Bunkazai TabiA travel guide to Japan’s cultural heritage

Cultural heritage in Shiga

National Treasure buildings and historic districts in Shiga.

Onjo-ji (Mii-dera)

Muromachi · Temples · National Treasures

Onjo-ji (Mii-dera)

Otsu, Shiga

At Mii-dera you can see the large Momoyama-period Kondo and the Shinra Zenjin-do with its graceful cypress-bark roof. The shoin-style guest halls of Kangaku-in and Kojo-in can be seen on a special visit arranged in advance.

Hiyoshi Taisha

Momoyama · Shrines · National Treasures

Hiyoshi Taisha

Otsu, Shiga

At Hiyoshi Taisha you can see the main sanctuaries of the Nishi Hongu and Higashi Hongu, built in the Hiyoshi-zukuri style found only at this shrine. The grounds at the foot of Mt. Hiei, with about 40 shrines, are a well-known spot for autumn leaves.

Enryaku-ji: Konponchudo

Edo · Temples · National Treasures

Enryaku-ji

Otsu, Shiga

Founded by the monk Saicho, Enryaku-ji on Mt. Hiei is a World Heritage temple known as the mother of Japanese Buddhism. Its National Treasure, the Konponchudo main hall in the Todo area, houses the Eternal Flame, said to have burned before the principal image for 1,200 years.

Ishiyama-dera

Heian · Temples · National Treasures

Ishiyama-dera

Otsu, Shiga

At Ishiyama-dera you can see two National Treasures: the Heian-period Main Hall, whose worship hall is built out over the wollastonite bedrock, and the Tahoto Pagoda of 1194, the oldest of its kind with a known date. There is also the Genji Room, where Murasaki Shikibu is said to have begun The Tale of Genji.

Hikone Castle: The keep with autumn leaves

Momoyama · Castles · National Treasures

Hikone Castle

Hikone, Shiga

Hikone Castle, long the seat of the Ii family, has a three-story National Treasure keep said to have been moved here from Otsu Castle. The highlight is not its size but its roof, layered with a varied mix of curved and triangular gables.

Tsukubusuma Shrine

Momoyama · Shrines · National Treasures

Tsukubusuma Shrine

Nagahama, Shiga

At Tsukubusuma Shrine you can see the National Treasure Main Sanctuary, which joins two buildings of different periods, and try kawarake throwing at the Ryujin Haisho that juts out over Lake Biwa. The sanctuary is linked to the Kannon Hall of Hogon-ji by a roofed corridor.

Hogon-ji

Momoyama · Temples · National Treasures

Hogon-ji

Nagahama, Shiga

At Hogon-ji you can see the National Treasure Karamon Gate, noted as possibly the only surviving building of Hideyoshi's Osaka Castle, the partly cliff-hung Kannon Hall and the Funa-roka corridor leading to Tsukubusuma Shrine. Stone steps lead up to the main hall of the Great Benzaiten.

Lake Biwa Canal (First Tunnel)

Meiji · Modern architecture · National Treasures

Lake Biwa Canal (First Tunnel)

Otsu, Shiga

Lake Biwa Canal (First Tunnel) is a modern heritage site in Otsu, Shiga. Its Lake Biwa Canal Facilities (First Tunnel) is a designated National Treasure (Meiji period, 1890).

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Zensui-ji

Muromachi · Temples · National Treasures

Zensui-ji

Konan, Shiga

Zensui-ji is a temple in Konan, Shiga. Its Main Hall is a designated National Treasure (Early Muromachi period).

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Choju-ji

Kamakura · Temples · National Treasures

Choju-ji

Konan, Shiga

Choju-ji is a temple in Konan, Shiga. Its Main Hall is a designated National Treasure (Early Kamakura period).

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Joraku-ji

Muromachi · Temples · National Treasures

Joraku-ji

Konan, Shiga

Joraku-ji is a temple in Konan, Shiga. Its Main Hall and Three-Story Pagoda are designated National Treasures (Early Muromachi period–Mid-Muromachi period, 1360–1400).

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Saimyo-ji

Kamakura · Temples · National Treasures

Saimyo-ji

Koura, Shiga

Saimyo-ji is a temple in Koura, Shiga. Its Main Hall and Three-Story Pagoda are designated National Treasures (Early Kamakura period–Late Kamakura period).

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Namura Shrine

Kamakura · Shrines · National Treasures

Namura Shrine

Ryuo, Shiga

Namura Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Ryuo, Shiga. Its West Main Sanctuary is a designated National Treasure (Late Kamakura period, 1308).

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Mikami Shrine

Kamakura · Shrines · National Treasures

Mikami Shrine

Yasu, Shiga

Mikami Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Yasu, Shiga. Its Main Sanctuary is a designated National Treasure (Late Kamakura period).

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Osasahara Shrine

Muromachi · Shrines · National Treasures

Osasahara Shrine

Yasu, Shiga

Osasahara Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Yasu, Shiga. Its Main Sanctuary is a designated National Treasure (Mid-Muromachi period, 1414).

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Gokasho Kondo, Higashiomi

Historic districts

Gokasho Kondo, Higashiomi

Higashiomi, Shiga

Gokasho Kondo, Higashiomi is a farming village in Higashiomi, Shiga, selected in 1998 as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

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Omi-Hachiman

Historic districts

Omi-Hachiman

Omihachiman, Shiga

Omi-Hachiman is a merchant town in Omihachiman, Shiga, selected in 1991 as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

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Muromachi · Temples · National Treasures

Kongorin-ji

Aisho, Shiga

Kongorin-ji is a temple in Aisho, Shiga. Its Main Hall is a designated National Treasure (Early Muromachi period).

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Historic districts

Sakamoto, Otsu

Otsu, Shiga

Sakamoto, Otsu is a cluster of satobo (temple priests' residences) in Otsu, Shiga, selected in 1997 as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

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Historic districts

Hikone Kawaramachi-Serimachi District

Hikone, Shiga

Hikone Kawaramachi-Serimachi District is a merchant town in Hikone, Shiga, selected in 2016 as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.

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