Kōka, Shiga
| Japanese Name: | 甲賀市 |
|---|---|
| Prefecture: | Shiga |
| Population: | 94,007 |
| Area: | 481.69: |
| Longitude | 136.167092 |
| Latitude | 34.9661392 |
| Homepage: | http://www.city.koka.shiga.jp/ |
Kōka, Shiga
Kōka (甲賀市, Kōka-shi) is a city located in southern Shiga Prefecture, Japan. (The word 'Kōka' is often rendered as 'Koga' in English, especially when referring to the Koga Ninja.)
As of April 2008, the city has an estimated population of 93,882 and a population density of 195 persons per km2. The total area is 481.69 km2.
The modern city of Kōka was established on October 1, 2004, from the merger of the former town of Kōka, absorbing the towns of Kōnan, Minakuchi, Shigaraki and Tsuchiyama (all from Kōka District).
Kōka is quite well known for its ninja history, fine quality ceramics and for containing two shukuba post stations (Tsuchiyama-juku and Minakuchi-juku) from the historic Tōkaidō. The city launched a new English version of their homepage in April 2007, and they have begun to actively promote themselves as a little-known, yet highly authentic, sightseeing destination.
