Chronology of Shiga Prefecture’s most important and interesting news headlines for January-December 2015 (according to the year, month, day, and time posted at Japan time).
Originally posted on Twitter under Shiga Headlines by Philbert Ono. Twitter posts are limited to 140 characters including spaces and links (shortened by Twitter).
Updated: April 27, 2025
| 2015/1/3 12:09 | National news: Yogo, Nagahama got 1.3 meter of snow. |
| 2015/1/13 12:33 | Shiga’s 15,294 new adults turning 20 from last April 2 to April 1, 2015 are 586 more than last year, but way below the 21,926 peak in 1995. |
| 2015/1/20 14:34 | While commenting on her 3 years in office on Jan. 19, Otsu Mayor Naomi Koshi stated that she hasn’t decided on running for a 2nd term. |
| 2015/1/20 14:40 | Nagahama City Hall worker Saito Atsushi (齊藤淳) has been arrested for leaking road construction bid info to a bidding contractor last Sept. |
| 2015/1/20 14:53 | A 27-year-old man and two teenage females arrested for making a worker apologize on her hands and knees at a bowling alley in Omi-Hachiman. |
| 2015/1/23 22:23 | Near Hikone’s Mt. Sawayama (Matsubara Naiko), they found remains of a cutout ridge 堀切 and hillside moat 竪堀 likely built by Oda Nobunaga. |
| 2015/1/24 8:09 | The flu hit elderly care home Poplar in Kusatsu from the 11th, sickening 13 patients & staff. An 90-year-old woman patient died on the 23rd. |
| 2015/1/26 10:34 | Otsu started issuing localized moped license plates today. The design has a scroll of Seta Karahashi Bridge at sunset, an Omi Hakkei view. |
| 2015/1/26 22:41 | Tourist boats will ply on the Lake Biwa Canal between Otsu and Kyoto on weekends/holidays during Mar. 28-May 6 on a trial basis. #琵琶湖疏水観光 |
| 2015/2/5 11:09 | Named Niji (Rainbow), a Japanese-language school in Kusatsu for foreign kids closed on Jan. 30 due to a lack of funds. How sad. |
| 2015/2/5 11:14 | Wakasagi fishing season has started at Lake Yogo. You can catch hundreds of these little edible fish until late March. #余呉湖のワカサギ釣り |
| 2015/2/5 11:20 | Hiko-nyan got more nengajo New Year’s postcards (13,315 as of Feb. 2) than Kumamon (7,344 as of Jan. 27) this year in 2015. |
| 2015/2/5 11:24 | Plum blossoms have started blooming at Ishiyama-dera in Otsu. Their hillside plum grove is quite large. http://t.co/rlH01Qv4AS |
| 2015/2/6 16:41 | Kyoto Univ. researchers have found that hama-daikon radish growing along Lake Biwa can well absorb cesium from top soil. Good for Fukushima. |
| 2015/2/7 21:20 | Heiwado on Nagahama Station’s east side closed today after 45 years since Nov. 1969. To be replaced by Monde Cool Nagahama on the south end of the station. |
| 2015/2/9 22:40 | My video introducing some of the best things and people of Konan, Shiga: http://t.co/08l3ndFEzw #滋賀県湖南市 |
| 2015/2/10 21:18 | On Nagahama Station’s south side, the new Heiwado supermarket called Monde Cool Nagahama opened today to replace the old store on the east side. |
| 2015/2/12 21:18 | Takahama Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui is closer to a restart by this summer as Shiga struggles to formulate emergency evacuation plans. |
| 2015/2/17 19:43 | Koka City Hall (Minakuchi) workers in tourism PR are dressed as ninja to promote Feb. 22 as Ninja Day with Iga, Mie. http://t.co/T7TDpE3A8i |
| 2015/2/22 19:25 | Dinner in 1st class on domestic JAL flights next month will include Omi beef, red konnyaku, & Biwako fish. Only for 1 month. #JAL機内食で滋賀の魅力発信 |
