Maibara (米原市, Maibara-shi) is a city in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.  As of 1 September 2021, the city had an estimated population of 38,259 in 14761 households and a population density of 150 persons per km². The total area of the city is 250.39 square kilometres (96.68 sq mi).
 Maibara is located in northcentral Shiga Prefecture, on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, and extending inland to the Ibuki Mountains and the border with Gifu Prefecture. Parts of the city are within the borders of the Biwako Quasi-National Park. Mount Ibuki is in the northeastern part of the prefecture. It is the highest peak in the prefecture. The Anegawa River and Amanogawa River pass through they city. About 70 percent of the city is forest. 
 Shiga Prefecture
 Gifu Prefecture
 Maibara has a Humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with heavy snowfall.  The average annual temperature in Maibara is 13.5 °C (56.3 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,810 mm (71 in) with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.3 °C (77.5 °F), and lowest in January, at around 2.1 °C (35.8 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Maibara was 36.2 °C (97.2 °F) on 14 July 2018. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −12.2 °C (10.0 °F) on 4 February 2012.
 Per Japanese census data, the population of Maibara has seen relatively little fluctuation over the past century.
 Maibara is part of ancient  Ōmi Province and the route of the Tōsandō (later the Nakasendō) highway connecting Heian-kyō with the eastern provinces passed through the area. Maibara is home to three former post stations: Banba-juku, Samegai-juku and Kashiwabara-juku, and was the location of a port on Lake Biwa where travelers could shorten their journey by taking  boat to Ōtsu-juku. During the Muromachi and Sengoku periods, the Kyōgoku clan domained most of Ōmi Province from their base in what is now Maibara. Most of the area came under the control of Hikone Domain during the Edo period. 
 With the establishment of the modern municipalities system on April 1,1889, the village of Irie was established. It was raised to town status on November 15, 1923, becoming the town of  Maihara. On February 14, 2005 Maihara merged with the neighboring towns of Santō and Ibuki (all from Sakata District) and was raised to city status, changing its name from "Maihara" to "Maibara" at that time. The new city name was based on the name of Japan Railways' Maibara Station which many people in Japan knew as a station on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen Line. 
 The adjacent town of Ōmi was merged into Maibara on October 1, 2005. Maibara was struck by an F2 tornado on June 29, 2018. The tornado caused major damage to homes and injured 8 people.
 Maibara has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Maibara contributes two members to the Shiga Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Shiga 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
 The economy of Maibara is centered on agriculture and light manufacturing. There are several industrial parks in the city.
 Maibara has ten public elementary schools and seven public middle schools operated by the city government. There are two public high schools operated by the Shiga Prefectural Department of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped. 
  JR Tōkai – Tōkaidō Shinkansen
  JR Tōkai – Tōkaidō Main Line
  JR West – Biwako Line
  JR West – Hokuriku Main Line
  Ohmi Railway – Main Line