Keiji (collective term of Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures and Kyoto City) (京滋)
Keiji refers to the area made up of Kyoto Prefecture or Kyoto City (hereinafter, collectively written as 'Kyoto') and Shiga Prefecture (hereinafter, written as 'Shiga').
The connection between Kyoto and Shiga
The connection between Kyoto and Shiga has been strong because of Tokaido Road, the very important aorta-like road for transportation, which has been set through them since ancient times, in addition to the water route from Lake Biwa through the Yodo-gawa River (which is called as the Seta-gawa River in this area). After Meiji Restoration, railways and roads were built relatively in earlier days than other parts of Japan, including Tokaido Main Line (Biwako Line), Keihan Keishin Line, National Route 1, Tokaido Shinkansen and Meishin Expressway.
A lot of residents in Shiga Prefecture commute to Kyoto City using Biwako Line or Kosei Line and so on, which results in forming a unified urban area (Kyoto urban area). Shiga Prefecture is more strongly connected with Kyoto City than the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture (areas north of Ayabe City or Fukuchiyama City) is.
Companies in Shiga Prefecture with their headquarters in Kyoto, and Kyoto branches of big enterprises with their headquarters in other cities often regard areas including Shiga as their business area. On the contrary, it is prominent that increasing number of companies with their headquarters located in Shiga have developed their business activities into Kyoto since 1980's.
A report published in 2005 by 'Workshop for the functions of each prefecture in the age of devolution of power' in Shiga Prefecture picked up the merger plan of Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures (Keiji Merger) as one previous step before introducing the regional system.
There is another name, Kyotsu, that refers to Kyoto and Shiga; Kyo is from Kyoto, and Tsu from Otsu City. However, Keiji is more commonly used than Kyotsu.
Main traffic that connects Kyoto and Shiga
Roads that go through and around Mt. Osaka
Tokaido Main Line (Biwako Line)
West Japan Railway Company Kosei Line
Keihan Electric Railway Keihan Keishin Line
Meishin Expressway
National Route 1
National Route 161 (Biwako nishi jukan road [road running through from north to south in western Lake Biwa])
Others
National Route 307
National Route 367 (also known as Saba-kaido Road [the highway used to transport fish such as 'saba,' mackerel, to Japan's ancient capital, Kyoto] or Wakasa Kaido Road) + National Route 477
Shiga and Kyoto Prefectural Road 3 Otsu-Nango-Uji Line (also known as Uji-gawa River Line)
Kyoto and Shiga Prefectural Road 5 Kizu Shigaraki Line
Kyoto and Shiga Prefectural Road 30 Shimogamo-Otsu Line (also known as Yamanakagoe)
Kyoto Prefectural Road 783 and Shiga Prefectural Road 782, Ujitawara Oishihigashi Line
What cap 'Keiji'
Keiji University Baseball League
Keiji Shinyokumiai (Keiji Credit Association)