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Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県 Shiga-ken) is part of the Kinki region on Honshu island, Japan. The capital is the city of Otsu.
History
Geography
Lake Biwa
Cities
Districts
Economy
Demographics
Culture
Tourism
Many foreign tourists and even long-time foreign residents in Japan (except those in Kyoto) have never heard of Shiga. It might be considered a backwater prefecture overshadowed by its much more famous neighbor Kyoto. This is unfortunate since Shiga has so many things to offer tourists. The main gateways to Shiga is Maibara Station (bullet train station) in northern Shiga and Otsu, adjacent to Kyoto, down south. Before being incorporated as a prefecture in the modern era, Shiga's old fief name was Omi.
There are temples, castles, festivals, historical persons, and natural beauty that rank among those of national importance. Shiga's most prominent feature is Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. It looks like Japan's belly button on a map of Japan. The lake can be visited either by car (you can drive completely around it in one day) or by boat. The northern part of the lake is especially scenic. The western shore has white-sand swimming beaches, popular among Kyotoites during the summer. It is less developed than the eastern shore where there are cities such as Nagahama, Hikone, and Omi-Hachiman.
Boat cruises such as the well-known Michigan paddlewheeler and cruises to scenic Chikubushima island are worthy excursions. Many lakeside towns in Shiga also offer rental bicycles where you can hop on the bicycle at one train station and ride to another train station to return it. Cycling is a great way to see Shiga and the lake shore roads are very scenic. In spring, don't miss riding (or driving) through a stretch of road in Kaizu Osaki on the northern shore lined with cherry trees. It is one of Japan's most famous places for cherry blossoms.
Beautiful views of the lake can also be had from mountain roads like the Oku Biwako Parkway road up north and the Hiei-san Driveway and Oku Hiei Driveway overlooking the southwestern shore. In the capital city of Otsu, the Otsu Prince Hotel's Top of Otsu restaurant provides a superb high, panoramic view of the lake and city.
Like most prefectures, festivals abound in Shiga. Unique festivals include the Hikiyama Festival held in Nagahama in April. See ornate floats having with a miniature stage where highly-trained young boys (playing both male and female roles) act in kabuki plays. Meanwhile, Yokaichi city holds a Giant Kite Festival every May along a riverbank. The public is welcome to pull the rope to put the kite aloft (it doesn't fly very long if there's no wind).
Shiga's most famous building is Hikone Castle, a national treasure. The castle tower is well preserved and it gives you a good glimpse into how a real castle looked like during Japan's feudal period. It also has many cherry trees. The castle is associated with Ii Naosuke who was the Tokugawa shogunate's Great Elder (Tairo). He favored and concluded commercial treaties with the Western powers and thus broke Japan's isolation from the world in the 19th century. Foreigners were then allowed to trade with Japan and take up residence in cities like Yokohama and Hakodate. Unfortunately, Ii was later assassinated in 1860 by people who sought to oust the foreign "barbarians."
Shiga's second-most famous building is Ishiyama Temple in Otsu. It has a room where one of Japan's most famous novels was written: Genji Monogatari or Tale of Genji written by Murasaki Shikibu.
We also have Omi Hakkei or Eight Views of Omi made famous by Hiroshige's picturesque woodblock prints. Unfortunately, most of the original eight views are now almost gone or totally different from what they were centuries ago. One of them was set in Katata, home of the Ukimido, another famous building in Shiga. It is a small temple building built on stilts (now concrete pillars) on the lake near the shore, accessible by a short bridge.
Shiga has so many things that it would take a few weeks or more to see everything. The above is only the tip of the iceberg.
Prefectural symbols
Miscellaneous topics
In Feb. 2005, a number of towns will merge to form new cities. They include Santo, Ibuki, and Maihara towns to form Maibara city. And Yokaichi will merge with neighboring towns Eigenji, Gokasho, Aito, and Koto towns to form a new city called Higashi Omi.
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