“Shunshoku – Azuchi/Hachiman no Suigo”, one of The Eight Great Views of Lake Biwa
The landscape of Omihachiman served as the inspiration for Edo Era ukiyo-e paintings. Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, became a nationally-designated park in 1950. The beautiful landscape of the Lake Biwa area which has retained the feeling of the old Japan has been chosen as one of The Eight Great Views of Lake Biwa. Known as “Shunshoku – Azuchi/Hachiman no Suigo”, the tour of the riverside through the famous Omihachiman on boats paddled by oarsmen is a specialty of the area. Selected as the No. 1 Important Cultural Landscape, the riverside has kept its original appearance without being touched by anyone. Moving leisurely through the bunches of reeds and fields with only the relaxing sounds of paddling from the boat, you will be able to forget about the hustle and bustle of the city. This tour is the activity that will let you experience most closely the co-existence of water and the waterways of Shiga and Omihachiman that has been in place since the beginning. There are 5 companies which can operate the tours at Omihachiman. There are oar boats as well as motorboats. There is no need to make reservations for the passenger boats but they are required for chartered boats.
A highlight throughout all four seasons
The tour of the riverside provides wonderful views for each season. Proceeding through the network of waterways by boat, you will be able to discover the beauty of each season. In spring, the cherry blossoms and rape blossoms brilliantly decorate the routes. With the petals floating beautifully on the water surface, this is the ideal season for the tour. Summer is also a refreshing season with all of the fresh greenery. The festival of the Great Dragon King of Yoshino, the protective deity for the waterways, is the harbinger for summer at Omihachiman. The fall foliage and the winter snowscapes around the waterways are also recommended (passenger boats only operate between April and October). How about leisurely enjoying the views of the riverside that can only be found in the untouched nature and the abundance of water of Shiga Prefecture?