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	<title>Shiga News - by Philbert Ono</title>
	<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog</link>
	<description>Talking about Shiga Prefecture, Japan</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:19:09 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Uminoko Floating School open house</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Operated by Shiga Prefecture&#8217;s Board of Education since Aug. 2, 1983, the Uminoko &#8220;Biwako Floating School&#8221; is an educational boat going on overnight voyages year-round on Lake Biwa, taking Shiga&#8217;s 5th graders. So far, over 430,000 5th graders have gone on overnight voyages on this boat. That&#8217;s one-third the population of Shiga. The kids learn [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/08/uminoko-floating-school-open-house/</link>
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		<title>Funeral held for Heiwado founder</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Natsuhara Heijiro (夏原 平次郎), the founder of the Heiwado supermarket chain, passed away on June 19, 2010. He died of pneumonia at age 91. A funeral was held at Hikone-shi Bunka Plaza on Aug. 5, 2010. Born in 1919 and a native of Hikone, Natsuhara founded Heiwado in 1957 selling shoes and bags. In 1966, he expanded [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/08/funeral-held-for-heiwado-founder/</link>
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		<title>Home page revamped</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The home page at shiga-ken.com has been revamped to be an online portal to Shiga Prefecture. I used to have a long list of links to all my online photo albums, but now I have condensed the photo links and added the following link categories: Maps &#8211; Google Maps of most Shiga cities and towns. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/07/home-page-revamped/</link>
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		<title>Shiga fireworks in summer 2010</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s the fireworks (hanabi) schedule for Shiga Prefecture in summer 2010 listed by date: July 17, 2010 Echigawa Gion Noryo Hanabi Taikai in Aisho, 7:30 pm &#8211; 9:20 pm Along the Echigawa River bank near Miyukibashi Bridge. If rained out, to be postponed to July 18. 愛知川祇園納涼祭花火大会 More info: 愛荘町秦荘観光協会／愛荘町愛知川観光協会　TEL：0749-37-8051 http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~e-machi/new/hanabitaikai.html July 24, 2010 Kashiwabara-juku [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/07/shiga-fireworks-in-summer-2010/</link>
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		<title>Yokaichi giant kite under construction</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Every three years, the giant kite flown at Higashi-Omi&#8217;s annual Yokaichi Odako (Giant Kite) Matsuri festival in May is replaced with a new one. And this year in 2010 is when they are building a new giant kite to replace the old one which saw its third and last flight in May 2010. The retired [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/07/yokaichi-giant-kite-under-construction/</link>
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		<title>Ritto mayor not seeking reelection</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Ritto Mayor Kunimatsu Shoichi announced on July 16, 2010 that he would not seek a third term as mayor when Ritto&#8217;s mayoral election is held in October. Four years ago, Kunimatsu won his second term as mayor upon promising that he would push for the construction of a shinkansen bullet train station in Ritto. This [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/07/ritto-mayor-not-seeking-reelection/</link>
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		<title>About Kora-cho, Shiga in English</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I finally created an &#8220;About&#8221; page in English for Kora town, Shiga Prefecture. It includes a Google Map of Kora which I also created. See it here: http://photoguide.jp/txt/Kora-cho,_Shiga Kora-cho is the only municipality in Shiga which doesn&#8217;t have a tourism Web site. They do have tourist pamphlets, but nothing online.]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/07/about-kora-cho-shiga-in-english/</link>
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		<title>Governor Kada Yukiko reelected in landslide victory</title>
		<description><![CDATA[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 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/07/governor-kada-yukiko-reelected-in-landslide/</link>
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		<title>Tonda bunraku puppet show</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The renown Tonda bunraku puppet troupe in Nagahama will hold its summer performance on Aug. 1, 2010 at Lute Plaza in Nagahama. The show starts at 1:30 pm and includes four plays lasting about 2 hours. Advance tickets are 1,000 yen (1,200 yen at the door on Aug. 1). You can buy advance tickets by [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/07/tonda-bunraku-puppet-show/</link>
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		<title>Mitsui Outlet Park, Shiga Ryuo opens</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Shiga now has another megamall, the much-publicized outlet mall called Mitsui Outlet Park, Shiga Ryuo (三井アウトレットパーク 滋賀竜王) in Ryuo-cho. Opened today on July 8, 2010, the mall is near the Ryuo Interchange on the Meishin Expressway, making it readily accessible by car for shoppers coming from Kyoto, Nara, Mie, and Gifu. It also targets Chinese [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/07/mitsui-outlet-park-shiga-ryuo-opens/</link>
