Voters went to the polls in droves on July 11, 2010 to reelect 60-year-old Kada Yukiko for her second term as governor of Shiga Prefecture. She pulled in a record 419,921 votes, the highest number ever for a Shiga governor. She broke the previous record of 319,563 votes in the 1994 gubernatorial election won by Inaba [...]
Posts under ‘Shiga-ken’
Google Maps street views of Shiga
Google Maps now show street views of Shiga Prefecture. On March 11, 2010, Google has started to post photos of the streets of Shiga, mainly in Otsu, Kusatsu, and the road going around Lake Biwa. No doubt, they will keep posting street views of more roads in Shiga as they become available. Street views are [...]
Shiga Governor Kada running for 2nd term
Shiga Prefecture’s Governor KADA Yukiko announced on Feb. 16, 2010 that she will run for a second term as governor of Shiga. She made the announcement at Shiga Prefecture’s legislative assembly in Otsu. Her first four-year term as Shiga governor will end this summer when gubernatorial elections will be held. She seeks wide support among [...]
2010 Shiga calendar in English
滋賀県の2010年の英文カレンダーを作りました！（日本語は下にあります。） For the first time, I have created and published a 2010 calendar for Shiga Prefecture in English. The calendar features my photos of Shiga, showing its beautiful seasons, traditional festivals, architecture, Lake Biwa, and a few “fun” things. Each monthly photo has an English caption, and both Japanese and American holidays are included. You [...]
Swine flu update: Oct. 5, 2009
The H1N1 influenza is officially in epidemic mode in Japan, and Shiga now has over 2,500 children who contracted the virus during the first month of school from Aug. 24 to September 30, 2009. As of September 30, 2009, 2,525 kids (including preschoolers) have contracted the swin flu in Shiga Prefecture. This number includes 384 [...]
Shiga movie: Satoyama (里山)
A full-length movie filmed in Shiga Prefecture called Satoyama (里山) will be released to theaters in Japan from Aug. 22, 2009. In July, I was invited to a movie screening in Tokyo. The movie is a narrated documentary showing how people in Shiga interact and coexist with nature. The term “Satoyama” literally means “Human habitat [...]
Biwako beaches pass water-quality tests
It’s summer again and before people flock to the beaches, Shiga Prefecture in May conducted water-quality tests at nine of Shiga’s most popular swimming beaches. Based on the water-quality test results, the beaches were ranked “AA,” “A,” or “B.” Receiving the highest “AA” rating were Omi-Maiko (Otsu), Miyagahama (Omi-Hachiman), and Nihonmatsu (Nishi-Azai). The second-highest “A” [...]
Swine flu update: 40 infected in Shiga
Although the swine flu scare/panic has largely passed, be aware the bug is still out there. On July 13, 2009, ten new cases of H1N1 patients were confirmed, increasing Shiga’s total to 40 people infected. Eight students attending Higashi Otsu High School were found to be infected, along with a Ryukoku Univ. student, who was [...]
Using mobile phones while bicycling prohibited
Be aware that from July 1, 2009, it is illegal to use a mobile phone while riding a bicycle. Using a cell phone while driving is already illegal, but now it is also illegal while riding a bicycle. According to the police, there were eighteen bicycling accidents in Shiga caused by the rider using a [...]
Otsu mayor earns more than Shiga governor
On June 30, 2009, the 2008 incomes and assets of National Diet members, prefectural governors, and prefectural assembly members were made public as required by law. In 2008, Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko earned 17.27 million yen. This included her 15.06 million yen annual salary as governor and the rest was earned from royalties, speaking fees, writing [...]
My information sources for Shiga news
The news about Shiga which I present here are gleaned from various Japanese sources. When I’m in Shiga, I always try to watch NHK TV news at 6:10 pm on weekdays which is when the local station in Otsu broadcasts Shiga news. I also check for Shiga news online issued by major newspapers like Asahi [...]
Breaking news: Swine flu hits Shiga, schools closed
On the morning of May 20, 2009, Shiga’s first case of swine flu has been confirmed. A 23-year-old male student at the Biwako-Kusatsu campus of Ritsumeikan University has been confirmed as the first patient. His symptoms are not serious and will be hospitalized. None of the swine flu cases in Japan have proved to be fatal. [...]
Cherry blossoms in full bloom in most of Shiga
Cherry blossoms at most of the major spots in Shiga are now in full bloom, as of April 7-8. Otsu, Hikone, Nagahama, Yasu, etc., are in full bloom. Only the colder areas like Oku-Biwako Parkway, Biwako Valley, and Enryakuji are still not in full bloom yet. Kaizu-Osaki and Hachiman-bori will be in full bloom by [...]
Slush funds discovered at Shiga Prefectural government
Another reminder that not everyone in Shiga’s government is upright and honest. On March 30, 2009, the prefectural government announced that they found at least 44 suspected cases of slush funds or suspicious accounting created for illicit purposes by prefectural government departments and employees. The alleged backdoor money (called uragane 裏金) totaled at least 6.9 [...]
Kyaffee (Caffee) now Shiga’s official mascot
Caffee (キャッフィー) has been called back to duty. The mascot character used for Sports Recreation Shiga 2008 has been sworn in by Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko on March 4, 2009 as one of Shiga’s official mascots, especially for sports events. I saw an awful lot of Caffee mascot costumes last year at Spo-rec [...]
Backseat buckle up!
Did you know that Shiga Prefecture has Japan’s lowest rate of people buckling up in the back seat? According to a nationwide survey conducted jointly by Japan’s prefectural police and the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) in Oct. 2007, only 7 people out of 600 wore a seat belt while sitting in the back seat of [...]
Hokuriku Line sees little passenger increase
The Hokuriku Main Line running from Maibara Station to Tsuruga Station in Fukui Pref. converted to direct current power in Oct. 2006, enabling trains to run directly from Kyoto all the way to Tsuruga. Passengers no longer have to change trains at Maibara or Nagahama Station when going beyond Nagahama. Anticipating a substantial increase in [...]