Focusing on Lake Biwa, this museum explores the relationship between people and the lake. The museum’s aquarium exhibit, displaying the freshwater animals in general and particularly those found in Lake Biwa, is one of the largest in Japan. Some of the museum’s numerous points of note include an exhibit of endemic species such as the Lake Biwa catfish and a 10-meter-long tunnel aquarium which allows visitors to walk under the water and enjoy freshwater fish from around the world. There are also dioramas presenting the history of Lake Biwa and exhibits presenting items once used by people living in the areas. The museum restaurant’s black bass dishes are popular with visitors. Take the bus from JR Kusatsu Station and get off at Biwako Hakubutsukan-mae.

The Ibukiyama Driveway is a toll road with a total length of 17 kilometers that extends from Sekigahara Town, Fuwa County in Gifu Prefecture to Maibara City in Shiga Prefecture. This is the only route that allows access to the summit of Mt. Ibuki—a sacred mountain that is one of the “100 Famous Japanese Mountains”—by car, and its spectacular scenery makes it a very popular drive. The Sky Terrace parking area near the summit of Mt. Ibuki (at an altitude of 1,260 meters) offers marvelous views; visitors can see as far as the Hira mountain range, Lake Biwa, Mt. Hakusan and Mt. Ontake. When conditions are right, this is also a great spot for viewing the “Sea of Clouds” phenomenon.

Long known by the nickname “the Kurokabe Bank (Black Wall Bank),” this remodeled former bank building houses the Kurokabe Glass Shop as well as a gallery and restaurant, and has come to be known as the largest space exhibiting glass crafts in western Japan. In addition to glass and porcelain, visitors can also enjoy trying their hand at making a diorama in the popular Kaiyodo Figure Museum.

A museum located in Kuwanomiji Azuchi-cho, Omihachiman City. Inside the museum is a life-sized recreation of the tower of Azuchi Castle originally built for Seville Expo ’92 in Spain. The structure includes recreations of the tower’s artistic touches, as well, such as a room partition painting of the powerful samurai lord Oda Nobunaga created by the renowned Japanese painter Kano Eitoku; and the tower exterior itself, which is decorated with 100 thousand sheets of gold leaf.

A toll bridge connecting Imakatata, Otsu City and Imahama-cho, Moriyama City. Opened in 1964, the 1.4-kilometer-long bridge, connecting the east and west shores of Lake Biwa, has come to play a key role in transportation in the prefecture. Lanes for bicycles and walkers were added in 1980.

A public park located on the Karasuma Peninsula in Oroshimo-cho, Kusatsu City. Designed around the theme of “contact between plants and people and water and people,” visitors to the park can enjoy a variety of flowers throughout the year. The park’s Lotus Hall is filled with lotuses, water lilies, and other aquatic plants; the hall also has a store and a restaurant serving dishes such as soft serve ice cream and udon noodles made with lotus.

A Shinto shrine located in Taga, Taga Town, Inukami County, Shiga Prefecture. The shrine is dedicated to the gods Izanagi-no-Okami and Izanami-no-Okami. Known locally as “O-Taga-san,” the shrine is believed to grant worshippers long life and luck in love. During the Kugatsu Korei-sai festival on September 9, a “Kochi Kochi” sumo competition is held which predicts whether the year’s harvests will be good or poor.

This is a temple of the To-ji Temple Shingon sect which is located in Otsu City. It was founded in 747 at the request of Emperor Shomu. It is known as one of the most famous Kannon temples in Japan, also being the stamp office for temple number 13 of the Saigoku Sanjusansho Kannon Pilgrimage. In addition, it is said that this was the place where Murasaki Shikibu got her inspiration for the idea of the Tale of Genji, and it also appears in literary works such as “Makura no Soshi” (the Pillow Book) and “Sarashina Nikki” (The Sarashina Diary). In the temple, there are many National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties such as the oldest Taho-to (a pagoda that enshrines the Buddha) and the oldest main temple building in Japan, so there is no shortage of highlights. It is also a famous place for its autumnal leaves and the illumination in the evening is worth seeing.

