Hino is located in east-central Shiga Prefecture in a large isolated rural area nestled beside the Suzuka Mountains with the town's tallest peak being Mt. Watamuki (1110m).
Hino has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Hino is 13.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1673 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 24.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around 1.6 °C.[2]
Demographics
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Hino has remained relatively steady over the past 60 years.
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1920
21,601
—
1930
21,931
+1.5%
1940
21,059
−4.0%
1950
26,075
+23.8%
1960
22,992
−11.8%
1970
20,754
−9.7%
1980
21,680
+4.5%
1990
22,391
+3.3%
2000
23,022
+2.8%
2010
22,870
−0.7%
2020
20,964
−8.3%
History
The area of Hino was part of ancient Ōmi Province. The name "Hino" appears in Heian period documents in connection with handicraft made from thin strips of wood called "Hinomono", which remain a local speciality. During the Muromachi period, the area was dominated by the Gamō clan who ruled from Hino Castle, and it was also the origin of many traveling merchants, known as "Ōmi shonin". During the Edo period, much of the town was part of the domain of Nisshōji Domain, a 20,000 koku holding under the Tokugawa shogunate. With the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889, the town of Hino was established. Hino expanded by annexing the neighboring villages of Higashi-Sakuradani, Nishi-Sakuradani, Nishioji, Kaige, Minamihizusa, and Kitahizusa on March 16, 1955 .
Government
Hino has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 14 members. Hino, together with the town of Ryūō contributes one member to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Shiga 4th 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 pharmaceutical factories, including Hino Pharmaceutical Company.
Education
The old Kaikage Elementary School building.
Hino has six public elementary schools and one public middle school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Shiga Prefectural Board of Education.
Transportation
Rural Hino offers less options for public transportation than most areas in Shiga. The private Ohmi Railway company services the one and only train station in Hino, Hino Station, with trains running on average twice every hour, with slightly more frequency during common commuting times and with less during mid afternoon. However, the station was built roughly 3 km away from the town center. Bicycles can be rented near the station and can be taken on and off the Ohmi Train during certain times. The Ohmi Train offers a "Free Ticket" which allows a rider to get on and off anywhere along the train line for the whole day at one set price on weekends and holidays.
Ohmi Railway also runs buses which pick up and drop off at multiple points throughout Hino. The main bus connects Kitabata-guchi, Hino Station, and Ōmi-Hachiman Station as well as many rural points in between. The bus takes about 50 minutes from Hino to Ōmihachiman. Smaller inner-town buses also operate, but taking into consideration their infrequency, time and cost when compared to the overall size and points of interest of Hino, it is usually best to either walk, ride a bicycle or scooter, or drive a car if visiting multiple destinations.
Blumen Hugel (ブルーメの丘, Buruume no Oka) is a German themed agricultural park offering some German import foods such as beer and cheese. There are also opportunities for making foods such as sausage and bread. Animals such as cows and horses can be seen as well as a variety of flowers.
Dahlia Garden (ダリア園, Daria-en) is a garden that displays thousands of Dahlia during summer and autumn and offers strawberry picking around March.
Grimm Adventure Forest (グリム冒険の森, Gurimu Boken no Mori) is a themed campground based on Grimm's Fairy Tales. It offers cottage and tent camping. There are many extra activities for children such as baking with a stone oven and dying fabrics.
Hino Castle Ruins (日野城跡, Hino-jo ato) are ruins of a castle that is said to have once been used as a place of refuge for Oda Nobunaga.
Hino Festival (日野祭, Hino Matsuri) is Hino's largest festival, and one of Shiga's biggest, held on May 2 and 3 every year. Large traditional floats called "hikiyama" are pulled through town. Many people from around Shiga and other prefectures come to watch this historic event.
The old Kaikage Elementary School (鎌掛小学校, Kaigake Shōgakkō) was decommissioned as a regular school in 2001 and has been used for various film and TV series. This school is a model for Icho Private High School in the 2012 anime series Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions produced by Kyoto Animation.
Omi Hino Merchant Museum (近江日野商人館, Omihino Shoninkan) is a museum dedicated to the history of the Hino Merchants.
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