▁the ▁lower ▁house ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Diet ▁of ▁Japan . ▁It ▁covers ▁N ort he astern ▁Sh iga , ▁today ▁namely ▁the ▁cities ▁of ▁H ik one , ▁Nag ah ama , ▁Ma ib ara , ▁the ▁dissol ved ▁towns ▁of ▁A it ō ▁and ▁Kot ō ▁in ▁present - day ▁H ig ashi ō mi ▁City ▁and ▁the ▁former ▁count ies ▁of ▁E chi ▁and ▁In uk ami . ▁The ▁district ▁borders ▁were ▁red ra wn ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁red istrict ing ▁and ▁re app ort ion ment , ▁before ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁reached ▁further ▁to ▁the ▁South ▁and ▁covered ▁Y ō ka ichi ▁and ▁ Ō mi h achim an ▁cities ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁E chi , ▁K anz aki ▁and ▁Gam ō ▁count ies . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁ 2 6 4 , 1 6 8 ▁vot ers ▁res ided ▁in ▁the ▁district . ▁ ▁Sh iga ▁ 2 nd ▁district ▁was ▁initially ▁won ▁by ▁Mas ay oshi ▁Tak em ura ▁of ▁New ▁Party ▁Har b inger ▁( N PH ), ▁the ▁former ▁three - term ▁governor ▁of ▁Sh iga ▁who ▁had ▁represented ▁the ▁five - member ▁Sh iga ▁At - large ▁district ▁before ▁the ▁elect oral ▁reform ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁and ▁was ▁Chief ▁Cab inet ▁Secretary ▁in ▁the ▁anti - LD P ▁coal ition ▁H os ok awa ▁Cab inet ▁and ▁Minister ▁of ▁Fin ance ▁in ▁the ▁L DP - J SP - N PH ▁Mur ay