Kōra, Shiga

Kōra 甲良町
Town
Kōra Town Hall
Flag Emblem
Kōra
Coordinates: 35°12′N 136°16′E
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Shiga Prefecture
District	Inukami
Area
• Total	13.63 km2 (5.26 sq mi)
Population  (August 2021)
• Total	6,721
• Density	490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number	0749-38-3311
Address	353-1 Zaiji, Kōra-chō, Inukami-gun, Shiga-ken 522-0244
Website	Official website
Symbols
Flower	Wisteria
Tree	Zelkova serrata

Saimyō-ji Main Hall

Kōra (甲良町, Kōra-chō) is a town located in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 August 2021, the town had an estimated population of 6,721 in 2619 households and a population density of 490 persons per km². The total area of the town is 13.63 square kilometres (5.26 sq mi).

Geography

Kōra is the second smallest municipality in Shiga in terms of surface area (after neighboring Toyosato). It is located on an alluvial fan of the Inukami River in central Shiga Prefecture in the Ōmi Basin, near the foothills of the Suzuka Mountains. The entire area is a lowland with almost no undulations.  

Surrounding municipalities

Shiga Prefecture

• Hikone, to the north
• Aishō, to the south
• Taga, to the east
• Toyosato, to the west

Climate

Kōra has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kōra is 14.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1810 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.7 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kōra peaked around 1980 and has declined since.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1920	6,863	—
1930	6,979	+1.7%
1940	6,881	−1.4%
1950	8,687	+26.2%
1960	8,621	−0.8%
1970	8,724	+1.2%
1980	9,058	+3.8%
1990	8,811	−2.7%
2000	8,169	−7.3%
2010	7,500	−8.2%
2020	6,362	−15.2%

 

History

The area of Kōra was part of ancient Ōmi Province and archaeological excavations have found the traces of settlements dating to at least the Kofun period. From the Heian period, the area was divided between several shōen landed estates. The noted Tendai-sect temple of Saimyō-ji in Kōra was founded in the Heian period. During the Nanboku-chō and into the Sengoku period, the area was hotly contested between the Kyōgoku clan and the Rokkaku clan. The noted warlord Todo Takatora was born in what is now part of Kōra town and master carpenters who built Nikkō Tōshō-gū came from this area. During the Edo period, the entire area of the town was part of the holdings of Hikone Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate.

The villages of Higashi-Kōra and Nishi-Kōra were created on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. The two villages were merged on April 1, 1955 to create the town of Kōra.

Government

Kōra has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 12 members. Kōra, collectively with the other municipalities of Inukami District, contributes one member to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Shiga 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.  

Economy

Agriculture has dominated the local economy since ancient times. Manufacturing includes a number of small to medium sized textile, chemicals, and metals processing factories.  

Education

Kōra has two public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government. The town does not have a high school; however, the prefecture does operate one special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Railway

Ohmi Railway – Main Line

• Amago

Highway

• Meishin Expressway
• National Route 307

Local attractions

• Shimonogō Site: Remains of a Kofun period settlement
• Hoyoji Ruins: Remains of an Asuka period settlement
• Zaijihachiman Shrine: Shinto shrine connected with the Todo clan, noted for its wisteria.
• Saimyō-ji: Major Buddhist temple

External links

• Media related to Kora, Shiga at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website (in Japanese)
• Kōra Tourist Association (in Japanese)