Otsu

Capital of Shiga prefecture, southern Honshu island, Japan, on Lake Biwa, 15 km/9 mi east of Kyoto; population (1990 est) 276,300. Formerly a castle town, the main industries include the manufacture of electrical goods and textiles.

Otsu lies at the junction of ancient roads, including the Tokaido or Eastern Sea Highway, and these have long served as routes for trade, as well as for pilgrimage to the sacred sites of the city. A former imperial residence (667–72), the site of which has been excavated, can be found in the city, as can Enryakuji, the head temple of the Tendai sect of Buddhism. The Hie shrine is the most important of 3,800 Hie Sanno shrines.

Ishiyamadera, founded in 749 and rebuilt c. 1100, is a major pilgrimage venue for the veneration of Kannon (Buddhist goddess of mercy) and is noted for its manuscript collection. It is famed for its association with the revered 11th-century author Shikibu Murasaki.