This unique design of this art museum in Koka City, Shiga was created by famous architect, I. M. Pei who was also responsible for designing the glass pyramid at the Musee de Louvre. Built to evoke the image of Shangri-La, 80% of the building is underground allowing it to assimilate into the beautiful natural surroundings. Over 3,000 pieces of art are on display in four exhibition rooms which cover Egypt, Western-Asia, Southern-Asia, and the Western Regions of China and special themed exhibits are also held. * The museum is closed for the winter until March 20th, 2019.

The site of a ruined castle, located in Shimotoira Azuchi-cho, Omihachiman City. The castle that once stood here was built over a three-year period starting in 1576 to serve as the home of the mighty samurai lord Oda Nobunaga. The castle was destroyed by fire after the Honnoji Temple Incident. Today, the castle’s stone base, moat, and mausoleum for Nobunaga built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi still stand and the grounds have been designated a National Special Historic Site.

A Shinto shrine located in Jingu-cho, Otsu City. The shrine was established in 1940. The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Tenji, who implemented various policies and reforms, and accordingly the shrine is believed to grant worshippers better fortunes and guidance; because of the shrine’s large “rokoku” water clock, time is also believed to fall under the shrine’s domain. A poem by Emperor Tenji appears as the first entry in the ancient “Ogura Anthology of 100 Tanka by 100 Poets,” and in turn the shrine is also viewed as a mecca for players of the Japanese game karuta—a card game which involves hearing the first half of a poem and racing to find the correct card inscribed with the second half; a “Karuta Opening Ceremony” is held at the shrine and a national karuta competition is also held here.

About 20 minutes from the Youkaichi Interchange off the Meishin Expressway, this park, designed to look like a medieval German farming village spreads across the Kitayama hill region. The extensive flower fields are filled with rape seed blossoms in the spring, sunflowers in the summer, and cosmos blooms in the autumn. They are bursting with wonderful blooms in each season. The hot houses have small rose and herb gardens. The park has a petting zoo with sheep, horses, and cows, a grass tobogganing area, and an air jumper. The alpine gym is also popular, along with the gigantic athletic course which includes 72 different kinds of climbing attractions. Sausage making workshops are also offered.

An observatory situated along the Okubiwako Parkway connecting the Tsukidetoge Pass and Oura along Prefectural Routes 513 to 512 in Nishiazai-cho, Nagahama City. The observatory offers a sweeping view of Lake Biwa and Chikubushima Island and also has such facilities as a restaurant, light meal corner, shop, and plaza with playground.

An art museum located in Kitagawa Mizuho-cho, Moriyama City. The museum’s collection consists of pieces by Japanese painter Ikuo Hirayama, sculptor Churyo Sato, and ceramic artist Kichizaemon Raku. The museum has three standing exhibit halls each supervised by one of the artists. The museum also holds special exhibitions of other artists’ works. In addition, the museum owns a Buddhist temple bell designated a National Treasure which was originally cast in 858 to serve as the bell for the Hodoin west bell tower at the Enryaku-ji Temple (note that this bell is not normally put on display).

An 18.8-kilometer-long scenic driving course extending from Prefectural Route 513 to 512 and from the Tsukidetoge Pass to Oura Nishiazai-cho, Nagahama City. Drivers along the road can enjoy picturesque views of Lake Biwa and Chikubushima Island. The Tsuzura Ozaki Observatory, which also has a restaurant and plaza, is also located on the road. The road is also famous for the thousands of cherry trees which come into bloom here in the spring.

