Shiga Prefecture operates at a pace that suits unhurried exploration. The prefecture’s defining feature — Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, occupying a full sixth of the prefecture’s area — provides a natural organizing axis for a day of activity. You can cycle sections of its shoreline in the morning, cruise across its surface in the afternoon, and eat Omi beef sukiyaki in the evening. Alternatively, the hills southeast of the lake lead to a ninja heritage site and a pottery village whose traditions predate most of what Kyoto’s tourists queue for. The common thread is that none of these activities demand long transit times or complex logistics: Kyoto is eight minutes from Otsu, the lake’s southern gateway, and a JR IC card carries you up the eastern shore to Hikone in 45 minutes.

Lake Biwa Cycling

The full perimeter route around Lake Biwa — known as Biwichi — extends approximately 240 kilometres and draws long-distance cyclists from across Japan. Completing it in a single push takes a very strong cyclist two days. For visitors with a single day, the practical approach is to choose a section and ride it well rather than attempt the full circuit.

The Eastern Shore — Otsu to Hikone

The eastern shore between Otsu and Hikone is the most cycle-friendly section for day visitors. The distance is approximately 60 kilometres, predominantly flat, and well-marked with the Biwachi cycling logo at regular intervals. The route passes through rice paddy farmland with the lake visible through gaps in the lakeside vegetation, then opens onto wider views as you approach the northern end of the southern basin. Hikone Castle becomes visible from a distance of several kilometres, appearing above the town on its low hill with the lake behind it — one of the most satisfying arrivals in any Japanese cycling experience.

Bicycle rental is available at Otsu Port near JR Otsu Station. The main rental operator near the port charges approximately ¥1,500 to ¥3,000 per day depending on bike type, with electric-assist bikes available at the higher end of that range. Returning the bike to a different station at the end point of your ride (either Hikone or a station in between) is available through some operators for an additional ¥1,000 to ¥1,500 drop-off fee; confirm this when renting. The train back from Hikone to Otsu or Kyoto is straightforward on the JR Biwako Line.

Short Sections for Casual Riders

The stretch north from Hikone toward Nagahama covers 25 kilometres of quiet rural lakeside road and is excellent for a morning or afternoon ride without committing to a full day. The cycling infrastructure here is less dedicated than on the southern section but traffic is light. Bicycle rental in Hikone is available near the station from ¥1,500 per day.

Biwako Otsu Lake Cruise

From Otsu Port, the Biwako Kisen ferry company operates regular cruises across the southern basin of the lake. The standard round-trip cruise takes 50 minutes and costs ¥1,540 for adults. The boat departs from the pier adjacent to Otsu Port, a ten-minute walk from JR Otsu Station. Longer excursions to Chikubu Island in the north of the lake run on a seasonal schedule and take approximately two and a half hours each way; check the current timetable at the pier or on the Biwako Kisen website before planning.

The cruise is particularly pleasant in the morning hours before afternoon wind picks up on the water, and in autumn when the Hira Mountains on the western shore are changing colour. Binoculars are useful; the scale of the lake means that Mount Hiei — the great Tendai mountain that forms the western skyline — appears as a continuous forested ridgeline stretching from north to south, and the clarity of the air on good days is extraordinary.

Koka Ninja Village

The Koka school of ninjutsu is one of the two most historically celebrated ninja traditions in Japan, the other being the Iga school across the border in Mie Prefecture. While Iga has developed a larger tourist infrastructure around its ninja heritage, Koka’s attraction has maintained a more authentic character, and it is correspondingly less crowded.

What to Expect

Koka Ninja Village (Koka Ninjutsu-no-Sato) is located in Koka city, reached from Kibukawa Station on the JR Biwako Line from Kyoto (approximately 50 minutes, ¥770), then by taxi or the infrequent local bus. Entry to the main grounds is ¥800. The site includes a museum on Koka ninjutsu history, demonstrations of ninja techniques and tools, and hands-on activities including shuriken throwing — the activity that draws the most visitors, particularly families with children.

