Roadside station K
os hu R
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Kaizu-Osaki Tsuzurao Cape
Chikubu Island Port
Lake Biwa
O kubiwa ko Pa rk w ay
Ishidagawa Dam
Okuyama Dam
Gotannda Pond
Ekai Pond
Inner Lake Matsunoki-naiko
Lake Otomegaike Kanafuki Pond
Lake Tankai (Lake Shojo)
Dairaike Pond
Hamabunnuma Pond
Imazu Port
Takashima City
Sancho Station Sancho Station
Sanroku Station Sanroku Station M
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dol a
JR K
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Omi-Nakasho Omi-Nakasho
Omi-Imazu Omi-Imazu
Omi-Takashima Omi-Takashima
Adogawa Adogawa Kenko-no Mori Umenoko Sports ParkKenko-no Mori Umenoko Sports Park
Biwako
Kodomo-no-Kuni Park Biwako
Kodomo-no-Kuni Park Shin-asahi
Shin-asahi Wakasa Kaido
Wakasa Kaido
Makino Makino
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161
Waterfront scenery at Kaizu, Nishihama, and Chinai
Waterfront scenery at Harie and Shimofuri
Waterfront scenery at Omizo
Shirahige Shrine The Shikobuchi Faith
Lake Biwa and Waterside Scenes
A Heritage of Water in Living and Prayer
Shirahige Shrine
Lake Biwa and Waterside Scenes
A Heritage of Water in Living and PrayerNatural spring water is revered for its ability to eliminate impurities and heal illness. With the spread of Buddhism in Japan, people came to believe widely in the Buddha of the “Pure Land of Water”—a deity
that shines a color of lapis lazuli (blue)—also known as the Medicine Buddha, or Yakushi Nyōrai. In Shiga
Prefecture, many temples and shrines were built overlooking “Lake Biwa”, which represents this “Pure Land of Water”, and still today, people from all walks of life are drawn to the area.
For centuries as people built waterways to channel the water running down from the mountains and used the spring water, they have observed a rule to not dirty the water, a rule handed down to the present day. In the lakeside communities and on the island in the lake, unique forms of culinary culture developed, which includes funa-zushi, a fermented form of sushi, as well as traditional fishing methods such as Eri trap fishing. The wetlands and waterside environment that provide a home to many wild creatures have been
represented in many works of art and gardens, and in recent years people have been drawn to the cultural landscape that demonstrates how special uses of water became integrated into people’s lives.
The long history of the Japanese people’s special “culture of water” is concentrated here in Shiga.
Japan Heritage “Water Culture” Toursim Promotion Council Secretariat (within the Tourism and
International Exchange Bureau, Department of Commerce, Industry, Tourism, and Labor, Shiga Prefecture) Tel: 077-528-3741 / Fax: 077-521-5030
For Inquiries
The Japan Heritage Promotion project
Japan has many treasures it is proud to present to the world. To preserve and polish these “treasures”—areas that are rich in historical attractions—the Agency for Cultural Affairs has begun a project to designate them as “Japan Heritage” sites for the stories they tell about Japanese culture and traditions. The Japan Heritage project was set up to promote such special attractions to the rest of Japan and the world. Shiga Prefecture and six cities* applied for recognition of “Lake Biwa and Waterside Scenes— A Heritage of Water in Living and Prayer,” and it was designated a “Japan Heritage” site in 2015.
* Otsu City, Hikone City, Omihachiman City, Takashima City, Higashiomi City, Maibara City
Japan Heritage “Water Culture” Tourism Promotion Council
Shiga Prefecture, Otsu City, Hikone City, Omihachiman City, Takashima City, Higashiomi City, Maibara City Biwako Visitors Bureau
Shiga Prefectural Association for Cultural Heritages
Japan Heritage
—
Lake Biwa, Shiga
The high stone walls built along the lake shore create
a landscape like no other
The districts of Kaizu, Nishihama, and Chinai once flourished as port town, post town, and fishing village. Built along the shoreline of the lake, they are distinctive for their stone breakwaters. The
waterfront scenery in these districts was selected as Japan’s fifth
important cultural landscape in 2008. The key components of the landscapes are the stone walls of Kaizu and Nishihama, the former warehouse of the fishing guild, and machiya townhouses built by merchants. The machiya are wooden structures that date to the end of the Edo Period (up to 1868) lining the street, serving as
accommodations for travelers or housing commercial businesses.
Famed as the final battle spot of
the Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion in 764
In ancient times, Omizo flourished as the area surrounding Katsunozu port, connecting Wakasa (today southern Fukui) and the territories in the vicinity of Kyoto. The place
names of the area appear in literature such as the Man’yoshu, compiled in the eighth century. Lake Otomegaike, one of Lake Biwa’s inner lakes, was the location of the finale
of the biggest civil war battle of the Nara period, the Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion. Also, Oda Nobunaga built Omizo Castle as a strategic stronghold for controlling Lake Biwa in the closing years of the Warring States period. Omizo is known for its mountain
spring water and well water that have been skillfully used in people’s lives since ancient
times, with special customs that still exist today.
People’s clever system for using clear water
from rivers is still in use today
The great shrine gate puts on a different face
with changes in light and season
The districts of Harie and Shimofuri, which have spring water (Shozu) gushing up from underground, are known for their
kabata culture, ever-running water in kitchen basins that demonstrate care taken with water in everyday life, even today. The spring water flows from the Harie-Okawa River and Koike River through the inner lakes to Lake Biwa. The lake shoreline is taken over by reed beds, and the scenery remains today much as it was in the earliest days of Japan. Reed beds are a spawning ground for many types of fish that inhabit Lake Biwa. You can enjoy scenes of life-giving water flowing through the quiet countryside here.
Reserve for a tour. [Harie Shozu-no-Sato Committee]
Tel: 0740-25-6566 Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (In winter until 3:00 p.m.)
[Light-up of the torii gate in the water Days] (1) Saturday, Sunday from sundown for approx. 2 hours (2) On Sept. 5 from sunset until 10:00 p.m.
(3) New Year’s Eve until daybreak (4) Jan. 1 – 5 from sunset until 9:00 p.m. [Inquiries] 0740-36-1555
A unique religious faith of
the Adogawa River system protects raftsmen
from the demons of the river
The Shikobuchi gods are guardian deities of raftsmen belonging to a religious faith unique to the Adogawa river basin. A legend is told in which a Shikobuchi god and his son were rafting down the Adogawa and when they reached Obuchi, a kappa pulled the boy underwater to cause mischief, but the god chastised the demon who pledged from then on to keep rafts safe. The Adogawa River has many whitewater sections, and the dangerous work performed by raftsmen was life-threatening, so they built shrines for the Shikobuchi gods at dangerous spots along the river to chase away the river demons.
The oldest shrine in Ōmi with a famous large torii gate
rising out of Lake Biwa. The name “Shirahige” means “white beard” and the shrine is dedicated to the god of long life. It is one of the top power spots for visitors to Shiga. Also of interest are the many inscriptions of tanka poems by celebrated poets engraved on a monument within the shrine precinct. One poem is by the early modern poet Tekkan Yosano and his wife Akiko Yosano, written upon their visit, extolling the clear spring water that flowed in front of the shrine.
Waterfront of Harie and
Shimofuri
Important Cultural Landscape
The flow of life-giving waterShirahige Shrine
Important Cultural Property (building)
Grand torii gate standing in the lakeWaterfront scenery at Omizo
Important Cultural Landscape
Communicates water usage wisdom
