Shiga

Shiga is a landlocked prefecture in the Kansai region wrapped entirely around Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, just east of Kyoto. Life here runs to the water: beaches and castle towns line the shore, and the lake has fed and connected the capital region for centuries.

Hikone Castle keeps an original keep designated a national treasure, with a moat you can tour by boat, and the torii of Shirahige Shrine stands in the shallows like a lake-borne cousin of Miyajima. The monastery complex of Enryaku-ji watches from Mount Hiei on the Kyoto border.

Ohmi beef, one of Japan's oldest wagyu brands, headlines dinner, and funazushi, the lake's ancient fermented sushi, challenges the curious. Trains circle much of the lake, and cyclists ride the full loop as a badge of honor. Summer opens the beaches; autumn suits the castle towns.