Nature, History, Art, and Food Nurtured by Lake Biwa
Destination where the old and the new intermingle
Having survived the Corona disaster, Japan is now crowded with tourists from home and abroad, and even a new term, “overtourism,” has been introduced. When it comes to sightseeing in Japan, Kyoto is a must-see destination. However, due to traffic jams and overcrowded tourist attractions, many overseas visitors return to their home countries with feelings of discontent, unable to experience the true beauty of Kyoto and, by extension, the true beauty of Japan.
Well there’s good news! Shiga is a recommended destination where you can enjoy nature, history, art, and food, which are the pride of Japan, just outside of Kyoto.
Introduction
Enrich your life and enjoy countless new experiences on a trip to Shiga!
Shiga Prefecture is home to Japan’s largest lake, the Mother Lake Biwa, and surrounded by mountains like Mount Ibuki, the Suzuka Mountains, and the Hira Mountains.
While enjoying the great nature nurtured by Lake Biwa, visitors can explore temples and shrines that Kyoto’s cultured people have worshiped since ancient times, ruins of castles that preserve the breath of the samurai, unique art museums that delight art lovers from around the world, and pottery kilns, all of which are popular hidden gems.
Shiga’s Local Gastronomy: Keeping Traditions and Mixing Old and New
Sake brewed with water from Lake Biwa and rice grown with the lake’s water is also a specialty of this region. It would be fun to visit sake breweries and find your favorite sake. While many people are familiar with Kobe beef, Omi beef also ranks as one of the top-rated Japanese beef brands. Omi beef steaks, sukiyaki, and shabu-shabu at long-established famous restaurants are recommended, but a simple hamburger steak for lunch is also highly suggested.
3 Exclusive Customized Tours in Shiga
Why don’t you go to your next destination, Shiga, beyond Kyoto?
Private tours with a dedicated vehicle and a Shiga local guide from Kyoto are available.
Sacred Chikubu-Jima Island and Seasonal Nature Visit: Prayer for Peace and Serenity
- Ferry trip to Chikubu Island, the island where deities dwell in Mother Lake
- Spend a solemn moment at Shiga’s version of Itsukushima Shrine, Shirahige Shrine
- Enjoy the natural scenery of Kohoku (Northern Lake area), with its cherry blossoms in spring and autumn leaves in fall
Let begin with a tour that takes you to Shiga’s pride and joy, Lake Biwa, the Mother Lake. After a 25-minute ferry ride, you will arrive on the island, Chikubu Island, which has long been worshipped as an island where deities dwell, and considered a “power spot” with Hogonji Temple, one of the three Benzaiten temples in Japan, and Tsukubusuma Shrine. Many architectural structures of historical value remain, including Karamon Gate, designated as a national treasure, Kannondo Hall, an important cultural property, and the three-story pagoda, which was restored in 2000 for the first time in 350 years.
The “Prayer Stone Steps” leading to the main hall of Hogonji Temple are very steep steps. The granite used for the stone steps and each of the large pillars and members of the temple complex were all brought in from outside sources. The names of the donors are carved on the sides of the stone steps. In an era without large boats or machinery as we know it today, the people who risked their lives to build the buildings and those who supported them by donating their money are all remembered. The prayers of many people are deeply engraved in the prayer staircase on Chikubu Island. Looking down from the top of the stone steps, you can see a magnificent view of Lake Biwa. Please spend some time away from your daily life in this holy place floating on the lake.
The objective of this tour is to enjoy the scenery of Lake Biwa and its natural surroundings. Especially recommended are the cherry blossoms of Kaizu-Osaki, which bloom in spring. About 800 magnificent Someiyoshino cherry trees stretch along a 4-km stretch along the shore of Lake Biwa. The best time to view them is usually from early to mid-April. The area is popular as a relaxed driving or cycling course, where visitors can enjoy the magnificent nature of Lake Biwa throughout the year. Makino Picland, where visitors can enjoy picking spring fruits and other seasonal delights, is lined with sequoia trees, and while the green foliage of spring and summer is wonderful, the autumn colors of the trees are also exceptional. Enjoy a healthy lunch incorporating locally grown produce and supporting farm-to-table businesses.
One more highlight of the visit is Shirahige Shrine, known as Itsukushima Shrine in Shiga. It has a large vermilion-lacquered Torii gate in the middle of the lake, and the shrine pavilions stand in an unusual style across National Route 161. The shrine was founded about 2,000 years ago. Because of its appearance, it is also called “Itsukushima of Omi. As the name of the shrine implies, it is known as the god of longevity. It is also the god of marriage, childbirth, good fortune, academic achievement, traffic safety, safe navigation, and guidance in all human activities and karma. With Okishima Island on the horizon in the background, enjoy the sight of fishing boats passing by through the Torii gates in the lake.