| 2015/2/27 00:43 | Needles found in packaged pastries at Al Plaza Minakuchi & Heiwado Shigaraki supermarkets in Koka earlier this month. No injuries reported. |
| 2015/2/27 00:58 | Kurokabe Square in Nagahama is showing and selling Hina Matsuri Girl’s Day dolls made of glass, until March 22. http://t.co/5RLYfSl7Bl |
| 2015/3/1 14:56 | Kenyan Samuel Ndungu won the rainy 70th Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon today in 2:09:08, Kazuhiro Maeda #前田和浩 was 4th at 2:11:46. #びわ湖毎日マラソン |
| 2015/3/2 13:17 | Foreigners living in Shiga are decreasing, but foreign permanent residents have been increasing from 2,000 in 2003 to 8,300 in 2013. |
| 2015/3/2 13:24 | Fire at 4:55 am today at Hamakogetsu ryokan #浜湖月 in Nagahama. All 20 people evacuated safely. 13 fire trucks put out the fire after 3 hours. |
| 2015/3/2 23:55 | University of Shiga Prefecture male professor padded a student assistant’s wages and had the student hand over the extra cash totaling ¥180,000 in 10 months. |
| 2015/3/3 21:36 | “Art Brut in Shiga” outsider art exhibition of 70 works at The Museum of Modern Art, Shiga until March 15, 2015. http://t.co/PIT1XM5KZy |
| 2015/3/9 4:26 | Governors and mayors from Mie, Shiga and Kanagawa prefectures forming Ninja Council to promote tourism. http://t.co/ew1NjIIkkF |
| 2015/3/12 13:04 | As of Feb. 25, 2015, 225 evacuees (90 families) from Tohoku still live in Shiga. About half the peak of 428 evacuees in Sept. 2011. |
| 2015/3/17 19:14 | KEPCO will scrap 2 nuclear reactors in Mihama and 1 in Tsuruga. They are 40+ years old with a relatively low output. |
| 2015/3/20 00:29 | Four free Wi-Fi hot spots in Hikone from today at Hikone Castle and tourist info centers. Look for this sign: http://t.co/DlmDtiNh5i |
| 2015/3/20 19:10 | Might be difficult to secure a 5000-seat arena in Shiga for the Lakestars to qualify for the top division of the new basketball league. |
| 2015/3/21 16:29 | Cherry blossoms in Hikone should start blooming around March 31, full bloom around April 6, a few days earlier than usual. |
| 2015/3/23 21:01 | Weeping cherry tree planted in Otsu by Helen Keller in 1937 withered 17 years ago, but a grafted branch set to bloom was replanted today. |
| 2015/3/24 19:13 | Ohmi High School beat Kyushu High School 2-0 today, their 1st game at the Senbatsu Spring Koshien national high school baseball tournament. |
| 2015/3/25 20:59 | Shiga Police has found about 250 juvenile delinquent groups with 1,400 members in Shiga. They are working to disband or reform the groups. |
| 2015/3/26 8:48 | Yasu Jr. High School teacher Aoki Yoshitaka (青木良隆, 51) arrested yesterday for DUI and hitting/injuring a female bicyclist in Yasu. |
| 2015/3/28 16:30 | Shiga BOE male member (50) sent 100s of emails over 16 mo. to female school worker who finally met w/him only to be groped in his car. #セクハラ |
| 2015/3/28 16:42 | Tourist boats will start service on Lake Biwa Canal today from Otsu to Keage (8 km in 1 hr) on weekends until May 6. All rides fully booked. |
| 2015/3/28 12:15 | Ohmi High School lost to Gifu Shogyo 0-3 today, their 2nd game at the Senbatsu Spring Koshien national high school baseball tournament. |
| 2015/3/30 20:34 | The infamous bullying-suicide case that occurred in Otsu in Oct. 2011 has ended this month with a ¥13 million settlement to the victim’s family. |
| 2015/3/30 22:44 | Hikone-native sprinter Kiryu Yoshihide (19) won the 100m at the Texas Relays in a wind-assisted, non-record 9.87 sec. http://t.co/3p60kkJjvF |
