Kōka, Shiga

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Kōka | official_name = | native_name = {{nobold|{{nobold|{{lang|ja|甲賀市}}}}}} | native_name_lang = ja | settlement_type = City | other_name =  | image_skyline = Koka_City_Hall_2.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = Kōka City Hall | image_flag = Flag of Kōka, Shiga.svg | image_seal = Emblem of Kōka, Shiga.svg | seal_type = Emblem  | image_map = Koka in Shiga prefecture Ja.svg | map_alt = | map_caption = Location of Kōka in Shiga Prefecture | pushpin_map = Japan | pushpin_relief = | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Japan | coordinates = {{coord|34|58|N|136|10|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}} | coordinates_footnotes =   | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Japan | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_name1 = Kansai | subdivision_type2 = Prefecture | subdivision_name2 = Shiga | subdivision_type3 = District | subdivision_name3 =  | established_title =  | established_date = | extinct_title = Now part of | extinct_date = | founder = | named_for =  | seat_type =  | seat =  | government_footnotes =  | leader_party = | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Hiroki Iwanaga | leader_title1 = Vice Mayor | leader_name1 =  | total_type =  | unit_pref = Metric  | area_magnitude =  | area_footnotes =  | area_total_km2 = 481.62 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_note =  | elevation_footnotes =  | elevation_m =  | population_footnotes =  | population_total = 89,619 | population_as_of = September 30, 2021 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_est = | pop_est_as_of =  | timezone1 = JST | utc_offset1 = +09:00  | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type =  | area_code =  | blank_name_sec1 = City hall address | blank_info_sec1 = 6053, Minakuchi, Minakuchichō, Kōka-shi, Shiga-ken<br />528-8502  | website = {{Official website|www.city.koka.shiga.jp/}} | footnotes = | module = {{Infobox region symbols| embedded=yes | tree = ''Cryptomeria'' | flower = Sasayuri {{small|(''Lilium japonicum'')}} | bird = Common kingfisher | flowering_tree = | butterfly = | fish = | other_symbols = }} }} thumb|Kōka "ninja house" thumb|Shigaraki ware ceramics

{{nihongo|'''Kōka'''|甲賀市|Kōka-shi}} is a city in southern Shiga Prefecture, Japan. {{As of|2021|09|30}}, the city had an estimated population of 89,619 in 36708 households and a population density of 190 persons per km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="Kōka-hp">{{cite web |url=https://www.city.koka.lg.jp |title=Kōka city official statistics |location=Japan |language=ja}}</ref> The total area of the city is {{convert|481.62|sqkm|sqmi}}.

==Geography== Kōka occupies the entire southern end of Shiga Prefecture, and is thus long east-to-west. At the eastern end of Kōka, the southern ridge of the Suzuka Mountains with one elevation of 1000 meters runs from northeast to southwest, forming the boundary with Mie Prefecture. The highest altitude point in Kōka is Mount Amagoi in this range.

===Neighboring municipalities=== Kyoto Prefecture *Minamiyamashiro *Ujitawara *Wazuka Mie Prefecture *Iga *Kameyama *Komono *Suzuka *Yokkaichi Shiga Prefecture *Higashiōmi *Hino *Konan *Ōtsu *Rittō *Ryūō

===Climate=== Kōka has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen ''Cfa'') characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kōka is 13.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1673 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.4 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.1 °C.<ref>[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/shiga/koka-4803/ Kōka climate data]</ref>