Lake Breeze will refresh your body and mind
Miho Museum and Shigaraki Pottery Village: Handing down Tradition and Artistry
- An “Art Utopia” Visited by Private Vehicle from Kyoto
- A trip to experience the pride of local Shigaraki ceramics
- Savor local cuisine full of flavor
The Miho Museum, in Shigaraki Town, Koka City in Shiga prefecture, is among the most popular museums for overseas art fans. Located in the mountains of Shigaraki, the museum was selected as one of the top three cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan and is one of the must-see sightseeing spots in Shiga in the spring. Of course, you can also enjoy the spectacular view of the autumn leaves against the backdrop of autumn foliage in the fall.
The museum opened in 1997 and was designed by I.M. Pei, internationally known for the Louvre Museum’s Glass Pyramid in France and the National Gallery of Art’s East Wing in Washington, D.C., among others.
The theme of the design, Peach Garden, the story of a lost fisherman who discovers a fairyland paradise, Taoyuan-go（桃源郷, Togenkyo in Japanese), as described in Tao Yuanming’s “The Book of Peach Blossom Garden,” was realized in the Shigaraki area. The museum is famous for its valuable collections, including Egyptian art. The main highlight is the Falcon Head Goddess Statue. This statue was made more than 3,000 years ago, during the Egyptian New Kingdom, and is said to be extremely rare in existence.
You can not miss other works of art from ancient civilizations from Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean region and beyond include the Standing Gandhara Buddha, which stands 250 cm high, and the overwhelming presence of the Medallion and Animal Carpet from Safavid Persia as art from the Chinese and Western world.
*Please Note: Miho Museum is closed from mid December to mid March. Alternative places to visit during the winter closure of Miho Museum are Ishiyama Temple and Mitsui Temple in Otsu, or the Sagawa Art Museum in Moriyama or the Lake Biwa Museum in Kusatsu.
After Miho Museum, visit the pottery district in Shigaraki town. Shigaraki Town is famous for Shigaraki ware, considered one of Japan’s six oldest kilns, and for its pottery of raccoon dogs (Tanuki) with adorable faces.
Shigaraki ware has a long history and has been loved by many people for its simple texture that makes the most of the earthy elements of the surrounding hills, which produce high-quality, sticky soil. Near Shigaraki Station, where there is a concentration of potteries, traditional climbing kilns still exist, and visitors can enjoy a stroll through the kiln town. Enjoy a walk around the kiln town and you might find your favorite pottery piece!
The town produces Asamiya tea, considered one of the five best teas in Japan, and has a history of being presented to successive emperors as the best green tea. Special lunches featuring local Omi beef and other specialties are also available (extra charge, reservations required).
Enrich your spirit in Shigaraki, where old and new coexist.
Culture and History Sustained by the Bounty of the Water: The Mother Lake and People
- Take a boat tour of the seasonal beauty along the beautiful waterways
- Stroll through the elegant streets built by Omi merchants
- Take a break at a popular Japanese confectionery store
Located in the central part of Shiga Prefecture, Omihachiman City, also known as Little Kyoto, is steeped in history and culture. As a town of Omi merchants, it is full of atmosphere with white-walled storehouses and old houses along Hachimanbori, a waterway where cargo ships used to come and go. From a delicious experience at La Collina Omihachiman, the flagship store of the popular confectionery company Tanaya Group, to a stroll along the historical streets, this tour has packed sightseeing spots to enjoy the charm of Omihachiman in a single day!
Omihachiman is a small city in Shiga Prefecture on the southeastern shore of Lake Biwa, around an hour by car from Kyoto. It was established as a castle town in the late sixteenth century and flourished as a commercial hub until the early twentieth century. The atmosphere of this prosperous period is preserved in the compact historic district of the town, where traditional merchants’ residences and storehouses line the streets.
The historic townscape and traditional culture of Omihachiman have endured into the present through the tenacious preservation efforts of residents. By the mid-twentieth century, the Hachimanbori Moat was no longer used as a canal and had become dilapidated. When the Old Hachiman Post Office had fallen into disrepair, concerned citizens founded a nonprofit organization to renovate and preserve the building, turning it into a gallery and event space open to the public. Residents have also worked together consistently with the local government to protect the ecosystem of the wetlands north of the city proper, a distinctive landscape of reedbeds and marshes that has played a prominent role in Omihachiman’s history. The wetlands were named Japan’s first Important Cultural Landscape in 2005. Boat tours allow visitors to explore this corner of the Lake Biwa shore.
Possibly the most significant display of Omihachiman’s cultural heritage is the Sagicho Festival in March. Every year, residents work together to build and decorate elaborate floats, which are paraded through the town over two days. They are then burned as an offering to the city’s guardian deity in a ceremony at Himure Hachimangu Shrine. The festival has been celebrated since the sixteenth century and expresses the residents’ pride in their history and traditions. Feel close to the people, town, food, and history of Omi Hachiman, which has been nurtured by and grown together with the Mother Lake Biwa.
Feel the pride and passion of the locals in Omihachiman.
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About Beauty of Japan
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