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25-705: Its name means "the line to the west of the lake," indicating that it approximately parallels the western shore of Biwako . Trains continue from Omi-Shiotsu Station to Tsuruga Station on the Hokuriku Main Line Yamashina to Kyoto Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line for convenient transfer to lines serving the Kansai as well as the Tōkaidō Shinkansen . In addition to local, Rapid and Special Rapid services, limited express trains such as

50-542: A largemouth bass weighing 10.12 kg (22 lb 5 oz) was caught from the lake by Manabu Kurita. It has been officially certified by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) to tie the largemouth bass world record held solely by George Perry for 77 years. The Awazu site, a submerged Shell midden , is an important archaeological site of the Jōmon period . It goes back to

75-549: A true loach ( Cobitis magnostriata ), two gobies ( Gymnogobius isaza and Rhinogobius biwaensis ), two silurid catfish ( Silurus biwaensis and S. lithophilus ) and a cottid ( Cottus reinii ). The Biwa trout is also endemic to the lake, but some maintain that it is a subspecies of the widespread masu salmon rather than a separate species. The remaining endemic fish are subspecies of Carassius auratus , Cobitis minamorii , Sarcocheilichthys variegatus and Squalidus (chankaensis) biwae . Lake Biwa

100-596: A notably diverse ecosystem to evolve in the lake. Naturalists have documented more than 1000 species and subspecies in the lake, including about 60 endemics . Lake Biwa is an important place for water birds . About 5,000 water birds visit Lake Biwa every year. There are 46 native fish species and subspecies in the lake, including 11 species and 5 subspecies that are endemic or near-endemic. The endemic species are five cyprinids ( Carassius cuvieri , Gnathopogon caerulescens , Ischikauia steenackeri , Opsariichthys uncirostris and Sarcocheilichthys biwaensis ),

125-499: A sophisticated processing technology was mastered in order to remove the harmful tannic acid , and make this food safe for consumption. Ishiyama is another such site of the Early Jōmon period on Lake Biwa. Various environmental laws cover Lake Biwa: At the prefectural level, Eutrophication Control Ordinance was enacted in 1979. It was intended to control the use of synthetic detergents by companies and residents alike and followed

150-523: A successful citizens' campaign known as the Soap Movement, which had emerged from women's consumer groups earlier in the 1970s. Legislation to prevent eutrophication was enacted in 1981 and first enforced on July 1, 1982; therefore, this day is called "Lake Biwa Day ( びわ湖の日 , Biwako no Hi ) ". The legislation established standards for the nitrogen and phosphorus levels for agricultural, industrial, and household water sources emptying into

175-775: Is about 670 km (260 sq mi). Small rivers drain from the surrounding mountains into Lake Biwa, and its main outlet is the Seta River , which later becomes the Uji River, combining with the Katsura and Kizu to become the Yodo River and flows into the Seto Inland Sea at Osaka Bay . It serves as a reservoir for the cities of Kyoto and Ōtsu and is a valuable resource for nearby textile industries. It provides drinking water for about 15 million people in

200-482: Is also the home of a large number of molluscs , including 38 freshwater snails (19 endemic) and 16 bivalves (9 endemic). Recently the biodiversity of the lake has suffered greatly due to the invasion of foreign fish , the black bass and the bluegill . Bluegill were presented to the Emperor and later freed in the lake as a food source for other fish. Black bass were introduced as a sport fish . In July 2009,

225-676: Is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. It is located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu ), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto . Lake Biwa is an ancient lake , over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13th oldest lake in the world. Because of its proximity to the country's historical capital Kyoto , references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles. The name Biwako

250-679: The Thunderbird , as well as freight trains are frequently operated on the line. Only few of limited express trains stop at Katata or Omi-Imazu and others skip all stations on the line. A direct Tsuruga – Kyoto line was included in the 1922 Railway Construction Act. In the meantime, the Kojaku Railway Co. opened a line from Hamaotsu on the Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line 51 km (32 mi) to Omi-Imazu between 1923 and 1929. Between 1947 and 1965 there

275-476: The Kansai region . Lake Biwa is a breeding ground for freshwater fish, including trout , and for the pearl culture industry. The Lake Biwa Canal , built in the late 1890s and later expanded during the Taishō period , played a role of great importance in the rekindling of Kyoto's industrial life, after a steep decline following the transfer of the capital to Tokyo. Lake Biwa is home to many popular beaches along

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300-544: The 19th century, a trip to Steamboat between Osaka and Fushimi could take 12 hours. There's antique Ukiyo-e that depict the history of Yodo River (Uji River). The Uji River has a prominent place in the so-called "Uji chapters" of The Tale of Genji , a novel written by the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu in the early eleventh century. Nowadays, the Uji River, or the Yodo River in Kyoto Prefecture ,

325-587: The ancient capital Heian-kyō (now Kyoto ) during the Heian period , was partly chosen because of the presence of the Yodo river that flows towards Osaka, and its outlet on the Seto Inland Sea . The river played a very important role for the movement and transport of goods between Osaka and Kyoto , until the arrival of the first trains in the 1870s. In 1858, it is estimated there were 50 boats daily of all types that carried about 1,500 people from Osaka to Fushimi . In

