| Maibara 米原市 |
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| — City — | |
| The shinkansen streaks past Mt. Ibuki before reaching Maibara Station. | |
| Location of Maibara in Shiga | |
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Maibara
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kansai |
| Prefecture | Shiga |
| Area | |
| • Total | 250.46 km2 (96.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 40,349 |
| • Density | 161/km2 (417/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) |
| Phone number | 0749-52-1551 |
| Address | 3-3 Shimotara, Maibara-shi, Shiga-ken 521-8501 |
| Website | City of Maibara |
Maibara (米原市 Maibara-shi) is a city located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.
As of August 1, 2006, the city has an estimated population of 42,154. The total area is 223.1 km².
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Maibara was founded on February 14, 2005 upon the merging of the former towns of Maihara, Santō, and Ibuki in Sakata district. The adjacent town of Ōmi merged with Maibara on October 1, 2005. The new city name was based on the name of Japan Railways' Maibara Station which many people in Japan knew as a bullet train station on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen Line.
The city is in the northeast region of Shiga Prefecture. Its area occupies 5.1% 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-eastern 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.
Maibara is mainly served by the JR Tōkaidō Line along which you can find Kashiwabara, Ōmi-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:
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