Nagahama City

Shiga
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Nagahama City, located in northeastern Lake Biwa, is a vibrant historical tourist city developed as a castle town where Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi first held a castle. "Kurokabe Square," a shopping area utilizing Edo-period townhouses, offers glass crafts and local gourmet food, making its modern-retro stroll extremely popular with international travelers. It's also a base for "Chikubushima Cruises" across Japan's largest lake, offering a balance of history, nature, and experience. Throughout the year, you can feel the brilliance of traditional Japanese culture and the passion of people, such as the "Bonbai Exhibition" in winter and the gorgeous "Nagahama Hikiyama Festival" in spring.

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【滋賀県公式観光PR動画】シガリズム湖北エリア

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【長浜市公式】四季折々－長浜―

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【長浜市公式】長浜×夏×びわ湖

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【長浜市公式】Touring in Nagahama

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Nagahama City

Address: 3-24 Kitafune-cho, Nagahama-shi, Shiga
Website: https://www.kitabiwako.jp/
Operator: Nagahama Tourism Association

Nagahama City Spots List

Kurokabe Square
Kanzan-ji Temple
Mt. Shizugatake
Lake Yogo
Nagahama Castle
Kita Biwako Hotel Grazie
Chikubushima Island
Sugaura Village

Shiga

Kurokabe Square

"Kurokabe Square" in Nagahama City is a popular, representative tourist area of Shiga Prefecture that utilizes old streetscapes from the Edo to Meiji periods. Centered on the iconic "Kurokabe Glass Shop," global glass crafts, workshops, stylish cafes, and galleries line the streets, allowing for a stroll where modern and retro merge. You can observe artisan skills up close or try glass-making experiences, and the time spent creating your own original work is highly popular with international travelers. This place, which continues to transmit new art and culture while carefully preserving historical buildings, is a most attractive street corner where you...

Shiga
Sightseeing
Food
Activities
Spring
Summer
Autumn
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Shiga

Kanzan-ji Temple

"Kanzan-ji Temple," nestled deep in the mountains of Nagahama City, is a hidden gem associated with the Heian noble Sugawara no Michizane. The approach to the main hall features massive, ancient "Zelkova" trees said to have been planted by Michizane himself, enveloping visitors in overwhelming vitality and sacred air. The silence found here precisely because it is not commercialized creates an illusion of slipping back hundreds of years with the deep green forest, old stone steps, and quietly standing vermilion gate. It is a sanctuary filled with Shiga's deep charm for authentic-minded travelers wishing to face nature and history quietly.

Shiga
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Shiga

Mt. Shizugatake

"Shizugatake," located on the border of Nagahama and Kinomoto, is a famous historical spot as the stage of the "Battle of Shizugatake" where Hashiba Hideyoshi and Shibata Katsuie fought for supremacy. You can easily climb to the summit by lift, and the view from there is one of the best panoramic points in Shiga, overlooking both "Lake Biwa" and the mystical "Lake Yogo" simultaneously. You can enjoy the contrast of the blue lakes and green mountains while thinking of the heroic history of Sengoku warlords. It's the best sightseeing spot for travelers wanting both history and spectacular views with a...

Shiga
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Shiga

Lake Yogo

"Lake Yogo" in Nagahama City is a quiet lake north of Lake Biwa, also called the "Mirror Lake" because its calm surface reflects the surrounding mountains like a mirror. It's a mystical place with legends of a celestial maiden's robe, and because it hasn't been flashily commercialized, you can taste silence that could be called Japan's original landscape. With smelt fishing in winter and rapeseed and cherry blossoms in spring, its mystical beauty is highly rated by photographers and nature-loving international travelers. It is a soul-healing retreat spot where you can cycle around the lake while listening to the sound...

Shiga
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Shiga

Nagahama Castle

"Nagahama Castle," known as the success castle first built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, is a beautiful fortress standing by Lake Biwa. It is currently a history museum where you can deeply learn the history of Hideyoshi and Nagahama. From the top-floor observatory, you can overlook Lake Biwa and the Nagahama cityscape, enjoying the grand panorama that Sengoku warlords once saw. The surroundings are developed as "Ho Park," selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots; in spring, many tourists from all over the world visit this popular photo spot seeking the quintessentially Japanese spectacular view of the castle and...

Shiga
Sightseeing
Spring

Shiga

Kita Biwako Hotel Grazie

"Kita Biwako Hotel Grazie," standing on the lakeshore in Nagahama City, is an attractive hotel with a sophisticated design reminiscent of Venice, Italy. The panoramic view of Lake Biwa spreading before your eyes is overwhelming, and the sight of the sky and lake dyed orange at sunset is especially engraved deeply in the hearts of visitors. Located very close to Nagahama Port, it is extremely convenient as a sightseeing base for Chikubushima. You can enjoy French, Italian, and Japanese cuisine utilizing fresh local ingredients, providing a comfortable stay that merges the historical atmosphere of a regional Japanese city with high-quality...

Shiga
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Shiga

Chikubushima Island

Floating in the northern part of Lake Biwa, "Chikubushima" is a mystical power spot that has been revered since ancient times as an island where gods dwell. The entire island is considered sacred ground, and you can see gorgeous architectural beauty, such as the Karamon gate of Hogonji Temple, designated as a National Treasure, and the main shrine of Tsukubusuma Shrine. In particular, the "Kawarake-nage" at the torii gate jutting out over the cliff, where you throw pottery with a wish, is extremely popular with international travelers. The time spent accessing the island by cruise ship from Nagahama or Imazu...

Shiga
Sightseeing
Nature
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Shiga

Sugaura Village

Located at the northernmost tip of Lake Biwa, sandwiched between steep mountains and the lake, "Sugaura Village" is a mystical settlement resembling a "Hidden Village" that once cut off contact with the outside and maintained its own autonomy. It strongly retains village systems from the Middle Ages, such as handing down documents designated as National Treasures, and is selected as an Important Cultural Landscape. The houses lining the lakeside and the entrance to the village protected by four gates symbolize the history of people who lived powerfully within Japan's harsh nature. While there are no flashy tourist facilities, it is...

Shiga
Sightseeing
Spring
Summer
Autumn
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