[Starting Point] Aqua Biwa Museum

This museum consists of former overfall weir (built in 1905) and newly built museum area (built in 1992). The museum offers hands-on learning on general inforation about the lake, including the history and the formation of the lake (the largest lake in Japan with 670km2 space), erosion and sediment control, flood control, environment conservation and water use, etc.

[2] Karasuma Peninsula

Karasuma Memorial Park offers you the beautiful night view of Mt. Hiei.

[3] Lake Biwa Museum

This museum also introduces the history of Lake Biwa, its natural environment and how well people there have been working with the nature.

[4] Mizunomori Aquatic Plants Garden

Opened in July 1996, this park specializes in display of various water plants such as water lilies, which is in full bloom in May through July. The main concept of this park is the close association between water plants and people, between people and water.
*Photo by http://www.seibu-la.co.jp/mizunomori/ [Only Japanese]

[5] Lake Biwa Miami Land

This is the auto camping facility where people come here by car and enjoy sports such as tennis throughout the year. Playing with water is the key words.

[6] Shiga Prefectural Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum

This museum displays the findings from the excavated articles from the old azuchi castle sites. Curators of this museum mainly focus on the Azuchi Castle items. Azuchi Castle was the founding base of Feudal Lord Oda Nobunaga, well known for his uniaque character and being killed by one of his subordinates a little before succeeding in comprehensive control of entire Japan before Toyotomi and Tokugawa Clan.

[7] Hikone Castle

This is one of the 5 National Treasure Castles, as it still retains the original main building. Down the hill closer to the Lake Biwa waterfront, this castle has a beautiful garden. Because of those combination, this castle invites a lot of castle lovers and garden enthusiasts from all over Japan. HIkone City also keeps the Edo Period asmosphere, having many Japanese sweets shops and delicious Omi Beef Steak and Shabushabu restaurants.

[8] Biwako Waterfowl & Wetland Center

This is the facility built for the promotion of waterfowl in an natural environment. So this is an ideal spot for waterfowl and other birds observation.

[9] Chikubushima Island

This is the only island in Lake Biwa and there are a temple and a shrine there, just the same as many other sight-seeing places. This island shows a beautiful landscape in early evening just before sun down.

[10] Takashima City Shinasahi Waterfowl Observation Center

This waterfowl observation center also provide visitors with the opportunities to watch and observe the natural llife of the waterfowl and the wild bird. The movie and gallely sections offer cosy spots where visitors relax themselves and focus their attention on these birds and natural environment.

[11] Shirahige (Shinto) Shrine and a big Torii Entrance Gate

Shirahige Shrine and its big Torii Gate represents the distinctive atmosphere suited to the Itsukushima of Ohmi. This is the head shrine among all the Shirahige shrines in Japan. The Torii gate erected in the lake in front of the shrine precinct offers great picture taking spot at the time of sun rise and sun set.

[12] Ukimido of Mangetsu Temple

Ukimido is standing a little away from the lakeshore on the water and is connected with the land with a bridge. This was one of the eight beautiful scenic spots of Lake Biwa in Edo Period and it still hold such a position now.

[Final Destination]Lake Biwa Development Integrated Operation and Maintenance Office

[Unique Spot : A] Mt. Ibuki

Located in the northeast of Lake Biwa in Maibara City, Mt. Ibuki (1377m) is the highest mountain in Shiga Prefecture. What makes this mountain attractive? This mountain is one of the major tourist destinations because of the easy access to the top of the mountain by Ibukiyama Drive Way(17km long) for regular tourists and a lot of hikers who seek for numerous types of natural and wild flowers. and grand views of Lake Biwa.

*Photo by "Biwako Visitors Bureau Public Interest Incorporated Association" HP

[Unique Spot : B] Koto Sanzan (Three mountains in East of Lake)

Koto Sanzan actually means three major temples in the East of Lake region. These three temples are Saimyoji Temple, Kongorinji Temple, and Hyakusaiji Temple, all of which are located on the hillside of the Suzuka Mountain Ranges and are easily accessible in several minutes by car from "Koto smart IC" . What makes those temples famous is beautiful autumn colors, which have beenn inviting a lot of autumn color seekers from Shiga and nearby prefectures, including Osaka and Kyoto.