A museum located on the site of the Nagahama Castle Ruins in Koen-cho, Nagahama City. The museum operates out of a restoration of the castle based on how it would have looked in the distant Azuchi-Momoyama period. The museum’s standing exhibition looks at the history of the northern Lake Biwa area and Nagahama; the mighty samurai lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who built Nagahama Castle; and other themes relating to Nagahama. The museum also holds special exhibitions on the Nagahama area and historical figures like Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

A hot spring resort facility located in 3 Chome Noka, Otsu City. The resort has a variety of baths supplied by two different privately-owned source springs, including outdoor baths and an excursion bath. Other facilities include a sauna with loyly. The adjoining World Performance Castle is a bedrock bath with a variety of spas. There are also four restaurants, including a French dining bar and Japanese-style yakiniku barbecue joint; plus a salon offering massages and other beauty treatments.

A swimming beach located in Minamikomatsu, Otsu City. Known as “Ryofu, Cool Breeze - Omatsuzaki no Hakutei,” one of the eight most picturesque places on Lake Biwa, the white sands of this beach, located on Omatsuzaki, have been a sightseeing destination since ancient times, and here visitors can enjoy swimming and other fun beach activities. The Otsu Shiga Fireworks Festival is also held here in the summer.

A Buddhist temple located in Chomeiji-cho, Omihachiman City. Records state the temple was founded by Prince Shotoku. The temple’s principal object of worship is a 1,000 handed, 11 faced, three bodied figure of Kanzeon Bodhisattva; said to grant long life and health to worshippers, this figure has attracted believers since ancient times. Temple buildings such as the main temple are designated Important Cultural Properties and every structure is at least designated a Cultural Property by the city or prefecture. The temple is counted as the 31st temple on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage.

A Shinto shrine located in Owaki-cho, Higashiomi City. Dedicated to Masaka-Akatsu-Kachihaya-Hiame-no-Oshihomimi-no-mikoto, first son of Amaterasu-Omikami, according to legend “Tarobo” is derived from the name of a tengu goblin that protected the shrine. The shrine is said to grant worshippers victory and better fortunes, and, further, these boons are said to be granted quickly; accordingly, the shrine has attracted large numbers of worshippers since ancient times and has said to have been visited by such famous historic personages as the great monk Saicho and the samurai Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

A campground located on the grounds of the Kyukamura Omi-Hachiman hotel in Miyagahama Okishima-cho, Omihachiman City. Situated in front of beautiful Lake Biwa, the campground has permanent deluxe tents with tarps and benches, raised wooden platforms for visitors to pitch their own tents on, and roofed day trip barbecue sites. The campground also has lodges with warm water showers. In addition, guests can make use of the large indoor hot spring bath in the hotel’s west building.

An island two kilometers in circumference located in the northern part of Lake Biwa. The island is the location of the Hogon-ji Temple, counted as one of Japan’s “Three Great Benten Shrines” alongside Itsukushima and Enoshima, in addition to being the 30th temple on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. Chikubushima Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Ichikishima-hime-no-mikoto, also stands on the island. The Hogon-ji’s large karamon gate, said to be the last extant piece of the original Osaka Castle; and Chikubushima Shrine’s main shrine building, transported here from Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, are both designated National Treasures.

A commercial complex dedicated to Shigaraki ware situated along Prefectural Route 16 in Maki Shigaraki-cho, Koka City. The facility displays and sells tableware, flower vases, and other Shigaraki ware pieces and also offers ceramics classes. In addition, there’s a climbing kiln, restaurant, gift shop, and shop which sells Asamiya tea. The symbol of the facility, the “Largest Tanuki Statue in Japan,” is a popular photo spot.

A mountain located in Maibara City. Situated on the border between Gifu Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture, the mountain is 1,377 meters high, making it the highest mountain in Shiga. A historically important mountain which even appears in such ancient records as the “Kojiki” and the “Nihon shoki,” since ancient times the mountain has also been seen as sacred and is deeply connected to the Shugendo syncretic faith. The mountain boasts abundant natural beauty, including flower fields at its peak designated a National Natural Monument; visitors to the summit can get a sweeping view of Lake Biwa and Mt. Hiei.