Shiga Prefecture (滋賀県) - Travelogue My Weekend Trip in Summer 2021 - Part 1

To escape the summer heat in Tokyo, I went on a short weekend trip – or a “drive” as these short trips are called here in Japan – and visited Shiga and Fukui prefectures. ## Shiga Prefecture Shiga Prefecture is located in the middle of Honshu, Japan’s main island, and is about 5 and a half hours west of Tokyo by car. You may have heard of “Omi Beef” or “Wagyu Beef” – Shiga is the home of this delicacy. The area is also known for its large number of national parks and ski resorts in winter. However, since I was driving to Shiga in the summer, I wanted to take a closer look at the famous Lake Biwa and the equally famous Hikone Castle and take you with me on this journey. ## At Lake Biwa The first stop on my journey was Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake. It is even believed to be the third oldest lake in the world. Probably the most famous image is the large Torii in the middle of the water, which is depicted on many Japan postcards. Unfortunately, I wasn’t at that spot myself, but was on the other side of the lake to take a closer look at the more remote places. ### A car is worth it! To be able to enjoy Lake Biwa, I can only recommend renting a car. The route I took around Lake Biwa didn’t have much to offer in terms of tourist spots, but the ability to enjoy the scenery while driving directly made up for this deficit. Here I would also definitely recommend the evening hours around sunset to anyone who loves landscape photos. There is the possibility to take a cruise ship from one shore to the other on Lake Biwa, with a detour to the small island of Chikubu-shima. However, during the pandemic, these ships only run on selected days, and unfortunately I didn’t have any luck here and had to forgo further exploration of the lake.

### My impression All in all, Lake Biwa is worth a visit, but you should be clear beforehand what is most interesting for yourself: If you want to enjoy the full nature of Japan, a car tour around the lake is a good idea, as there are some beautiful spots for landscape photography and you pass by a few temples. This is certainly also a nice area for hiking. For city dwellers and those who would like to eat with a view of the lake, it is probably better to plan the trip more towards local cities. For city dwellers and those who would like to eat with a view of the lake, it is probably better to plan the trip more towards local cities. ## Hikone Castle The next day it was on to Hikone Castle, which – as the name suggests – is located in the city of Hikone, directly on Lake Biwa. It is very easy to reach by car, but you have to expect somewhat expensive parking fees: 1,000 yen per hour. The castle is also easy to reach by train: it is only about 15 minutes walk from Hikone Station. ### Admission If you want to take a closer look at the castle, you have a choice of two tariffs: admission with a small tour of the interiors and the surrounding garden costs 800 yen (about 6 euros), together with a ticket for the neighboring museum 1,200 yen (about 9 euros). This time I only opted for the tour of the castle and garden and skipped the museum.

### Historical background Hikone Castle was built from 1603 in the Edo period at the instruction of Ii Naokatsu, the son of the first lord of Hikone, and completed in 1622. It is one of the 12 Japanese castles that have retained their original keep to this day, and was also classified as a National Treasure of Japan in 1952. Hikone Castle is a popular destination, especially in spring, as it is surrounded by plum trees and the blooming season must be particularly picturesque. But even in summer, the castle really makes an impression and, despite its small size, is quite impressive for visitors. ### Inside the castle With the admission ticket, it is also possible to visit the premises. If you have visited a castle in Germany before, you will certainly know that here the interior decoration or weapon collections are always part of the exhibition. This shouldn’t be expected here: the entire interior of the castle is empty. In my opinion, however, it is still worth taking a look from the inside, as the architecture is of course quite different from what we know from our castles. For one thing, the walls and floors are entirely made of wood, and for another, there are hardly any separate rooms. My highlight was the view from the castle platform. Not only does the city of Hikone stretch out before you, but also a large portion of Lake Biwa. According to the tourist guides I consulted beforehand, this platform is one of the 8 best spots to see the lake and I can only agree.

## Find Hotels in Hikone Affiliate Link: If you book a hotel on Booking.com through my widget or link, I will receive a small commission. There are no additional costs for you and you are supporting my blog. I am very grateful to you and wish you lots of fun traveling (^_^) ### My conclusion In conclusion, Hikone Castle is small but very beautiful. It’s not necessary to plan a whole day for the visit, but if you’re in the area, I highly recommend including the castle on your itinerary. There are no restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the castle, so it’s advisable to head towards the city after your visit and find a local eatery. But be careful: outside of major cities, many restaurants and shops close as early as seven o’clock in the evening!