Japan.

As of August 1, 2006, the city has an estimated population of 42,154. The total area is 223.1km²-including unidentified areas.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Tourism
4 Festivals & Events
5 City symbols
6 Miscellaneous topics
7 External links

[edit] History

Maibara was founded on February 14, 2005 upon the merging of Maihara, Santo, and Ibuki towns in Sakata county that were then dissolved. The adjacent town of Omi merged into Maibara on Oct. 1, 2005.

The new city's name was based on the name of Japan Railways' Maibara Station which many people in Japan know as a bullet train station on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen Line.

[edit] Geography

The city is in the northeast region of Shiga Prefecture. Its area occupies 5.1 percent of Shiga's total land area. The west end of the city fronts Lake Biwa, while the mountainous east side borders on Sekigahara, Gifu Prefecture.

Mt. Ibuki is in the north-western part of the prefecture and is Maibara's most prominent landmark and designated as one of Japan's 100 most famous peaks. The Anegawa River and Amanogawa River empty into Lake Biwa, and about 70 percent of the city comprises forest land. The city thus boasts an abundance of water and greenery.

[edit] Tourism

Maibara is mainly served by the JR Tōkaidō Line along which you can find Kashiwabara, Omi-Nagaoka, Samegai, and Maibara Stations. Maibara Station is also a shinkansen bullet train station. From Tokyo, Maibara can be reached in about two and a half hours via bullet train.

The city has a number of major sightseeing spots:

Mt. Ibuki - With an elevation of 1,377.4 meters, Mt. Ibuki is Shiga Prefecture's tallest mountain and a popular spot for skiing in winter and camping and hiking in the warmer months. A gondola and ski lifts carry you toward the top which affords fine views of Lake Biwa and the surrounding area. The nearest station is Omi-Nagaoka Station.

Samegai Trout Farm - Established over a century ago, this is Asia's largest trout farm with many trout ponds. You can rent a fishing pole and fish for trout. There is also a shallow pond where children can try catch (and release) the trout. Riverside restaurants also serve fresh trout. Take a bus from Samegai Station.

Nakasendō stage towns - The Nakasendō was an old highway linking Kyoto with Edo (present-day Tokyo). The highway had 67 stages and three of them were Kashiwabara, Samegai and Bamba in Maibara city. Even today, you can see remnants of these old stage towns established for highway travelers to lodge and trade.

Amanogawa River - In June, fireflies come out at night. Parts of the river are designated as a protected areas for fireflies.

Lake Biwa - The lakeshore road is very scenic on fine days.