Miidera Temple
Perched on the slopes of Mount Hiei overlooking the blue waters of Lake Biwa, Miidera Temple has ...
Taga Taisha
Major Shinto Shrine Honouring Izanagi and Izanami
One of Shiga's principal shrines, dedicated to Izanagi and Izanami and popularly called Ota-ga-san.
Sagawa Art Museum
Water-Surrounded Museum on the Moriyama Lakeshore
A serene museum near the Moriyama lakeshore whose low pavilions appear to float on a broad reflec...
Hachiman-bori
Historic Merchant Canal District in Omihachiman
A preserved canal in Omihachiman lined with white-walled storehouses and old merchant homes from ...
Kaizu-Osaki
Cherry-Blossom Coastline on Northern Lake Biwa
A rocky cape at the northern end of Lake Biwa where about 800 cherry trees line roughly 4 km of s...
Lake Biwa Museum
Lake Museum and Freshwater Aquarium on the Karasuma Peninsula
A museum on the Karasuma Peninsula devoted to Lake Biwa, one of the world's oldest lakes, combini...
Chikubushima
Sacred Island in Lake Biwa with a Temple and Shrine
A small sacred island in the north of Lake Biwa, reached by boat and home to Hogonji Temple and T...
Ishiyama-dera
Temple Where Murasaki Shikibu Is Said to Have Begun The Tale of Genji
A Shingon temple above the Seta River in Otsu, famous for the wollastonite crag it is named for a...
Ukimido Floating Hall
Lakeside Temple Hall Standing Over the Water at Katata
A small temple hall of Mangetsu-ji that stands out over Lake Biwa on piles at Katata, long celebr...
Hiyoshi Taisha
Head Shrine of Some 3,800 Hie and Hiyoshi Shrines, Guardian of Mount Hiei
The head of some 3,800 Hie, Hiyoshi and Sanno shrines nationwide, set in the Sakamoto foothills o...
Azuchi Castle Ruins
Oda Nobunaga’s short-lived castle survives as a wooded ascent of stone steps, walls and foundatio...
Mount Ibuki
Shiga's Highest Peak, Now Climbed Only From the Toll Road's End
At 1,377 meters, Mount Ibuki is the highest peak in Shiga, known for the wildflower meadows on it...
Michi-no-Eki Aito Margaret Station
Farm gelato and flower fields in eastern Shiga
A roadside station on Route 307 that grew out of a farmers' market. Come for the gelato made with...
Michi-no-Eki Toju-no-Sato Adogawa
Folding fans and boysenberries on Lake Biwa's west shore
The obvious break on Route 161 up the west side of Lake Biwa. Adogawa has made the ribs of foldin...