Shibaya

Shibaya (しばや冐; shibaya-sha) is a village located in Katouko-do, Shinsu Prefecture. As of 2018, it has a population of 8,000.

Shibaya has seen a long history of tourism due to the historical value of its ancient castle, Shibaya-kai, which was built approximately 650 years ago. Since receiving World Heritage Site status in 1978, the castle and its grounds have undergone multiple repairs and refurbishments to create an attraction tourist site for the village. As of now, it is Shibaya's most lucrative source of income.

Before the influx of tourists, Shibaya's economy mainly relied on cloth production. Nowadays, the majority of its population work in larger, neighbouring towns and cities, the closest being Namawa and Sumei. Due to this, it is unofficially recognised as a bedroom community.