| 2015/4/2 | At Zojoji Temple in Tokyo, the Tokugawa graves became open to the public every day except on Tuesdays and Dec. 28-31. The graves were previously closed to the public. You can see the grave of Go (1573-1626), also called Ogo or Oeyo and Sugen’in in her final years. She was the youngest of three sisters born to Azai Nagamasa (1545-1573), Lord of Odani Castle in northern Shiga (present-day Nagahama) and wife Oichi (1547?-1583) who was the younger sister of Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582). Born in Shiga’s Odani Castle, the three Azai sisters, called Azai sanshimai (浅井三姉妹), are perhaps Japan’s most famous or historical trio of sisters. Her oldest sister was Chacha, also known as Yodo, who at age 19 married Toyotomi Hideyoshi who was 51 and met a tragic end, and her other sister was Ohatsu who married Kyogoku Takatsugu. Of the three sisters, Go became part of a lasting dynasty in Japanese history by marrying the second Tokugawa Shogun Hidetada (1579-1632) and giving birth to the third Tokugawa Shogun Iemitsu (1604-1651). More details… |
| 2015/4/3 | New edition of Japan Post’s die-cut postcards are out. Shiga’s latest one shows Suigo boat rides in Omi-Hachiman. http://t.co/3UWwmIlpWJ |
| 2015/4/5 6:33 | Cherry blossoms now in full bloom in Shiga. Best sakura spots here: http://t.co/Nob3mdQYfO |
| 2015/4/9 13:24 | Contract teacher Hozumi Hiroki (25, 保積寛紀) arrested for obscene acts at school with his Jr. high female student on Mar. 21 in Higashi-Omi. |
| 2015/4/9 13:37 | According to the Japan Tourism Agency, in 2014, over 230,000 foreigners lodged in Shiga. This is 100,000 more (77% increase) than in 2013. |
| 2015/4/9 13:42 | According to the Japan Tourism Agency, in 2014, 4.62 million lodged in Shiga’s 600 hotels. This is 550,000 more (13% increase) than in 2013. |
| 2015/4/10 8:15 | Completely redesigned the shiga-ken.com home page for easier use with mobile devices and touch screens. Looks prettier too. |
| 2015/4/11 2:40 | Sakura at Lake Yogo in Nagahama are in full bloom. Food booths in front of the Yogo tourist center this weekend. https://t.co/SnC83SwvYm |
| 2015/4/17 10:02 | Reported a few days ago, National Treasure Tsukubusuma Shrine on Chikubushima got vandalized with oil stains last Oct. |
| 2015/4/17 10:24 | Lake Biwa was thought to be a river 1.8 mil years ago. New analyses of soil samples from borings indicate that it was also a lake after all. |
| 2015/4/17 11:04 | Takamiya Station early this morning, Ohmi Railways train apparently got a lightning strike, creating a hole in the roof and burning a seat. |
| 2015/4/19 | Zensuiji Temple in Koka is showing its main Buddha statue for the first time in 14 years from April 19 to June 14, 2015 to celebrate the temple’s 1300th anniversary of its founding. The main statue is 102-cm high and an Important Cultural Property. The statue was last opened to the public in the temple in 2001 and 1949. More details… |
| 2015/4/19 15:35 | Hikone-native sprinter Kiryu Yoshihide (19) couldn’t break the 9-sec. barrier today in Hiroshima finishing 2nd at 10.4 sec. in the 100m. |
| 2015/4/21 14:06 | Lack of sunny days & colder water temperatures this month are greatly reducing fish catches in Lake Biwa. Fish are less lively in the cold. |
| 2015/4/21 14:13 | Multiple sightings of wild monkeys in Otsu’s Miidera and Seta areas this morning. If you see one, don’t approach it. |
| 2015/4/21 14:32 | In Aisho, the old Echi Town Hall built in 1922 will be preserved by the town at the present location. http://t.co/FIEUfZ9lKb |
