Shiga Prefecture | A Cultural Landscape Shaped by the Waters of Lake Biwa

 

Located in the heart of Honshu, Shiga Prefecture is a region where nature and history coexist in harmony, with Japan’s largest lake, Lake Biwa, at its center.

 

Covering about one-sixth of the prefecture’s area, Lake Biwa has long supported the lives of those who live around it, offering not only stunning waterfront scenery but also a rich and diverse ecosystem of birds, fish, and plant life.

Scattered around the lake are towns once home to the famed Ōmi merchants, whose legacy lives on in local industries and preserved architectural styles. In places like Ōmihachiman and Hikone, visitors can sense the ingenuity and cultural richness nurtured by generations living in close connection with the lake.

 

Shiga also holds a vital place in Japan’s medieval history.

Mount Hiei, home to the Enryakuji Temple—the head temple of the Tendai school of Buddhism—has long served as a spiritual and cultural cornerstone, shaping the development of Japanese Buddhism and fostering generations of monks and thinkers.

 

Centered around the waters of Lake Biwa, Shiga’s unique culture and landscape reflect the deep ties between nature and human life—a quiet but powerful embodiment of traditional Japanese living.

 

 

• Otsu City

 

• Otsu city
• Hikone city
• Kusatsu city

 

• Approximately 1.4 million

 

• Lake Biwa
• Hikone Castle
• Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei
• Omi-Hachiman

 

• Funazushi – fermented crucian carp sushi
• Junjun (Shiga-style Sukiyaki)

 

• Shigaraki-yaki
• Hikone Buddhist Altars

 

 

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