Kansai · Prefecture Guide
Japan's largest lake, a National Treasure castle, the world's oldest-style fermented sushi, and a cycling route around a water body that has reflected Japanese history for two millennia
Shiga is Japan's most overlooked prefecture — a land wrapped around the country's largest lake, just thirty minutes from Kyoto by express train, yet a world away in character. Lake Biwa is so old that it harbours species found nowhere else on earth, and so historically significant that every Japanese student knows its name. On the eastern shore, Hikone Castle is one of Japan's four castles designated a National Treasure, its original keep and moat perfectly preserved above cherry tree-lined ramparts. In Nagahama, glasswork ateliers and old merchant districts line the lake front, and every spring the Hikiyama Festival brings out ornate dashi floats that have paraded since 1721. Shiga is a place where depth rewards the unhurried traveller.
Shiga is surprisingly easy to reach — Hikone is 30 minutes from Kyoto on the JR Biwako Line, and 90 minutes from Tokyo on the Tokaido Shinkansen to Maibara. The JR Biwako Line runs along the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, making most destinations accessible by train.
Deep-dive guides to help you plan every aspect of your visit — from top sightseeing spots to the best restaurants and seasonal events.
Shirahige Shrine's signature vermilion torii gate stands directly in Lake Biwa's shallow water just off the western shore road, creating a composition so reminiscent of Miyajima's famous gate that it earned the same nickname. At dawn, with mist rising from the lake and the gate catching the first light, the view is extraordinarily peaceful. The shrine itself, dedicated to the god Sarutahiko, is one of the oldest on the lake and is free to visit.
The Miho Museum is one of Asia's architectural masterpieces: designed by I.M. Pei and opened in 1997, it is built almost entirely underground in a cedar mountain, accessible via a 163-metre suspension bridge that emerges from a tunnel into sudden panoramic forest views. The collection spans ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Asian art assembled by the Koyama family, displayed in daylit underground galleries of extraordinary refinement. Admission is ¥1,300 and advance reservations are advised.
Hikone Castle is one of only four castles in Japan designated a National Treasure, retaining its original 17th-century keep in near-perfect condition above a mirror-still moat. The admission of ¥800 includes the Genkyuen Garden, a small Edo strolling garden with a pond that reflects the castle's white tower. The surrounding park's 1,000 cherry trees make it one of western Japan's finest blossom destinations each late March.
Omi beef is Japan's oldest wagyu brand, with documented trading records from the Edo period when it was sent as tribute to the Tokugawa shogunate, predating both Kobe and Matsusaka in provenance if not in modern fame. Raised on the shores of Lake Biwa where the mild climate and abundant soft water produce distinctive sweetly-marbled fat, Omi beef is considered most sublime as sukiyaki with locally brewed sake. Premium cut sukiyaki at a Hikone or Otsu restaurant typically costs ¥5,000–¥12,000.
Lake Biwa's 60 endemic species include a number of fish found nowhere else on earth, and lakeside restaurants in Otsu, Nagahama, and Hikone serve a cuisine built around smelt tempura, ayu sweetfish grilled whole on skewers, and nigorobuna carp preparations. Summer ayu is considered among Japan's finest river fish and the Lake Biwa version is particularly aromatic and bittersweet. A full kaiseki meal showcasing multiple lake fish courses at a Biwa-ko shore ryokan is one of Shiga's defining gastronomic experiences.
The eastern shores of Lake Biwa produce a distinctive style of refined, soft-tasting sake that reflects the region's extremely low-mineral water drawn from the Suzuka mountain aquifer. The Hiyoshi, Shichihonyari, and Biwa no Choju breweries have been operating since the Edo period and their tasting rooms welcome visitors without reservation. The pairing of Koto region sake with Omi beef or Lake Biwa fish cuisine is regarded as one of the finest regional food-and-drink combinations in Japan.
A 2.4-kilometre avenue of 500 dawn redwood trees lines the road from Lake Biwa's western shore into the Makino highland, turning from deep summer green to brilliant copper and gold in November in one of Kansai's most dramatic autumn foliage displays. The trees were planted in 1981 and now form a cathedral-like tunnel that has been selected as one of Japan's top 100 roads. The avenue is free to walk or cycle and is dramatically backlit in the low winter sun.
Lake Biwa is Japan's largest lake and one of the world's oldest at over 4 million years, harbouring 60 species found nowhere else on Earth including unique freshwater fish, snails, and submerged plants. The lake's 190-kilometre shoreline encompasses everything from reed marshes and sandy beaches to volcanic headlands and shrine islands, offering different character in each season. Sitting at the heart of Japanese mythology and history — Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and the ancient Tokaido road all orbited this lake — it rewards deeper exploration than most visitors give it.
Mt. Ibuki at 1,377 metres is Shiga's highest mountain and one of Japan's most celebrated peaks for alpine wildflower diversity, with over 200 species documented on its slopes including rare gentians and bellflowers that bloom from June through August. A toll road brings drivers to a trail starting point near the summit, with the final ascent on foot revealing panoramic views across the Nobi Plain and the Suzuka range. The mountain holds the world record for the greatest single snowfall in a 24-hour period, recorded in 1927.
The Biwaichi full-lake cycling circuit of 190 kilometres is one of Japan's most celebrated cycling challenges, typically completed over two days with overnight stays in lakeside minshuku and ryokan guesthouses. Rental bicycles are available at JR stations around the lake, and participants collect stamps at checkpoints to earn an official completion certificate. The route is signposted throughout and the predominantly flat terrain with lake views makes it accessible to intermediate cyclists.
The Michishirube cruise ship departs Otsu Port for sightseeing circuits of southern Lake Biwa, offering panoramic deck views of the Hiei mountain range, Biwako Valley, and the distant Chikubushima island on clear days. The vessel is styled after a paddle steamer and serves Omi beef bento and local sake in an onboard restaurant. Sunset and evening dinner cruises run in summer, with Otsu Port accessible directly from Kyoto in 15 minutes by JR Biwako Line.
Lake Biwa's calm, shallow southern basin provides near-ideal conditions for stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, with rental outfitters at Moriyama, Otsu, and Shiga Town beaches offering equipment by the hour or half-day. On windless summer mornings the glassy water reflects the Hira mountain range, and experienced paddlers can navigate to offshore reed islands that are inaccessible by any other means. Several operators also run guided sunrise SUP tours that start before 6am for a magical empty-lake experience.
Listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Nagahama Hikiyama Festival each April features twelve ornate dashi floats — among the most elaborately decorated festival vehicles in Japan — carrying stages on which children aged 5 to 12 perform full kabuki theatre. The tradition began in 1721 and only four of the twelve floats perform each year on a rotation, making any given year's performance unique. The combination of tiny costumed performers on towering gilded stages draws visitors from across Japan.
Hikone Castle's moat and surrounding park host over 1,000 cherry trees that typically reach full bloom in late March to early April, making this one of Japan's finest castle-plus-cherry-blossom combinations. Evening illuminations turn the castle and its reflection in the moat into a soft golden spectacle after dark, and food stalls fill the park grounds for the duration of the blossom season. The National Treasure keep provides a backdrop that no modern park setting can replicate.
The Azai Three Sisters Festival each summer celebrates the three daughters of the Azai clan lord of Odani Castle — Chacha, Hatsu, and Oichi — who became among the most influential women of the Sengoku period, their marriages linking the Azai, Oda, and Toyotomi families in a web of alliance and tragedy. Parades in full Sengoku-era costume traverse Nagahama's historic streets, and the festival includes tea ceremony demonstrations reflecting the cultural sophistication of the period. It is one of Shiga's most historically resonant summer events.
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