*Photo by "Biwako Visitors Bureau Public Interest Incorporated Association" HP

[Unique Spot : C] Ohmihachiman City and Gokasho Town

Located between Hikone City and Azuchi Castle Museum, Ohmihachiman City also attracts a lot of tourists.This city was a part of the castle town just a little before Edo Period begun in early 1600s and developed as commercial city since then. Several major business districts and the houses along the moat in the central district are designated as Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings. The top of Mt. Hachiman on the lake in the central city is accessible by ropeway and provide the visitors with beautiful view of the lakeside all the year round.
The cruise of marshland along the edge of the city is also well known as it offers the serene countryside atmosphere. In addition, this city together with Gokasho Town worked as a kind of nestle town of Ohmi merhants. Ohmi merchants born and raised in this area were intensely educated and trained to become well balanced and good mannered merchants with the basic principle of "Doing business based on the well balanced interests of sellers, buyers, and all the people related". They started working as just vendors first and finally made fortunes following the above business principle. When you visit some of the residences they built after they returned home, you will be easily impressed how much they earned.

*Photo by "Biwako Visitors Bureau Public Interest Incorporated Association" HP

[Unique Spot : D] Hieizan Enryakuji Temple and Sakamoto

Enryakuji Temple is a kind of consolidated naming of the complex of temples (150 temples) spreading in Mt. Hiei. The original temple of Tendai Sect of Buddhism was formed by the famoust priest named Saicho in late 700s. As the central temple group of Tendai sect, this entire mountain temple invites large number of worshippers across Japan. There are two ways for the access to this area, i.e. the one from Kyoto and the other is from Sakamoto Town on the lake. Sakamoto on the lakefront provides an easy access from Shiga Prefecture, it has been frourishing as a Mountain foot and base town of Hieizan Enryakuji Temple. Cable car is available to the temple from the eastern side.

*Photo by "Biwako Visitors Bureau Public Interest Incorporated Association" HP

Access
Approx.30 min. by car from Ohgiogoto IC of National Route 161 (Biwako nishi jukan road) Approx.25 min. by car from Hieizan-Sakamoto sta. of JR Kosei Line
Address	4220 Sakamotohonmachi, Otsu City, Shiga Pref.
Phone	077-578-0001
Open	8:30-16:30 (Last entry 30 min. before closing) *Time varies according to the seasons.
Fee	¥700, ¥500 for Junior high and hign school students, ¥300 for elementary school students
Web site	http://www.hieizan.or.jp/_att/english.pdf [7.4MB]

[Unique Spot : E] Lake Biwa Canal Museum of Kyoto

This museum is located at Keage Area, close to Nanzenji Temple and Miyako Hotel, Kyoto. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lake Biwa Canal service, the museum was constructed. The total number of visitors to this museum in 2015 was about 120,000, including Kyoto residents, Japanese and international students leaning civil engineering, domestic and international tourists, etc. The museum consists of three main exhibition halls, i.e. No.1 planning and construction, No.2 the role of the canal, No.3 Kyoto's three main projects and the development of water works in kyoto. There is a stone benchmark and a part of iron pipe on display outside of the building. too. As the canal water has been used for power generation, domestic and industrial water, and transportation between Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, the total water supply from Lake Biwa has been and will be very important for Kyoto citizens.

*Photo by "Lake Biwa Canal Museum" HP

[Unique Spot : F] Biwako Cruise

Lake Biwa not only supplies domestic water to the people of Shiga and Kyoto, but also offers many natural beautiful spots as well. To observe and enjoy such spots the best way to go is to take Lake Biwa Cruise. Depending on how much you have to spend, you can choose from the following cruise selections:

• Michigan Cruise
• South Lake Tour Cruise
• Biwako Islands Tour Cruise
• Chikubushima Island Cruise

*Photo by "BIWAKOKISEN" HP