About Shiga
Shiga Prefecture wraps around Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake and one of the oldest lakes in the world at approximately 4 million years of age. The lake, covering one-sixth of the prefecture's total area, dominates Shiga's geography, culture, and cuisine, and has served as Japan's strategic crossroads since ancient times — the road between the imperial capitals of Nara and Kyoto ran along its shore.
The lake's shores are studded with history. Azuchi Castle, built by the warlord Oda Nobunaga in 1579, once rose six stories above the eastern shore — the first Japanese castle to function as both fortress and political statement, influencing all subsequent castle architecture. Although only ruins remain today, the castle site and its museum evoke Nobunaga's revolutionary vision. Hikone Castle to the north is one of Japan's four original surviving castle towers, remarkably intact after 400 years.
Shiga is unusual among Japanese prefectures for its concentration of both Buddhist and Shinto heritage sites. The Omi region was an early center of Buddhist learning and aristocratic culture, and dozens of temples and shrines dot the lakeside towns. Shigaraki, in the mountains south of Lake Biwa, is home to one of Japan's six ancient pottery traditions, producing the distinctive ash-glazed tanuki (raccoon dog) figurines associated with good luck that stand outside countless Japanese restaurants.
Featured Spot: Lake Biwa
Lake Biwa functions as the water supply for over 14 million people in the Kinki region, and its ecological importance is matched by its cultural resonance. The 'Eight Views of Omi' — a classical set of landscapes around the lake immortalized in painting and poetry since the Edo period — remain a reference point for artists and photographers. The Chikubu-shima island in the northern lake contains an ancient shrine and temple where the floating torii gate rises from the water surface, and visitors throw pottery shards through a torii-shaped ring for good luck.
What to Experience
- See Hikone Castle, one of Japan's four original surviving feudal fortresses
- Visit Chikubu-shima island's ancient shrine with its floating torii gate
- Explore the pottery kilns and distinctive tanuki figurines of Shigaraki
- Cycle the 235-kilometer Lake Biwa perimeter and enjoy lakeside seasonal scenery
Best Seasons to Visit
Spring (late March–April) brings cherry blossoms to Hikone Castle's moat and lakeside parks. Autumn (October–November) is beautiful along the forested eastern shore. Summer is the season for lake cruises and water sports. Winter offers atmospheric misty mornings over the vast lake surface and visits to Omi's historic market towns without tourist crowds.