Koka

Koka is a city at the southern edge of Shiga Prefecture, spreading over roughly 481 square kilometers (186 square miles) with the Suzuka Mountains rising along its eastern border. The area consists of several merged towns with low-rise buildings scattered among forested hills and farming valleys.

In the 15th century, independent ninja clans emerged here, operating outside samurai structures and offering mercenary services across the warring provinces. This tradition shaped the region for centuries, making it a center of covert warfare during the Sengoku period.

In the Shigaraki area, kilns continue to fire ceramics rooted in medieval craft, using clay from the local hills and glazing techniques handed down through family workshops. Visitors see potters shaping tea bowls and jars that people still use in daily life, keeping the tradition alive in a working community.

The city can be reached through several stations on the JR Tokaido and Kusatsu lines, connecting different neighborhoods and offering routes toward Kyoto. Visitor facilities concentrate in the larger town centers, while remote temples and pottery workshops often require a car to reach.

The Miho Museum sits embedded in the mountains, displaying ancient Silk Road artifacts in a building designed by architect I. M. Pei. Access leads through a tunnel and across a bridge, making the museum part of the landscape and revealing it gradually.