Moriyama 守山市 | |
|---|---|
Moriyama City Hall | |
Location of Moriyama in Shiga Prefecture | |
| Coordinates:35°3′31″N135°59′39″E / 35.05861°N 135.99417°E /35.05861; 135.99417 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kansai |
| Prefecture | Shiga |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kazuhiro Miyamoto |
| Area | |
• Total | 55.74 km2 (21.52 sq mi) |
| • Land | 45.56 km2 (17.59 sq mi) |
| • Water | 10.18 km2 (3.93 sq mi) 18.263% |
| Elevation | 94.9 m (311 ft) |
| Population (July 31, 2022) | |
• Total | 85,485 |
| • Density | 1,876/km2 (4,860/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 5-22, 2-chome, Yoshimi, Moriyama-shi, Shiga-ken 524-8585 |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Nelumbo nucifera |
| Tree | Cinnamomum camphora |

Moriyama (守山市,Moriyama-shi) is acity located inShiga Prefecture,Japan. As of 31 August 2021[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 85,485 in 34,366 households and apopulation density of 1533.63 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 55.74 square kilometres (21.52 sq mi).
Moriyama is located on the south side of thealluvial fan where the Yasu River flowing from theSuzuka Mountains enters intoLake Biwa. The land is generally flat, and as with other coastal areas of Lake Biwa, it is occasionally subject to flooding of rivers and rising water levels in Lake Biwa.
Shiga Prefecture
Moriyama has aHumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Moriyama is 16.4 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1603.5 mm with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 29.9 °C, and lowest in February, at around 6.2 °C.[2]
Per Japanese census data,[3] the population of Moriyama has increased steadily over the past 60 years.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 29,207 | — |
| 1970 | 34,785 | +19.1% |
| 1980 | 46,763 | +34.4% |
| 1990 | 58,561 | +25.2% |
| 2000 | 65,542 | +11.9% |
| 2010 | 76,560 | +16.8% |
| 2020 | 83,236 | +8.7% |

Moriyama is part of ancientŌmi Province. The area contains manyarchaeological sites from theJōmon and especially theYayoi period, and the Yasu River has been a key point for east-west transportation since ancient times. It was the site of a battle in theAsuka periodJinshin War, and during theMuromachi period was the location of a villa forShōgunAshikaga Yoshiaki. It later became a stronghold for theIkkō-ikki movement. During theEdo Period,Moriyama-juku prospered as apost station on theNakasendō) highway connectingKyoto with the eastern provinces andEdo. The area was mostlytenryō territory under the direct administration of theTokugawa shogunate. The village of Moriyama was stablished withinYasu District, Shiga on April 1, 1889 with the creation of the modern municipalities system. It was raised to town status in 1904. Moriyama annexed neighboring Monobe Village fromKurita District in 1941 and Ozu, Tamatsu, Kawanishi and Hayano villages from Yasu district in 1955. On July 1, 1970 Moriyama was raised to city status.
Moriyama has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 22 members. Moriyama contributes two members to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Shiga 3rd district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
Moriyama traditionally had an economy based on agriculture and some commercial fishing on Lake Biwa. Melons were (and are) a noted local product. However, due to its location and transportation connections, the population growth of the city has been primarily as acommuter town to the nearby Kyoto,Osaka andŌtsu urban areas.
Moriyama has nine public elementary schools and four public middle schools operated by the city government and two public high schools operated by the Shiga Prefectural Department of Education. The prefecture also operates one public middle school and one special education school for the handicapped. There are also one private middle school and one private high school. The Kyoto-basedHeian Jogakuin University (also known as St. Agnes' University) had a campus in Moriyama.