Konan, Shiga

For the former town in Kōka District, Shiga Prefecture, see Kōnan, Shiga.

Konan (湖南市, Konan-shi) is a city located in southern Shiga Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 October 2021, the city had an estimated population of 54,607 in 24305 households and a population density of 780 persons per km². The total area of the city is 70.4 square kilometres (27.2 sq mi).

Konan 湖南市
City
Konan City Hall
Flag Emblem
Konan
Coordinates: 35°0′N 136°5′E
Country	Japan
Region	Kansai
Prefecture	Shiga
Government
• Mayor	Eigo Tanihata
Area
• Total	70.40 km2 (27.18 sq mi)
Population  (September 1, 2021)
• Total	54,607
• Density	780/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
- Tree	Utsukushimatsu, a variety of Japanese red pine
- Flower	Satsuki azalea
- Bird	Japanese bush warbler
City Hall address	1-1 Chūō, Konan-shi, Shiga-ken 520-3288
Website	Official website

Zensui-ji in Konan

Geography

Konan, as its name implies, is south of Lake Biwa in the center of the southern portion of Shiga Prefecture The city does not actually border the lake. The Ansei Mountains are in the south of the city and the Iwane Mountains in the north, with the Yasu River running from east-to-west through the center.

Neighboring municipalities

Shiga Prefecture

• Kōka
• Rittō
• Ryūō
• Yasu

Climate

Konan has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Konan is 14.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1430 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 26.0 °C, and lowest in January, at around 2.6 °C.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Konan increased rapidly in the 1970s but has plateaued in recent decades.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1920	10,829	—
1930	11,275	+4.1%
1940	11,291	+0.1%
1950	15,066	+33.4%
1960	15,033	−0.2%
1970	18,646	+24.0%
1980	32,729	+75.5%
1990	46,093	+40.8%
2000	53,740	+16.6%
2010	54,665	+1.7%
2020	54,460	−0.4%

History

Konan is part of ancient Ōmi Province and contains Ishibe-juku, the 51st post station on the route of the Tōkaidō highway connecting Heian-kyō with the eastern provinces during the Edo period. The village of Ishibe was established within Kōka District, Shiga with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. It was elevated to town status on June 1, 1903. On October 1, 2004, Ishibe merged with the neighboring town of Kōsei (also from Kōka District) to form the city of Konan. I

Government

Konan has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Konan contributes two members to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Shiga 4th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The economy of Konan is centered on agriculture and light manufacturing. The Konan Industrial Park on the Meishin Expressway is the largest industrial park in the prefecture.

Education

Konan has nine public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government. There are two public high schools operated by the Shiga Prefectural Department of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Railway

JR West – Kusatsu Line

• Mikumo - Kōsei - Ishibe

Highway

• Meishin Expressway
• National Route 1
• National Route 477

Friendship cities

• St. Johns, Michigan, United States, since 2004

Local attractions

• Chōjū-ji, Buddhist temple with National Treasure main hall
• site of Ishibe-juku
• Jōraku-ji, Buddhist temple with National Treasure main hall and three-story pagoda
• Zensui-ji, Buddhist temple with National Treasure main hall

Notable people

• Kei Aran, actress
• Tenzo Okumura, politician
• Yuta Shimizu, tennis player

External links

• Media related to Konan, Shiga at Wikimedia Commons
• Konan City official website (in Japanese)