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		<title>New look at Shiga News</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Shiga News has been modernized with a new look and feel. The banner images (all Shiga photos) rotate each time you access Shiga News. The blog content is the same as before, but the format is now more efficient. You can also subscribe via RSS feed or email feed. The shiga-ken.com home page also has [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/07/new-look-at-shiga-news/</link>
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		<title>Mayors of Otsu, Hikone, Moriyama, Ritto, Omi-Hachiman oppose Governor Kada&#8217;s reelection</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Five city mayors in Shiga Prefecture have formed a mayor&#8217;s association (市長有志の会) to oppose the reelection of Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko and to support the election of rival candidate Ueno Ken&#8217;ichiro. Otsu Mayor Mekata Makoto (目片信), Omi-Hachiman Mayor Fujitani Eisho (冨士谷英正), Hikone Mayor Shishiyama Koyo (獅山 向洋), Moriyama Mayor Yamada Nobuhiro (山田亘宏), and Ritto Mayor [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/06/mayors-of-otsu-hikone-moriyama-ritto-omi-hachiman-oppose-governor-kadas-reelection/</link>
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		<title>Japan&#8217;s oldest clay figure in Higashi-Omi</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Making national news in May 2010 was the discovery of Japan&#8217;s oldest clay figure (called &#8220;doguu&#8221; 土偶) in Higashi-Omi. Slightly larger than a human thumbnail, the tiny clay figure is about 1.3 cm tall and depicts the upper torso of a female. Though the head is missing, the figure shows an ample bust and narrower [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/06/japans-oldest-clay-figure-in-higashi-omi/</link>
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		<title>Takatora Summit in Kora 2010</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The town of Kora in Shiga Prefecture hosted the rotating Takatora Summit for the second time on May 9, 2010. Since 1998, the Takatora Summit has been held once every two years in one of four places (Kora, Tsu and Iga both in Mie, and Imabari in Ehime) having a close connection with Lord Todo [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/05/takatora-summit-in-kora-2010/</link>
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		<title>Golden Week 2010 in Shiga</title>
		<description><![CDATA[We saw fine weather during Golden Week in Shiga from late April to early May 2010. I went to see a slew of festivals in Shiga during this time. I traveled to Maibara, Ryuo, Tsuchiyama (Koka), Takashima, Yasu, and Kora. I&#8217;m trying to see all the major Golden Week festivals in Shiga. The problem is, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/05/golden-week-2010-in-shiga/</link>
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		<title>Shiga Lakestars stopped at playoffs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Shiga Lakestars pro basketball team in Japan&#8217;s bj league played well enough this 2009-2010 season to make the playoffs in the Western Conference for the first time in only their second year in the league. Coming in 4th place in the seven-team Western Conference with 29 wins and 23 losses, they qualified to advance [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/05/shiga-lakestars-stopped-at-playoffs/</link>
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		<title>Nagahama sightseeing map in English</title>
		<description><![CDATA[An NPO in Nagahama called Machizukuri Yakuba created a sightseeing map of Nagahama in English. The A3-size black-and-white map is available at the tourist info counter at Nagahama Station and at Nagahama hotels and ryokan inns. The back of the map has a guide to Nagahama hotels and ryokan inns and the ferry schedule to [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/04/nagahama-sightseeing-map-in-english/</link>
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		<title>Brian Williams Parabolic Paintings</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Very good video of renown Shiga-based painter Brian Williams explaining in English about his unique parabolic paintings of Lake Biwa exhibited at a museum in Otsu. http://brianwilliamsart.com/ The video was shot by John Wells, an old friend of mine in Kyoto.]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/03/brian-williams-parabolic-paintings/</link>
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		<title>Omi-Hachiman and Azuchi merge</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Omi-Hachiman and the town of Azuchi merged on March 21, 2010. It is now a new city of about 82,000 residents with the city&#8217;s name remaining the same. A mayoral election will be held on April 25 to elect the new city&#8217;s first mayor. Japan will no longer have a municipality named &#8220;Azuchi.&#8221; This name [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/03/omi-hachiman-and-azuchi-merge/</link>
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		<title>My Lakestars photos in Japan Times</title>
		<description><![CDATA[My photos of Shiga Lakestars player JOHO Masashi were published on The Japan Times Web site on March 21, 2010 (Sun.). The article was written by Edward Odeven who writes a basketball column called &#8220;Hoop Scoop.&#8221; I recently met him at a Lakestars game. This online article is not found in the paper edition. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/sp20100321eo.html [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://shiga-ken.com/blog/2010/03/my-lakestars-photos-in-japan-times/</link>
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