| 2015/4/21 14:40 | Omi-Hachiman Community Medical Center found to have substandard earthquake-damper foundations built by Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. #近江八幡市立総合医療センター |
| 2015/4/23 8:28 | For the first time in 14 years, National Treasure Zensuiji temple in Konan is showing its hidden Buddha until June 14, 2015. 9 am-4:30 pm |
| 2015/4/24 12:24 | “Lake Biwa and Its Waterscapes” have been designated as one of the first 18 Japan Heritage Sites by the Japanese gov’t. #日本遺産 #琵琶湖とその水辺景観 |
| 2015/4/24 13:08 | In June, the Shiga gov’t will conduct a survey & ask 3,000 residents whether “Shiga” should be changed to another the prefectural name. |
| 2015/4/24 13:11 | Previous surveys in Shiga have indicated that the vast majority still favor “Shiga-ken” instead of “Biwako-ken” or “Omi-ken.” #滋賀県政世論調査 |
| 2015/4/26 14:39 | Wishing everyone a fun & safe spring vacation. Here are the best matsuri during Golden Week: http://t.co/YEpd0pZuzq |
| 2015/4/29 15:42 | 県名の変更？京都と合併して京都府になれば認知度がぐんと上がるよ。または「忍者県」、「忍び県」、「寿司県」などもっと話題性がある県名にしないとあまり意味がない。 |
| 2015/5/3 11:32 | Kids below age 14 in Shiga have decreased for 6 years in a row. As of April 1, 2015, they numbered 206,580 or 14.6% of the total population. |
| 2015/5/3 11:37 | Compared to last year, kids below age 14 have decreased in Otsu, Koka, & most other cities. But increased in Kusatsu, Moriyama, & Hachiman. |
| 2015/5/5 20:24 | Have to correct my previous two tweets. “kids below age 14” should be “kids age 14 and below.” |
| 2015/5/6 12:03 | Edo-Tokyo Museum’s Sekigahara exhibition includes Ii Naomasa’s armor, Ishida Mitsunari’s sword, & Otsu Castle sketch. |
| 2015/5/9 14:14 | JR Otsu Station building will get a facelift this fall with Otsu bearing 1/3 of the ¥100 mil cost. So what will the building be used for? |
| 2015/5/10 22:02 | Shiga Lakestars will appear in the Western Conference’s final game for the 1st time at Ariake, Tokyo against Hamamatsu on May 23. #FinalFour |
| 2015/5/11 6:26 | Japan Post Office is selling a Tokaido Shinkansen die-cut postcard set, one card shows Mt. Ibuki in the background. http://t.co/BRZmt96Ua6 |
| 2015/5/13 23:17 | Azaleas in front of JR Omi-Imazu Station in Takashima yesterday. http://t.co/ffvRFUHciH |
| 2015/5/15 13:03 | From now on, we have to say Hikone Castle is one of 5 (instead of 4) National Treasure castles in Japan. Congrats to Matsue Castle! #国宝松江城 |
| 2015/5/16 23:50 | Three adjoining Shikobuchi Shrine buildings in Kutsuki-Ogawa in Takashima will become Important Cultural Properties of Japan. #高島市朽木小川思子淵神社 |
| 2015/5/18 12:16 | Today, 5th graders from Maibara & Nagahama made the Uminoko Floating School mark 500,000+ kids hosted since it first sailed in 1983. |
| 2015/5/31 14:07 | Today, Higashi-Omi Giant Kite fell and hurt 4 spectators, 2 seriously including broken bones. |
| 2015/6/1 5:44 | One elderly victim remains unconscious after the Higashi-Omi giant kite crashed on him and three others. Video: https://t.co/ePImvTGzn3 |
| 2015/6/2 4:22 | The 73-year-old man seriously hurt by the Higashi-Omi giant kite that crashed into the crowd died on June 2. He was from Sakai, Osaka. |
| 2015/6/4 7:05 | 39-year-old primary school woman teacher in Otsu had a DUI accident on May 18. Male teacher companion also drunk. Both didn’t report it. |
| 2015/6/6 6:07 | Some parts of http://t.co/MzT4BdgWjB (articles section) is not working. Working to fix it. Sorry for any inconvenience. |