The shuriken range is a highlight. The star-shaped throwing tools are heavier than most visitors expect, and achieving accuracy requires the specific wrist technique that the instructors demonstrate. Adults tend to find this as engaging as the children alongside them. The site also displays authentic ninja tools, documents relating to the Koka school’s historical activities (which extended into political intelligence work for feudal lords), and architectural features of the kind of concealed spaces — hidden doors, false floors — associated with ninja safe houses.

Combining with Shigaraki

Koka and Shigaraki are in the same general area of southern Shiga and can be combined in a single day by visitors arriving from Kyoto via JR Biwako Line to Kibukawa. The Shigaraki Kogen Railway (Shigaraki Line) connects Kibukawa to Shigaraki in approximately 35 minutes; the line is old, narrow-gauge, and passes through forested mountain terrain in a way that is itself a minor attraction. Koka Ninja Village is best visited in the afternoon after a morning in Shigaraki, or vice versa with a car.

Shigaraki Pottery

Shigaraki is one of Japan’s Six Ancient Kilns — a group of pottery-producing sites that have maintained continuous tradition since the medieval period. The clay here has particular mineral properties, including naturally occurring feldspar that produces orange flash marks and warm earth tones in wood-firing, and the aesthetic of raw Shigaraki ware — rough, asymmetrical, marked by the firing process itself — represents a different sensibility from the polished lacquerware and gold-leaf decoration that tourists associate with Kyoto.

The Tanuki Connection

Shigaraki is the source of the vast majority of Japan’s tanuki (raccoon dog) ceramic figures — the rotund, sake-flask-wielding figures that stand outside restaurants, shops, and homes across the country. These are not fine art objects; they are folk ceramics in an ancient tradition. The tanuki figure emerged as a symbol of good business fortune and conviviality, and Shigaraki has produced them in such volume for so long that the national supply essentially originates here. The town’s shops sell everything from palm-sized miniatures to figures that stand a metre tall.

Pottery Workshops

Several Shigaraki workshops offer hands-on pottery sessions for visitors without prior experience. A typical two-hour wheel-throwing session costs ¥2,500 to ¥4,000 and includes materials and the option to have your piece fired and posted to your home address within two to three weeks. Advance reservation is required at most workshops and can generally be made by phone or through the Shigaraki Tourism Association website. The experience of working Shigaraki clay on the wheel — which is heavier and more resistant than standard studio clay — connects to the same material that potters here have been shaping for eight centuries.

Shigaraki is reached from Kyoto by JR Biwako Line to Kibukawa (approximately 50 minutes, ¥770) then Shigaraki Kogen Railway to Shigaraki Station (35 minutes, ¥670).

Miho Museum

The Miho Museum deserves its own guide — and the hidden gems article provides that — but in the context of a leisure day in Shiga, it warrants mention here. Designed by I.M. Pei and opened in 1997, the museum is built into a forested mountain above Shigaraki and accessed via a 163-metre underground tunnel and a suspension bridge. The collection is world-class: ancient Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Roman, and East Asian objects in extraordinary condition. The approach through the mountain alone justifies the visit. Entry is ¥1,300. Access requires either the shuttle from Kintetsu Terada Station or a taxi from Kibukawa — note that the museum is closed on Mondays and during seasonal rest periods. Check the official website before visiting.

Omihachiman Canal District

The preserved merchant canal district of Omihachiman sits on the eastern shore of the lake, accessible from JR Omihachiman Station (approximately 35 minutes from Kyoto by rapid service, ¥970). The Hachimanbori canal, dug in the sixteenth century under the direction of Toyotomi Hidetsugu, runs through the centre of old Omihachiman and is flanked by white-walled merchant houses that survived the twentieth century largely intact. Renting a traditional wooden punt along the canal — operated by local guides — costs approximately ¥1,500 for a 30-minute ride and provides the finest view of the townscape. The district is less visited than comparable historic canal towns elsewhere in Japan and is the more rewarding for it.

Practical Tips

Shiga’s leisure activities distribute across a north-south axis of around 70 kilometres. The most efficient approach for a day trip is to choose one end of the lake and work inward: combine Otsu, the cruise, and cycling on a southern day; combine Hikone, the castle, and cycling toward Nagahama on a northern day; reserve Shigaraki and Koka for a separate day using the Biwako Line to Kibukawa. Renting a car from Kyoto dramatically increases flexibility and is straightforward on the expressway network.