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.

Hikone castle

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

Enryaku-ji Monastery

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

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…

Miho Museum

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Minakuchi Castle

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

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.

Kongōrin-ji

Kongōrin-ji, also known as Matsuo-dera is a Buddhist temple of the Tendai sect located in the town of Aishō, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.