350-635: The beginning of the Initial Jōmon period (ca. 9300 BP ). It lies near the southern end of Lake Biwa, close to Otsu City , at a depth of 2 to 3 meters from the bottom. The site shows the use of plant and animal food resources by the Jōmon people . It also demonstrates the importance of nut consumption in this period. Shell Midden No. 3 is dated to the Middle Jōmon period . An abundance of horse chestnuts were uncovered here (about 40% of their total estimated diet). This indicates that, by this later period,

375-474: The lake. They also banned people from using and selling synthetic detergents which contain phosphorus. The lake was designated as a UNESCO Ramsar Wetland (1993) in accordance with the Ramsar Convention . The object of this treaty is to protect and sensibly use internationally valuable wetlands . The Kushiro marsh ( 釧路湿原 , Kushiro Shitsugen) in Japan is under this treaty now. Reed colonies on

400-520: The mornings, which heads south to the JR Kyoto Line. 2 services are operated every weekday morning and 1 service is operated every weekend morning. Special Rapid (新快速) trains operate one train per hour for both directions, throughout daytime. Only 4-car trains are capable of going as far as Tsuruga at the moment, and the rear eight cars in a 12-car set are uncoupled at Omi-Imazu Station. Lake Biwa Lake Biwa ( 琵琶湖 , Biwa-ko )

425-574: The north-western shore, in particular Shiga Beach and Omi-Maiko . The Mizunomori Water Botanical Garden and the Lake Biwa Museum in Kusatsu are also of interest. The Lake Biwa Marathon took place annually in Ōtsu, the city at the southern end of the lake, from 1962 until 2021. Lake Biwa is of tectonic origin and is one of the world's oldest lakes , dating to at least 4 million years ago. This long uninterrupted age has allowed for

450-689: The reed beds has been in force since 1992. Seta River The Yodo River ( 淀川 , Yodo-gawa ) , also called the Seta River (瀬田川 Seta-gawa ) and the Uji River (宇治川 Uji-gawa ) at portions of its route, is the principal river in Osaka Prefecture on Honshu , Japan . The source of the river is Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture to the north. The Yodo River, usually called the Seta River in Shiga Prefecture, begins at

475-604: The shape of the lake is similar to that of the biwa , her favorite instrument." The lake was formerly known as the Awaumi ( 淡海 , Freshwater Sea) or the Chikatsu Awaumi ( 近淡海 , Freshwater Sea Near [the Capital]) . Later the pronunciation Awaumi changed to the modern Ōmi as in the name of Ōmi Province . The lake is also called Nio no Umi ( 鳰の海 , " Little Grebe Lake") in literature. The area of this lake

500-492: The shore form give Lake Biwa its characteristic scenery. The reeds play an important role in purifying water as well as providing habitat for birds and fish. At one time there were large areas of reeds along the shores of Lake Biwa, which local government surveys recently found to have halved in size due to encroaching development. This Shiga Ordinance for the Conservation of Reed Vegetation Zones to protect, grow, and utilize

525-696: The southern outlet of the lake in Ōtsu . There is a dam there to regulate the lake level. Further downstream, the Seta flows into Kyoto Prefecture and its name changes to the Uji River. It then merges with two other rivers, the Katsura River and the Kizu River in Kyoto Prefecture. The Katsura has its headwaters in the mountains of Kyoto Prefecture, while the Kizu comes from Mie Prefecture . From

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550-460: The three-river confluence, the river is called the Yodo River, which flows south, through Osaka , and on into Osaka Bay . In Osaka, part of the river has been diverted into an artificial channel; the old course in the heart of Osaka is called the Kyū-Yodo River (literally, 'Former Yodo River'). It serves as a source of water for irrigation and also powers hydroelectric generators. The choice of

575-594: Was a connection between Zeze on the Tokaido Main Line and Hamaotsu, allowing direct connection to the Tokaido Line. The line was purchased by JNR and closed in 1969 so the Kosei line could be constructed over parts of the alignment, with the entire new line opening in 1974 as a dual track electrified line with CTC signalling. The section from Nagahara to Ōmi-Shiotsu, originally electrified with 20 kV AC,

600-557: Was established in the Edo period . There are various theories about the origin of the name Biwako , but it is generally believed to be so named because of the resemblance of its shape to that of a stringed instrument called the biwa . Kōsō, a learned monk of Enryaku-ji in the 14th century, gave a clue to the origin of the name Biwako in his writing: "The lake is the Pure land of the goddess Benzaiten because she lives on Chikubu Island and

625-676: Was re-electrified to 1,500 V DC on September 24, 2006 enabling DC-only EMUs used in Osaka-Kyoto region to operate, and the Special Rapid through train service from JR Kyoto Line ( Tokaido Main Line ) was extended beyond Ōmi-Shiotsu to Tsuruga on the Hokuriku Main Line . Legends: Local (普通) trains stop at all stations, but they do not operate through services to the JR Kyoto Line. Rapid (快速) trains operate only in

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