|
Ōtsu
270px, Ōtsu City Hall is the capital city of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 343,991 in 153,458 households and a population density of 740 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . History Ōtsu is part of ancient Ōmi Province and has been settled since at least the Yayoi period. It was an important center of inland water transportation on Lake Biwa and was referred to in the Man'yōshū as and . It was also on the main land routes, the Tōkaidō and the Nakasendō connecting the eastern provinces with the ancient capitals of Japan. Additionally, the ancient Hokurikudō, which connected Kyoto to the provinces of northern Honshu, ran through Ōtsu. From 667 to 672, the Ōmi Ōtsu Palace was founded by Emperor Tenji was the capital of Japan. Following the Jinshin War Ōtsu was renamed . A new capital, Heian-kyō, (now Kyoto), was established in the immediate neighborhood in 794, and Ōtsu (meaning "big port") was revived as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ōmi Ōtsu Palace
The was an imperial palace built by Emperor Tenchi in Asuka period Japan in what is now the city of Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It served as the capital of Japan for a five-year period from 667 to 672 AD. Also known as the , , it was most frequently referred to in ancient sources as the . It was at this location that the Ōmi Code and the family registry system were promulgated, which laid the foundations for the later ''ritsuryō'' state. It location was designated a National Historic Site of Japan in 1979, with the area under protection expanded in 2007 History In 660 AD, during the reign of Empress Saimei, the Korean kingdom of Baekje fell to an alliance of Silla and Tang China. Baekje was a close ally of ancient Japan, it was viewed as a bulwark against possible Silla or Tang expansion and Yamato's foothold in the mainland. Crown Prince Naka no Ōe, later to become Emperor Tenji, and Empress Saimei decided to dispatch an expeditionary force to restore the Baekje kingd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shiga Prefecture
is a landlocked prefecture of Japan in the Kansai region of Honshu. Shiga Prefecture has a population of 1,398,972 as of 1 February 2025 and has a geographic area of . Shiga Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the north, Gifu Prefecture to the northeast, Mie Prefecture to the southeast, and Kyoto Prefecture to the west. Ōtsu is the capital and largest city of Shiga Prefecture, with other major cities including Kusatsu, Nagahama, and Higashiōmi. Shiga Prefecture encircles Lake Biwa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan, and 37% of the total land area is designated as Natural Parks, the highest of any prefecture. Shiga Prefecture's southern half is located adjacent to the former capital city of Kyoto and forms part of Greater Kyoto, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Japan. Shiga Prefecture is home to Ōmi beef, the Eight Views of Ōmi, and Hikone Castle, one of four national treasure castles in Japan. History Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū bef ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keihan Keishin Line
The is an interurban partially-street running railway line in Japan operated by the private railway operator Keihan Electric Railway. The line connects Misasagi Station in Kyoto and Biwako-hamaotsu Station in the neighbouring city of Ōtsu 270px, Ōtsu City Hall is the capital city of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 343,991 in 153,458 households and a population density of 740 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . History Ōtsu is .... Train service Except trains between Shinomiya Station and Biwako-hamaotsu Station in early morning and late night, all trains go directly from Biwako-hamaotsu Station to Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station or Uzumasa Tenjingawa Station on the Kyoto City Subway Tōzai Line. During off peak hours, the line operates every 20 minutes. Stations and connecting lines ;Abandoned stations *Midorigaoka Undōjō-mae: Shinomiya - Oiwake (extra station, abandoned in 1942) *Kamisekidera: Ōtani - Kami ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Enryaku-ji
is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was first founded in 788 during the early Heian period (794–1185) by Saichō (767–822), also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism to Japan from China. The temple complex has undergone several reconstruction efforts since then, with the most significant (that of the main hall) taking place in 1642 under Tokugawa Iemitsu. Enryaku-ji is the headquarters of the Tendai sect and one of the most significant monasteries in Japanese history. As such, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site " Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)". The founders of Jōdo-shū, , Sōtō Zen, and Nichiren Buddhism all spent time at the monastery. Enryaku-ji is also the center for the practice of kaihōgyō (aka the "marathon monks"). History With the support of Emperor Kanmu, the Buddhist monk Saichō ordained a hundred disciples in 807. Maintaining a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lake Biwa
is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. It is located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13th oldest lake in the world. Because of its proximity to the country's historical capital Kyoto, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles. Name The name ''Biwako'' was established in the Edo period. There are various theories about the origin of the name ''Biwako'', but it is generally believed to be so named because of the resemblance of its shape to that of a stringed instrument called the ''biwa''. Kōsō, a learned monk of Enryaku-ji in the 14th century, gave a clue to the origin of the name ''Biwako'' in his writing: "The lake is the Pure land of the goddess Benzaiten because she lives on Chikubu Island and the shape of the lake is similar to that of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ōmi Province
was a Provinces of Japan, province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō Circuit (subnational entity), circuit. Its nickname is . Under the ''Engishiki'' classification system, Ōmi was ranked as one of the 13 "great countries" (大国) in terms of importance, and one of the "near countries" (近国) in terms of distance from the imperial capital Kyoto. Ōmi bordered on Wakasa Province, Wakasa and Echizen Provinces to the north, Mino Province, Mino and Ise Provinces to the east, Iga Province, Iga and Yamato Provinces to the south, and Yamashiro Province, Yamashiro and Tanba Provinces to the west. Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province. History The area of Ōmi has been settled since at least the Yayoi period, and the traces of several large settlements have been found. During the Kofun period, the area appears to have been dominated by several powerful immigrant clans, most no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Core Cities Of Japan
