Shiga 2-Day Itinerary Across Lake Biwa: Kumagawa-juku, Metasequoia Avenue, Chikubu Island and Hikone Castle

If you want a trip that stays with you, consider a leisurely tour around Lake Biwa (Biwako) in Shiga Prefecture.

The area around the lake has post towns that preserve their Edo-period streetscapes, scenic spots that change with the seasons, lake cruises, and historic castles.

This article introduces a two-day model itinerary that crosses Lake Biwa to visit scenery and historic sites found only in Shiga.

The route also includes fruit picking and food and shopping along a historic shopping street, so it suits travelers who want to enjoy local food.

DAY1

Day 1 starts at Wakasa Kumagawa-juku, a lesser-known spot in the northern Kinki region. After exploring this traditional post town on the Saba Kaido (Mackerel Road), head to Biwako Hakodateyama for views unique to Shiga.

Next, pick fruit at Makino Pick Land and enjoy the flavors of the season.

Then check in at Forest Villa Metasequoia, where you can enjoy Omi beef and lake fish, and spend a relaxing evening overlooking the beautiful Metasequoia Avenue.

[Wakasa Kumagawa-juku] 10:00 a.m.: A Hub on the Mackerel Road Between Wakasa Bay and Kyoto

Wakasa Kumagawa-juku, in southern Fukui Prefecture, lies on the route linking Wakasa and Kyoto.

Because mackerel from Wakasa Bay was carried to Kyoto along this route, it became known as the Saba Kaido (Mackerel Road), and Kumagawa-juku developed as a base for storing and transporting goods.

Kumagawa-juku, which retains its Edo-period streetscape, was designated an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in 1996 and is carefully maintained by the local community.

The town has a roadside station serving mackerel dishes, the Saba Kaido Museum, antique shops, and cafes in traditional houses.

There are also SUP and kayak experiences in Wakasa’s nature and a dojo offering ninja experiences, making it a good stop for anyone interested in nature or traditional culture.

Lunch Pick: Saba*Cafe

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Among Kumagawa-juku’s many mackerel dishes, a good choice is the mackerel sandwich at Saba*Cafe.

It features a juicy mackerel fillet in a crisp baguette.

The menu also includes sweets such as baked cheesecake.

[Biwako Hakodateyama] 12:00 p.m.: Lake Biwa and Flower Fields Together

Biwako Hakodateyama offers winter sports in winter and, from spring to autumn, activities with sweeping views of Lake Biwa.

Start by taking in the views from the lifts, the gondola, and four observation decks. For something more active, try the zip line or slider.

Other highlights include the Hakodateyama Kochia Park, lined with fluffy kochia plants, the Rainbow Curtain, made of Takashima chijimi, a traditional textile, swaying in the wind, and the Wind Chime Reed Path, with 882 wind chimes.

For a cafe with a romantic atmosphere, visit LAMP, a parfait shop in a mountain-hut-style building.

Along with parfaits full of seasonal fruit, it serves meals such as Omi beef burgers.

[Makino Pick Land] 3:00 p.m.: Seasonal Fruit Picking

Makino Pick Land, an agricultural park run by Takashima City, is a one-minute walk from tonight’s stay, Forest Villa Metasequoia.

With a cafe and orchards, the park offers fruit picking and fruit-based treats, making it a natural stop together with Metasequoia Avenue.

Mid-June to Late August: Blueberries

In season, the blueberries are large, thin-skinned, and full of sweetness.

Early August to Mid-September: Grapes

At Makino Pick Land, the grape varieties come into season in order: Ryuho, Beni Izu, and Pione.

Ryuho, a variety rarely sold in stores, is juicy with a refreshing aroma reminiscent of grapefruit. Beni Izu has large, sweet grapes with little acidity, and Pione has large grapes with a good balance of sweetness and acidity.

Seedless grapes are also available, which makes them easy for small children to enjoy.

Late September to Mid-October: Chestnuts

The chestnut orchard at Makino Pick Land covers about 55 hectares and has about 20,000 chestnut trees.

Chestnuts still on the tree are watery and not yet ready, so look for chestnuts that have fallen to the ground.

Chestnuts whose burrs have opened wide to show the nuts are fully ripe. Work gloves are not lent out, so bring your own.