{{Weather box |width = auto |collapsed = yes |metric first = yes |single line = yes |location = Shigaraki（elevation 265 m） |Jan high C = 6.5 |Feb high C = 7.1 |Mar high C = 11.0 |Apr high C = 17.3 |May high C = 21.8 |Jun high C = 25.0 |Jul high C = 28.8 |Aug high C = 30.0 |Sep high C = 26.0 |Oct high C = 20.3 |Nov high C = 14.9 |Dec high C = 9.5 |Jan low C = -3.5 |Feb low C = -3.4 |Mar low C = -1.1 |Apr low C = 3.4 |May low C = 9.1 |Jun low C = 14.6 |Jul low C = 19.1 |Aug low C = 19.6 |Sep low C = 15.9 |Oct low C = 8.5 |Nov low C = 2.4 |Dec low C = -1.9 |Jan precipitation mm = 55.2 |Feb precipitation mm = 70.7 |Mar precipitation mm = 121.3 |Apr precipitation mm = 111.5 |May precipitation mm = 152.4 |Jun precipitation mm = 207.6 |Jul precipitation mm = 204.4 |Aug precipitation mm = 143.7 |Sep precipitation mm = 168.4 |Oct precipitation mm = 120.1 |Nov precipitation mm = 75.2 |Dec precipitation mm = 53.6 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 9.1 |Feb precipitation days = 10.1 |Mar precipitation days = 13.1 |Apr precipitation days = 10.9 |May precipitation days = 11.2 |Jun precipitation days = 13.0 |Jul precipitation days = 12.8 |Aug precipitation days = 9.3 |Sep precipitation days = 11.4 |Oct precipitation days = 9.8 |Nov precipitation days = 8.3 |Dec precipitation days = 8.2 |Jan sun = 101.2 |Feb sun = 100.9 |Mar sun = 133.6 |Apr sun = 166.3 |May sun = 164.5 |Jun sun = 127.6 |Jul sun = 136.5 |Aug sun = 173.8 |Sep sun = 135.4 |Oct sun = 136.6 |Nov sun = 122.1 |Dec sun = 115.9 |source = [https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/ Japan Meteorological Agency] }}

{{Weather box |width = auto |collapsed = yes |metric first = yes |single line = yes |location = Tsuchiyama (elevation 248 m） |Jan high C = 6.3 |Feb high C = 6.8 |Mar high C = 10.7 |Apr high C = 16.9 |May high C = 21.2 |Jun high C = 24.6 |Jul high C = 28.5 |Aug high C = 29.8 |Sep high C = 25.9 |Oct high C = 20.3 |Nov high C = 14.8 |Dec high C = 9.3 |Jan low C = -1.9 |Feb low C = -1.8 |Mar low C = 0.6 |Apr low C = 5.6 |May low C = 10.9 |Jun low C = 15.9 |Jul low C = 20.3 |Aug low C = 21.3 |Sep low C = 17.5 |Oct low C = 10.6 |Nov low C = 4.5 |Dec low C = -0.1 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 10.6 |Feb precipitation days = 10.9 |Mar precipitation days = 12.6 |Apr precipitation days = 11.0 |May precipitation days = 11.6 |Jun precipitation days = 13.6 |Jul precipitation days = 13.7 |Aug precipitation days = 10.4 |Sep precipitation days = 11.8 |Oct precipitation days = 10.0 |Nov precipitation days = 8.4 |Dec precipitation days = 9.4 |Jan precipitation mm = 60.0 |Feb precipitation mm = 74.4 |Mar precipitation mm = 113.8 |Apr precipitation mm = 114.9 |May precipitation mm = 159.0 |Jun precipitation mm = 205.4 |Jul precipitation mm = 212.1 |Aug precipitation mm = 193.5 |Sep precipitation mm = 208.8 |Oct precipitation mm = 124.4 |Nov precipitation mm = 80.6 |Dec precipitation mm = 56.7 |Jan sun = 90.9 |Feb sun = 98.2 |Mar sun = 137.0 |Apr sun = 167.1 |May sun = 165.8 |Jun sun = 128.3 |Jul sun = 139.4 |Aug sun = 177.2 |Sep sun = 132.7 |Oct sun = 140.2 |Nov sun = 125.0 |Dec sun = 108.9 |source = [https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/ Japan Meteorological Agency] }}

==Demographics== Per Japanese census data,<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/php/japan-shiga.php Kōka population statistics]</ref> the population of Kōka has recently plateaued after several decades of growth.