| 2015/6/26 8:42 | 甲賀市の甲南第一小学校の子供達が奈良でオクラホマ州のアメリカ人の観光客と英語でインタービューしてこのかわいい感謝状をあげた。その観光客が学校の住所の確認のために私にメールを。正しい住所を教えたので子どもたちに英語の手紙が行くぞ。http://t.co/eoLE3eei3j |
| 2015/7/6 10:32 | In 2014, over 4.62 mil tourists lodged in Shiga, 550,000 more than in 2013. This 13% increase is the highest in Japan. |
| 2015/7/8 2:29 | All hotels in Shiga now can use a 24/7 multilingual call center for telephone interpreting and text translation services for foreign guests. |
| 2015/7/8 2:36 | The 24/7 multilingual call center is available only to hotel staff, not to tourists. For English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Portugese. |
| 2015/7/8 2:36 | In 2014, a record 230,000+ foreign tourists lodged in Shiga. |
| 2015/7/12 14:26 | Japan’s heaviest meteorite (174 kg) found in Otsu in 1885 now on display at Lake Biwa Museum until Aug. 31. On loan from a Tokyo museum. |
| 2015/7/15 5:02 | Moriyama City Hall waterworks worker Toshihiro Kitada (59, 北田利廣) arrested for taking bribes totaling ¥500,000 from waterworks contractors. |
| 2015/7/15 15:55 | To mark the 200th anniversary of Ii Naosuke’s birth, Hikone Castle’s Tenbin Yagura is showcasing his life and a drone video until Sep. 27. |
| 2015/7/15 16:00 | Typhoon No. 11 is expected to bring heavy rains to Shiga on July 16 and 17. |
| 2015/7/18 13:49 | Due to heavy rains from the typhoon yesterday, landslide warnings are in effect in Yogo, Kutsuki, and MInami-Komatsu until the 19th. |
| 2015/7/19 14:27 | In early July, all 12 cities (Himeji, Hikone, etc.) with an original Edo-Period castle tower have formed an alliance to attract foreigners. |
| 2015/7/20 16:24 | Rainy season ended yesterday. High temps of 34 C are expected today in Otsu, Nagahama, and Higashi-Omi. Avoid the sun & stay hydrated. |
| 2015/7/22 4:30 | 琵琶湖周航の歌、ルーツは英国に 再び英訳、ＣＤ化も (Kyoto Shimbun article about Biwako Shuko no Uta) http://t.co/4RWfFyvZtC |
| 2015/7/22 4:51 | Last month, met the Nanka Shiga Club, a Shiga Kenjinkai in Los Angeles, CA. The Biwako Senbei from Imazu was a hit. http://t.co/C2zH9oK8YI |
| 2015/7/23 4:39 | Summer 2015 fireworks schedule in Shiga Prefecture: http://t.co/CzHHBde76B #滋賀県花火2015年 |
| 2015/7/26 20:59 | July 26 was the hottest day yet so far this year in Shiga with Higashi-Omi reaching 37 C. |
| 2015/7/27 13:14 | Catfish expert Prince Akishino and 2nd daughter Princess Kako visited Lake Biwa Museum today. They saw the Lake Biwa Giant Catfish, etc. |
| 2015/7/27 13:29 | 83% of respondents to a public opinion poll by Shiga Pref. didn’t think it was necessary to change “Shiga” as the prefectural name. #当たり前じゃん |
| 2015/7/28 13:57 | Hiei-zan High School beat Ohmi 5-0 today to represent Shiga at the national high school baseball tournament at Koshien this summer. |
| 2015/7/28 14:02 | A hole in the roof and bullet was found in an Imazu home on July 16, apparently from the Self Defense Force’s target practice range nearby. |
| 2015/7/28 14:14 | Welcome high school students from nationwide in Shiga this week for Japan’s largest high school culture festival until Aug. 1. #全国高校総合文化祭 |
| 2015/7/30 15:31 | Need a miracle for the Shiga Lakestars to get a 5000-seat arena in Shiga to qualify for the top division of the new pro basketball league. |
| 2015/8/3 5:55 | High temperature warnings remain in effect in Shiga with daytime temps around 35˚C. The high humidity also makes it a penetrating heat. |
| 2015/8/6 13:33 | In Konan this afternoon, 12 people stranded on 3 sandbars in Yasu River had to be rescued by helicopter due to a sudden rise of river water. |
