Shiga Essentials

Shiga Prefecture is defined by Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake, and a landscape rich in feudal and spiritual history. The region features Hikone Castle, one of the few original Edo-period fortresses remaining, and the sprawling Enryaku-ji monastery complex on Mount Hiei. Cultural highlights include the I.M. Pei-designed Miho Museum, the Art Brut collections of Omihachiman, and the sacred shrines of Chikubu Island, offering a comprehensive look at Japanese architecture from the 8th century to the modern era.

2008/7/30 / Public domain

A

Hikone castle

Hikone Castle is an Edo-period Japanese castle located in the city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

663highland / CC BY 2.5

B

Enryaku-ji Monastery

Enryaku-ji is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto.

Murambo / Public domain

C

Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. It is located entirely within Shiga Prefecture, northeast of the former capital city of…

663highland / CC BY 2.5

D

Miho Museum

The Miho Museum is located southeast of Kyoto, Japan, in the Shigaraki neighborhood of the city of Kōka, in Shiga Prefecture.

E

Genkyuen Gardens

A 17th-century Daimyo garden located at the base of Hikone Castle. It features a large central pond and was designed in the circular-path style, utilizing the castle keep as a borrowed landscape element.

663highland / CC BY 2.5

F

Konpon Chu-do

The primary hall of the Enryaku-ji monastery complex on Mount Hiei. This National Treasure houses the 'Inextinguishable Dharma Lamp,' which is said to have burned continuously for over 1,200 years.

663highland / CC BY 2.5

G

Mii-dera

Mii-dera, formally called Onjō-ji, is a Buddhist temple in Japan located at the foot of Mount Hiei, in the city of Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture.

H

都久夫須麻神社本殿

Located on Chikubu Island, this shrine's main hall is a National Treasure featuring opulent Momoyama-period architecture, including intricate carvings and lacquer work relocated from Fushimi Castle.

投稿者がファイル作成 / Public domain

I

Minakuchi Castle

Minakuchi Castle, is a hirashiro-style Japanese castle located in the former town of Minakuchi, in the city of Kōka, Shiga Prefecture,…

Mobnoboka / CC BY-SA 3.0

J

ボーダレス・アートミュージアムNO-MA

Situated in a renovated Edo-period merchant house, this museum specializes in Art Brut. It exhibits works by self-taught artists, exploring the creative intersection between people with and without disabilities.