A is a class or category of cities of Japan, Japanese cities. It is a local administrative division created by the national government.Web-Japan.org"Local self-government", p. 3 retrieved 2012-11-28. Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by Prefectures of Japan, prefectural governments, but not as many as Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated cities. To become a candidate for core city status, a city must have a population greater than 300,000 and an area greater than 100 square kilometers, although special exceptions may be made by order of the cabinet for cities with populations under 300,000 but over 200,000. After the abolition of Special cities of Japan, special city status on April 1, 2015, any city with a population above 200,000 may apply for core city status. Application for designation is made by a city with the approval of both the city and prefectural assemblies. History The term "core city" was created by the first c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ishiyama-dera
is a Shingon temple in Ōtsu in Japan's Shiga Prefecture. This temple is the thirteenth of the Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage. History It was constructed around 747 CE, and is said to have been founded by Rōben. The temple contains a number of cultural assets. The temple possesses two fragments of manuscripts of the ''Records of the Grand Historian'' (''Shiji'' 史記), the first of China's 24 dynastic histories, which are the only known extant fragments that pre-date the Tang dynasty (618907). According to literature available at the temple complex, the guardian carvings at Sanmon/Todaimon are by Tankei and Unkei. Allegedly, Murasaki Shikibu began writing ''The Tale of Genji'' at Ishiyama-dera during a full moon night in August 1004. In commemoration, the temple maintains a Genji room featuring a life-size figure of Lady Murasaki and displays a statue in her honor. The temple features as "The Autumn Moon at Ishiyama" ( ') in the '' Eight Views of Ōmi'' thematic series in art ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mangetsu-ji
is a temple beside Lake Biwa in Ōtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The Heian period statue of Shō Kannon is an Important Cultural Property. The temple, specifically the Ukimidō "floating temple" hall, features in one of the remaining views of the '' Eight Views of Ōmi,'' originally drawn by Hiroshige. The print featuring the temple is "The wild geese returning home at Katata" (堅田の落雁). Access The temple can be reached from the Katata Station (on the JR West Lake West line (Kosei Line), JR西日本湖西線) via bus. On weekends there is a bus directly to the temple, while on weekdays the nearest stop is Demachi 出町, followed by a 7-minute walk. Registered buildings * (1766) * (1754) * (1812) * (1937) * (1937) See also *Enryaku-ji *Ishiyama-dera is a Shingon temple in Ōtsu in Japan's Shiga Prefecture. This temple is the thirteenth of the Kansai Kannon Pilgrimage. History It was constructed around 747 CE, and is said to have been founded by Rōbe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tōkaidō (road)
The , which roughly means "eastern sea route," was the most important of the Edo Five Routes, Five Routes of the Edo period in Japan, connecting Kyoto to the ''de facto'' capital of Japan at Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name. The Tōkaidō was first used in ancient times as a route from Kyoto to central Honshu before the Edo period. Traveling the Tōkaidō Most of the travel was on foot, as wheeled carts were almost nonexistent, and heavy cargo was usually sent by boat. Members of the higher class, however, traveled by ''kago''. Women were forbidden from travelling alone and had to be accompanied by men. Other restrictions were also put in place for travelers, but, while severe penalties existed for various travel regulations, most seem not to have been enforced. Captain Sherard Osborn, who traveled part of the road in around 1858, noted that: ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emperor Tenji
, known first as and later as until his accession, was the 38th emperor of Japan who reigned from 668 to 671. He was the son of Emperor Jomei and Empress Kōgyoku (Empress Saimei), and his children included Empress Jitō, Empress Genmei, and Emperor Kōbun. In 645, Tenji and Fujiwara no Kamatari defeated Soga no Emishi and Iruka. He established a new government and carried out political reforms. He then assumed real political power as the crown prince of both the Kōtoku and Saimei Emperors. Despite the death of Emperor Saimei, he did not accede to the throne for seven years, and came to the throne after the relocation of the capital to Ōmi in 668. He created Japan's first family register, the ''Kōgo Nenjaku'', and the first code of law, the Ōmi Code. Traditional narrative He was the son of Emperor Jomei, but was preceded as ruler by his mother Empress Saimei. Prior to his accession, he was known as . Events of Tenji's life As prince, Naka no Ōe played a cru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prefectures Of Japan
Japan is divided into 47 prefectures (, , ), which rank immediately below the national government and form the country's first level of jurisdiction and Administrative divisions of Japan, administrative division. They include 43 prefectures proper (, ''Prefectures of Japan#Ken, ken''), two Fu (administrative division), urban prefectures (, ''Prefectures of Japan#Fu, fu'': Osaka Prefecture, Osaka and Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto), one regional prefecture (, ''Prefectures of Japan#Dō, dō'': Hokkaido, Hokkaidō) and one metropolis (, ''Prefectures of Japan#To, to'': Tokyo). In 1868, the Meiji Restoration, Meiji ''Fuhanken sanchisei'' administration created the first prefectures (urban ''fu'' and rural ''ken'') to replace the urban and rural administrators (''bugyō'', ''daikan'', etc.) in the Tenryō, parts of the country previously controlled directly by the shogunate and a few territories of rebels/shogunate loyalists who had not submitted to the new government such as Aizu domain, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