| 2015/8/8 0:05 | NHK TV Sogo will broadcast Hiei-zan High School’s baseball game against Osaka Kaisei Gakuen at Koshien today at 2 pm. |
| 2015/8/8 7:51 | Hiei-zan High School lost their 1st game at Koshien today to Osaka Kaisei Gakuen 3-7. Entire game online: http://t.co/fQm3YDjqPr |
| 2015/8/18 22:13 | Jr. high teacher (53) in Hikone embezzled ¥130,000 from his school’s badminton club & used it to play pachinko. He was the club’s advisor. |
| 2015/8/23 11:44 | From April 2016, all kids at all 37 Otsu primary schools will learn English with Oxford Univ. materials. Five of the schools start in Sept. |
| 2015/8/27 2:09 | Shiga’s 6th graders and 3rd-year jr high students scored lower than the national average on scholastic achievement tests in April. #全国学力テスト |
| 2015/9/1 2:58 | Shiga Lakestars made it to the top division of the new basketball league. But they can still get demoted if they can’t get a larger arena. |
| 2015/9/1 13:39 | Kusatsu’s fire dept. has formed a rare, all-foreigner unit of 9 Asian language assistants to help foreign residents in times of disaster. |
| 2015/9/4 11:52 | In July, Shiga BOE failed to attract any bidders to build a new Uminoko Floating School ship. It will be delayed by at least a year to 2018. |
| 2015/9/6 2:56 | Sadly, TV Asahi drama on Sep 5 “Meitantei Katherine” with Charlotte Kate Fox never showed much of Shiga. My friend was an extra. #名探偵キャサリン |
| 2015/9/6 4:38 | Trailer for TV Asahi’s Sep 5 “Meitantei Katherine” with Charlotte Kate Fox: https://t.co/MkneR8QonS |
| 2015/9/8 13:51 | Typhoon No. 18 (Etau) is heading directly for Shiga. Peak rain/wind will be on Sept. 9 around lunch time. Avoid rivers, mountains, etc. |
| 2015/9/9 2:15 | All 322 public elementary and jr. high schools in Shiga are closed today due to the typhoon. Kids, do your homework! Study English! |
| 2015/9/9 3:21 | Parts of Hikone Castle are closed to tourists. Stay home folks or stay in your hotel today. Landslides are possible even in light rain. |
| 2015/9/10 14:42 | No typhoon-related injuries in Shiga reported. Closed roads opened this morning, but eastern Shiga sustained damage to crops. |
| 2015/9/21 15:55 | After the shocking kidnap/murder of 2 preteens in Osaka, Shiga will install more security cameras to add to the existing 23,600 cameras. |
| 2015/9/24 13:49 | Otsu Matsuri Festival #大津祭 coming soon on Oct. 10-11. My video shows the best highlights: https://t.co/qqntYmBL34 |
| 2015/10/7 11:30 | Shiga had Japan’s highest percentage (48.4%) of respondents who submitted the 2015 national census survey online in September. |
| 2015/10/14 8:31 | New and elegant Japanese-style restaurant opening soon in Omi Hino Shonin Furusato-kan #近江日野商人ふるさと館 in Hino. http://t.co/5wiGXG7DLV |
| 2015/10/16 9:40 | Interviewed Otsu-e artist Tanaka Kokei #田中胡径 #大津絵 http://t.co/HMi1jEEI7c |
| 2015/10/18 2:22 | Northern Biwako and Shiga from International Space Station! https://t.co/35PzhQX9zH |
| 2015/10/23 16:27 | Oct. 23: a man phoned Nagahama City Hall for a 12 pm bomb threat. Everyone evacuated by 11:30 am and returned safely to work at 12:30 pm. |
| 2015/10/25 17:06 | 51-year-old Nagahama policeman 巡査部長伴由明 arrested for taking upskirt photos of a young woman in an anime goods shop in Osaka on Oct. 24. |
| 2015/10/27 0:43 | Matsumoto Castle in Nagano has a Koka ninja (and samurai) greeting visitors. https://t.co/GKb0eXwLJc |
| 2015/11/5 15:52 | For the 1st time, ruins of a building were found underwater in Lake Biwa, 100 m from Nagahama. Stone foundation and 18th-c. wooden pillars. |
