Oumi

Oumi Province is an old province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tousando circuit. Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, is located at the center of the province. The ancient capital was near Otsu, which was also a major castle town. In north of Otsu, one of the most important monastery Enryaku-ji is located on the Hieizan. Takebe-taisha was designated as the chief Shinto shrine for the province. The southern part of the province around the town of Koga was the home of the famous Koga Ninja, one of the two main founding schools of ninjutsu.

Houjou Tokimasa, the first shikken of the Kamakura Shogunate, was made daimyo of Oumi Province in the 10th month of Shouji 2 (1200). During the Sengoku Period, the northern part of the province was the fief of Ishida Mitsunari, Tokugawa Ieyasu's opponent at the Battle of Sekigahara, although he spent most of his time in Osaka Castle administering the fief of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's young son. After Ishida's defeat, Tokugawa granted the fief to his allies, the Ii clan, who built the castle and town of Hikone from the ruins of Sawayama.