Chestnuts you gather can be used in chestnut rice, sweet simmered chestnuts, or marrons glacés, or deep-fried to seal in their flavor. The park’s gelato shop also sells chestnut gelato for a limited time.

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[Metasequoia Avenue] 4:00 p.m.: Walk Among the Trees

Metasequoia Avenue is a tree-lined road where about 500 metasequoia trees stand in a straight line for about 2.4 kilometers.

Selected as one of Japan’s 100 best places for autumn leaves, the avenue is spectacular in the fall, but fresh spring greenery, deep summer green, and winter snow are also beautiful.

Driving through the avenue is impressive, but walking along the sidewalk is also a pleasure, with the trees rising straight overhead.

Read More

The Metasequoia Avenue in Takashima: Cafes, Seasons and Avoiding the Crowds Lake Biwa and the surrounding part of Shiga Prefecture are easy to reach from Kyoto and Osaka, and the area has drawn more visitors in recent years. Along wi…

[Forest Villa Metasequoia] 4:30 p.m.: A Hot Spring Stay with Shiga Food Beside the Avenue

Forest Villa Metasequoia stands right along Metasequoia Avenue and has six villas, each with its own hot spring.

With nothing blocking the view, guests can look out over the avenue and distant mountains. The food, made with plenty of Shiga ingredients, is another highlight.

Dinner: A Barbecue of Shiga’s Finest Meat and Fish

Plans with barbecue include an easy-to-use grill, even for outdoor beginners.

For dinner, a barbecue menu lets you taste Shiga’s ingredients as they are.

Along with meat dishes such as Omi beef sirloin steak and milk-fed pork loin steak, the menu includes seafood such as Omi shrimp with garlic and scallops simmered in a skillet.

If you want more, you can buy food at a nearby supermarket or convenience store and bring it in. Pair your meal with sake from Shiga.

Sake from Shiga, home to about 30 breweries

One recommendation is Chikubushima from Yoshida Shuzo, named after the historic island of Chikubu.

Made with carefully selected Shiga rice, water from the Chinai River north of Lake Biwa, and the Kanazawa yeast the brewery has used for many years, it has long been enjoyed by local fishermen, boatmen, and merchants.

It is also sold in small 300 ml bottles, which is a good way to try sake if you rarely drink it.

Yoshida Shuzo Address: 2292 Kaizu, Makino-cho, Takashima, Shiga Prefecture Phone: +81-740-28-0014 Email: kaizu.pastel@office.eonet.ne.jp Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed: Tuesdays (Wednesdays when Tuesday is a holiday) Official website (Japanese): https://chikubu-sakura.com/

Nearby convenience stores and supermarkets
– 7-Eleven Makino Kogyo Danchi-mae: 7 minutes on foot from Makino Station, 5 minutes by car from the inn
– Makino no Ee Omise Saigawa: 20 minutes on foot or 2 minutes by car from the inn
– Heiwado Imazu: 12 minutes by car from the inn

At Night: Hot Springs and a Campfire

Every villa at Forest Villa Metasequoia has a private hot spring bath, so you can soak whenever you like.

The water is a cloudy chloride spring, which the inn describes as moisturizing and warming.

After your bath, relax in the stylish room, or sit by a campfire or enjoy fireworks on the villa grounds and talk late into the night.

Share the memories of the day at Wakasa Kumagawa-juku, Biwako Hakodateyama, Makino Pick Land, and Metasequoia Avenue.

Day2

On Day 2, take a cruise to the historic island of Chikubu and make a wish. In Nagahama’s Kurokabe Square, try glassmaking or find a favorite piece at Kurokabe Glass House, housed in a Meiji-period Western-style building.

Next, visit Hikone Castle, a National Treasure, and finish with food and shopping on the retro shopping street Yume Kyobashi Castle Road.

[Chikubu Island Cruise] 9:30 a.m.: Imazu Port to Chikubu Island to Nagahama Port

Biwako Kisen operates sightseeing cruises on various routes across Lake Biwa. This time, head to Chikubu Island, which is dotted with historic temples and shrines.

Enjoy the view from the open deck, and you will reach Chikubu Island in about 25 minutes.

Make a Wish with a Red Daruma at Hogon-ji Temple

Chikubu Island is home to Hogon-ji, counted among Japan’s three great Benzaiten sites, along with Enoshima Shrine in Kanagawa Prefecture and Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima Prefecture. Benzaiten is a deity of Buddhist origin worshipped throughout Japan.

