Lake Biwa

Welcome to Lake Biwa, or Bee-wah-koh, the largest freshwater lake in Japan and one of the oldest in the world. Situated in Shiga Prefecture, just a short journey from the ancient capital of Kyoto, this vast body of water has been…

We begin at Otsu, the capital of Shiga Prefecture and the historic gateway to the lake. The port area here is dominated by the sight of the 'Michigan,' a grand American-style paddlewheel steamboat that has become a symbol of…

Traveling north along the western shore, we reach one of the lake's most iconic and ethereal sites: the Ukimido, or the Floating Hall of Mangetsu-ji Temple. Built at the end of a long wooden bridge, the hall appears to hover over…

Continuing north, we encounter the Shirahige Shrine, home to one of Japan's most spectacular sights: a massive red Torii gate standing directly in the waters of Lake Biwa. This is often called the 'Itsukushima of the East,'…

We now cross to the eastern shore and reach Nagahama, a city that flourished under the patronage of the unifier Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century. The reconstructed Nagahama Castle stands in a beautiful lakeside park,…

Leaving the immediate lakeshore, we head into the mountains of Shigaraki to visit the Miho Museum, an architectural masterpiece designed by the world-renowned I.M. Pei. …

For our final section, we ascend to the peaks of the Hira Mountains via the Biwako Valley ropeway. This is one of the fastest cable cars in Japan, whisking visitors to an elevation of 1,100 meters in just a few minutes. …

As we conclude our tour of Lake Biwa, we are left with a sense of the lake's immense power as a cultural and natural anchor for Japan. We have analyzed the historic ports of Otsu, contemplated the transience of life at Ukimido,…