| 2015/11/6 12:04 | In the past 5 years, at least 18 road signs in Shiga fell over due to age. 5 of them hurt a passing car/human. Shiga has 84,000 road signs. |
| 2015/11/11 2:12 | The “Ore, ore” (“It’s me”) scams in 2015 have defrauded 83 people in Shiga for a record ¥370 million+ as of Oct. 31. #振り込め詐欺 #特殊詐欺多発警報 |
| 2015/11/11 23:37 | Rare find of Edo Period ruins in Lake Biwako https://t.co/uFgps8GDj6 |
| 2015/11/13 16:33 | Replacing the old Heiwado on Nagahama Station’s east side will be a new multi-purpose low-rise complex w/shops, etc., opening in April 2017. |
| 2015/11/17 17:35 | Otsu Mayor Naomi Koshi announced that she will be seeking reelection. She faces 2 other independent candidates on election day next Jan. 17. |
| 2015/11/18 8:16 | Omi-Hachiman native & Living National Treasure, artist Shimura Fukumi 志村ふくみ received the Order of Culture on Nov. 3. https://t.co/tD4Jy1U8Cn |
| 2015/11/20 2:33 | 40% of playground equipment in Shiga’s 600 parks are over 20 years old. In April, a girl was hurt riding a swing in Otsu that broke. #遊具の老朽化 |
| 2015/11/24 9:23 | Otsu-e artist Tanaka Kokei is having an exhibition at Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine’s Hiyoshi Kaikan 9:30 am–4 pm until Nov. 28. Impressive I heard! |
| 2015/11/24 12:41 | Saimyoji’s resident priest reported yesterday that a 50-cm sword was stolen from a Buddha statue’s hands inside the Hondo main hall in Kora. |
| 2015/11/25 10:39 | Due to this year’s fatal kite crash, the giant kite will not fly at the 2016 Higashi-Omi Giant Kite Festival if it is held. |
| 2015/11/25 10:43 | A giant, red Xmas boot has appeared on the west side of Kusatsu Station in front of Estopia Hotel. Till Dec. 25. https://t.co/4mOCv4bY5U |
| 2015/12/4 10:40 | Resigned: Shiga policeman in his 20s for stealing his dorm’s microwave and middle-age police staff for shoplifting at an Otsu supermarket. |
| 2015/12/4 10:48 | English version video by ANA showing nice drone shots of Shiga and some local food. https://t.co/xPVgc6WleI |
| 2015/12/15 4:37 | Falsified pile construction data has been found in 4 buildings (大津商業高校、長浜の看護専門学校、栗東の川辺県営住宅、草津増圧ポンプ場) built in the last 10 years in Shiga. |
| 2015/12/15 4:42 | Japan Pile Corp. (ジャパンパイル) & Nippon Concrete Industries (日本コンクリート工業) falsified the pile construction data for the 4 buildings in Shiga. |
| 2015/12/15 4:52 | Handa Kojun (半田孝淳), the Tendai Zasu Abbot in Enryakuji, died on Dec. 14 at age 98. He was the 1st Tendai head to visit Koya-san officially. |
| 2015/12/15 5:00 | An Oregon man returned a Japanese flag that belonged to a WWII soldier from HigashiOmi who died at age 21 in the Philippines in June 1945. |
| 2015/12/17 21:51 | Otsu Station building is slated to reopen in fall 2016 with a 60-bed capsule hotel targeting foreigners, restaurants, cafe, outdoor terrace. |
| 2015/12/17 21:53 | Hikone saw its first snow of the season on Dec. 17, 4 days later than usual and 11 days later than last year. Daytime temperature was 9.9ËšC. |
| 2015/12/18 11:51 | Snow dusted the Hira mountains today for the first time this season, 29 days later than usual and 16 days later than last year. |
| 2015/12/23 10:59 | Disappointed that Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square in Tokyo #伝統工芸青山スクエア displays & sells nothing from Shiga. https://t.co/KvTQJSRwqO |
| 2015/12/27 13:06 | 都内に滋賀のアンテナショップがないこと、とてもがっかり。交通会館にある「ゆめぷらざ滋賀」もダメですね。お土産らしきのものが置いてない。信楽焼もない。。。 |