{{Historical populations | 1920 | 59,455 | 1930 | 60,876 | 1940 | 61,133 | 1950 | 75,407 | 1960 | 70,755 | 1970 | 67,762 | 1980 | 75,203 | 1990 | 82,668 | 2000 | 92,482 | 2010 | 92,704 | 2020 | 88,358 |align = none | footnote = }}

==History== Kōka is part of ancient Ōmi Province. During the Sengoku period, the area was an ''ikki'' and effectively self-governed by local ninja families. In the Edo period it became a center for the ''Kōga-ryū'' school of ninjutsu, in rivalry with ''Iga-ryū''.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27e4NQlriBE |title=Ancient Warfare : Shinobi Ninjas and Kung Fu Shaolin Monks FULL DOCUMENTARIES |date=April 20, 2015 |publisher= |via=YouTube}}</ref> The area was on the route of the Tōkaidō highway connecting Kyoto with Edo and the eastern provinces of Japan. Minakuchi-juku was both a post station and also a castle town for Minakuchi Domain, which ruled over parts of the area of Kōka during the Edo period. The village of Minakuchi was established on April 1, 1889, within Kōka District, Shiga with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status on August 18, 1894. On October 1, 2004, Minakuchi merged with the towns of Kōka, Kōnan, Shigaraki and Tsuchiyama (all from Kōka District) to form the city of Kōka.

==Government== Kōka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 24 members. Kōka contributes three members to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Shiga 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-28 |title=公職選挙法の一部を改正する法律 |url=https://www.shugiin.go.jp/internet/itdb_housei.nsf/html/housei/21020221128089.htm |access-date=2025-02-04 |publisher=Shugiin}}</ref>

==Economy== Kōka is traditionally known for its production of ceramics, most notably Shigaraki ware, as well as agriculture and forestry. Light manufacturing is concentrated to pharmaceuticals.

==Education== Kōka has 21 public elementary schools and six public middle schools operated by the city government and one middle school operated by the Shiga Prefectural Department of Education. The prefecture also operates four public high schools.

==Transport== [[File:Road of the Shuriken.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Shuriken theme at one of the train stations in Kōka, 2011]]

===Railway=== 20px JR West – Kusatsu Line * {{STN|Kibukawa|x}} - {{STN|Kōnan|x|Shiga}} - {{STN|Terashō|x}} - {{STN|Kōka|x}} - {{STN|Aburahi|x}} 20px Ohmi Railway – Main Line * {{STN|Minakuchi Matsuo|x}} - {{STN|Minakuchi|x}} - {{STN|Minakuchi Ishibashi|x}} - {{STN|Minakuchi Jōnan|x}} - {{STN|Kibukawa|x}} Shigaraki Kōgen Railway - Shigaraki Line * {{STN|Kibukawa|x}} - {{STN|Shigarakigūshi|x}} - {{STN|Kumoi|x}} - {{STN|Chokushi|x}} - {{STN|Gyokukeijimae|x}} - {{STN|Shigaraki|x}}

===Highway=== *24px|link=|alt=E1A Shin-Meishin Expressway * {{jct|country=JPN|Route|1}} * {{jct|country=JPN|Route|307}} * {{jct|country=JPN|Route|422}} * {{jct|country=JPN|Route|477}}

==Sister cities== *{{flagicon|United States}} DeWitt, Michigan, United States, renewed 2005 *{{flagicon|United States}} Marshall, Michigan, United States, renewed 2005 *{{flagicon|United States}} Traverse City, Michigan, United States, since 1969; renewed 2005

==Local attractions== * Miho Museum * Minakuchi Castle * Minakuchi-juku * Minakuchi Okayama Castle ruins * site of Shigaraki Palace, National Historic Site * Tarumi Saiō Tongū Site, National Historic Site * Tsuchiyama-juku

==Noted people== *Kaoruko Himeno, author *Mineichi Iwanaga, politician *Peanuts-kun, Musician

==References== <references />

== External links == *{{commons category-inline|Koka, Shiga|Kōka, Shiga}} *{{wikivoyage inline|Koka}} * {{Official website|http://www.city.koka.lg.jp/1.htm|Kōka City official website}} {{in lang|ja}} * {{Official website|http://www.city.koka.lg.jp/en/|Kōka City official website}} {{in lang|en}} *[http://www.city.koka.lg.jp/secure/15611/mappuru01.pdf Mapple Koka city -Secrets to Enjoying Kōka- Guide map of Kōka city]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koka, Shiga}} Category:Cities in Shiga Prefecture Category:Kōka, Shiga