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Shiga is a Japanese prefecture located on the island of Honshu, east of Kyoto. It boasts the biggest lake in Japan, called ‘Lake Biwa’, whose shoreline is home to the regional capital, Otsu, the cities of Hikone, Sakamoto and Nagahama, beaches and holiday resorts. It has several mountains surrounding the region and if you go to the northeast, you are able to climb the 4,000-meter Mount Ibuki for spectacular views over the water.
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Unsurprisingly, Shiga's most prominent feature is Lake Biwa. It is so huge that if you are to stand at the northernmost and southernmost tip of the lake at the same time, you can definitely tell that the north is very cooling while the south is typically warm.
The northern shore is especially scenic, such as the cherry blossoms of Kaizu Osaki in spring and the sacred island Chikubu-shima. The western shore has white sand beaches, popular among Kyoto locals during the summer. The scenery of the southern shore, particularly around Otsu, was selected as Ōmi Hakkei or Eight Views of Ōmi, popularized by Hiroshige's ukiyo-e.
Getting to Shiga:
Since Shiga prefecture is so huge, let’s just focus on getting to its regional capital, which is Otsu. From Tokyo, you will have to take the Shinkansen all the way to Kyoto before transferring to the JR line which will take you to Otsu. The trip will take around 2 hours 40 minutes long and will costs you almost ¥15,000.
For those visiting Otsu from Osaka, you are in luck. That is because there is a direct train from Osaka station all the way to Otsu station, therefore not needing any transfers whatsoever. It is by JR line and it takes around 40 minutes, costing you only around ¥1000.
Tourist Attractions:
Enryakuji:
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Enryakuji (延暦寺) is one of the most important monasteries in Japanese history and the headquarters of the Tendai sect of Japanese Buddhism. Many influential monks studied at Enryakuji, including the founders of a number of later sects, such as the Pure Land (Jodo), Zen and Nichiren sects.
Michigan Cruise:
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The Michigan paddlewheel boat offers lake cruises. “Michigan” is famous American style sightseeing boat in Shiga. While she navigates the southern part of the lake, you can enjoy a good meal and various shows.
Hikone Castle:
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Besides natural beauty, historical buildings and festivals rank among those of national importance. Shiga prefecture is ranked fourth nationwide for having 807 National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. Hikone Castle, one of four national treasure castles in the country, is Shiga’s most famous historical building. The castle tower is well preserved and has many cherry trees.
Nagahama Castle:
The neighboring city of Nagahama has tourism in addition to its hikiyama festival. Notable shrines include Hiyoshi Taisha in Otsu and Taga-taisha in Taga, which respectively head the seventh and twentieth largest shrine networks in Japan, at about 4,000 shrines and 260 shrines, respectively.
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Nagahama also has its own castle, called the Nagahama Castle. Although it is now just a park because most of the castle lies in ruins, it is still worth a visit as the reconstructed keep contains a museum which is about the city of Nagahama.
Recommended times to visit:
Summer:
The annual Lake Biwa Great Fireworks Festival is one of the most loved and popular fireworks exhibitions in Japan. Held on Lake Biwa, near Otsu, the event is special in that it offers uninterrupted views of more than 10,000 fireworks exploding above the lake’s surface.
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