Hogon-ji and Tsukubusuma Shrine were once a single place of worship, but they were separated in the Meiji period. Today, Tsukubusuma Shrine is also known as Chikubushima Shrine.

At Hogon-ji, you can place a paper with your wish inside a small red daruma called the Benten-sama no Shiawase Negai Daruma and offer it at the main hall.

After offering the daruma, you receive a daruma-shaped charm on a strap.

Take a Break at the Island’s Souvenir Shop and Cafe

Source: https://www.biwakokisen.co.jp/blog/26695/
Left: Nosaka souvenir shop. Right: Benten agemochi, a local specialty

Chikubu Island has a souvenir shop and a cafe. Try Benten agemochi (fried rice cakes), a Chikubu specialty, at Nosaka souvenir shop, and a cute Benzaiten-shaped ice cream monaka at cafe and shop Cocoya.

Hogon-ji and Tsukubusuma Shrine are both within a 10-minute walk of Chikubushima Port, and other highlights, such as the Karamon Gate (a National Treasure) and the Kannon Hall and Funa-roka corridor (Important Cultural Properties), are within 5 to 10 minutes on foot.

On the 9:30 a.m. sailing, you have about 60 minutes on the island before the boat leaves for Nagahama, so take your time exploring.

[Kurokabe Square] 12:00 p.m.: A Nostalgic Town of Glass

About a 15-minute walk from Nagahama Port, you reach Kurokabe Square, one of Nagahama’s best-known sights.

Kurokabe Square includes Kurokabe Glass House, set in a renovated building known in the Meiji period as the “Kurokabe Bank,” along with glass shops, studios offering hands-on workshops, cafes, and Japanese sweet shops.

Kurokabe Glass House sells glassware, interior pieces, miniature glass animals, and accessories.

Matching items make nice keepsakes for friends or couples.

Workshops range from glassblowing that takes about 10 minutes to cut-glass engraving and making a stained-glass lamp over about 120 minutes.

It is a chance to make a one-of-a-kind piece of your own.

Lunch Pick: Momijiya

Momijiya’s noppei udon has been a Nagahama specialty since the restaurant opened in 1911. It is udon in a thick, starchy broth with a large shiitake mushroom and carefully made dashi.

Inside, menus from around 1940 and autographs and photos of celebrities line the walls, showing how long it has been loved as Nagahama’s local udon.

The relaxed, old-fashioned dining room makes for a warming meal.

[Hikone Castle] 3:00 p.m.: Look Closely at the Roofs and Turrets

Take the JR line from Nagahama Station to Hikone Station, about 25 minutes. The castle is about a 30-minute walk from the station, so take the bus. After an 18-minute ride, the National Treasure Hikone Castle comes into view.

First, look at the roofs. They feature elaborate designs such as kirizuma hafu, gables shaped like an open book laid face down, irimoya hafu, hip-and-gable ends that convey the castle’s dignity, and kara hafu, cusped gables that curve upward at both ends.

The castle also has many defensive features, such as yagura turrets used to store weapons and watch over Lake Biwa, and the Taikomon Yagura, where a drum used for signals inside the castle was kept.

There is plenty to see even for those with little interest in history.

[Yume Kyobashi Castle Road] 5:00 p.m.: Enjoy Fine Beef and Sweets

Beyond the castle moat lies Yume Kyobashi Castle Road, a shopping street.

Its shops share a unified look of white walls, black lattices, and ibushi-gawara* roof tiles.

Shops worth stopping at include tatatte, which sells stylish, portable oki-tatami mats, and Imodokoro Imoro, known for its imo kenpi (candied sweet potato sticks).

For an early dinner, Sennari-tei Kyara serves Omi beef sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, and steak.

Take your time snacking and shopping along the street.

*Ibushi-gawara: roof tiles smoked at the end of the firing process to give them a pale gray finish

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Shopping street map (PDF, Japanese)

Summary

This article introduced a model itinerary that crosses Lake Biwa in Shiga to visit a post town, scenic spots, an island cruise, and a castle.

With fruit picking, retro streetscapes, and a shopping street full of food and shops, the route also suits travelers interested in food and souvenirs.

It is a good plan for anyone who wants to go beyond Japan’s main tourist routes and explore lesser-known places.