Biwa Lake

Largest freshwater lake in Japan, in Shiga prefecture, Honshu area; 672 sq km/259 sq mi; circumference 277 km/172 mi. The lake, which is 60 km/37 mi long and 20 km/12 mi wide is situated 10 km/6 mi from Kyoto and is renowned for its beauty, especially at the southern extremity. Biwa Lake is connected with the Kamo River by canal to Osaka, and the Yodo River flows from it.

There is a striking difference between the average depth of the much larger North lake at 50m/164 ft or more and the South lake at 5 m/16 ft. The lake supplies water to the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe conurbation for irrigation as well as drinking and industry. The purity of the water is shown by the presence of pearl cultures and fish species such as carp and trout. The Great Bridge of Lake Biwa, at the southeastern corner of the lake, connecting Otsu with Moriyama, was completed in 1964.