Across the wider Takashima municipal area, the history of Ōmizo Castle and the waterscapes tell of a closely intertwined past. The lake, river, and moats were part of the defenses; at the same time, they shaped the area where the castle town developed. Those exploring Takashima will therefore find not only individual historic structures, but also traces of a landscape that has changed over the centuries.
Waterscapes and Ōmizo Castle
The Ōmizo waterscape lies in the area of the former town of Takashima and is considered an important cultural landscape. To this day, it preserves the layout of Ōmizo Castle and its castle town, whose history dates back to the Middle Ages and the early modern period. In the age of the Manyō poetry, the area around Otome-ga-ike was a bay of Lake Biwa that extended to the foot of the mountains. Later, the body of water served as the castle’s outer moat.
The small inland lake of Otome-ga-ike and the defensive complex are also connected: a narrow waterway links the lake to Lake Biwa. Ōmizo Castle used the lake, a river, and moats for its defenses. The landscape can therefore be viewed both as a natural environment and as part of the former town plan.
Traces of the Castle Town
Ōmizo Castle was built by Oda Nobusumi in 1578. After the castle had fallen into disrepair, Mitsunobu Wake arrived in Ōmizo in 1619 from Ueno Castle in Ise Province. With an income of 20,000 koku, he pushed ahead with the development of the castle town. The historic layout has been preserved in the former castle town; stone markers recall former street names and their origins.
The site of the main keep is on a low hill surrounded by stone walls, about 150 meters southeast of Ōmi-Takashima Station. In the former castle town district of Katsuno, the gate of Ōmizo Jinya, parts of samurai residences, and waterways have also been preserved. The Sōmon is the only surviving building of Ōmizo Jinya and is designated as a cultural property by Takashima City.
When the Ōmizo Jinya Sōmon reopened on April 1, 2024, the building was used as an information center for the Takashima–Ōmizo area; visitor information included castle seals and castle maps. At the time, an exhibition area for local cultural properties was also set up, along with an approximately 15-minute CG film reconstructing Ōmizo Castle, which was shown regularly.
Festivals and Other Cultural Sites
The Ōmizo Festival is the spring festival of Hiyoshi Shrine and is considered an outstanding float festival in the western lakeside region. The festival schedule designates May 3 as the eve of the festival, May 4 as the main festival, and May 5 as the post-festival celebration. Five floats come from the Katsuno districts of Minato, Tomoe, Takara, Isami, and Ryō. The float of the Tomoe group is particularly unusual: its four corner posts and entire roof can be raised and lowered; it is considered the oldest of the five floats. Check the current festival dates before your trip.
At Shirahige Shrine in Ugawa, a large vermilion torii gate stands in Lake Biwa; the shrine buildings are on the other side of National Route 161. The festival held there on September 5 and 6 includes the Narukomairi ritual. In Ukawa, the group of stone Buddhas consists of 48 granite statues about 1.6 meters tall, erected in the late Muromachi period. 33 statues remain in Ukawa.
Activities and Practical Information
Takashima Village is a complex of eight renovated buildings in the former castle town district of Katsuno. Visitors can stroll through the historic district, eat, take part in activities, and shop; individual shop hours may vary. In Building 1, Candle Workshop Rōsoku-chō offers candle-making and herbarium classes for children and adults. Check directly with the workshop for current availability before visiting.
The Active Biwako Center program includes a ride on Lake Biwa in a nine-meter-long, hand-rowed large boat called a cutter. Check booking details and participation requirements in advance. To make a side trip to Hagi-no-hama, take the reservation-only Hama Line shared taxi from Ōmi-Takashima Station; the ride takes about six minutes, and the beach is right by the Hagi-no-hama-guchi stop.
Shirahige Shrine is about three kilometers from Ōmi-Takashima Station. It takes approximately 40 minutes to walk there; the reservation-only Ukawa Line shared taxi takes 13 minutes to the Shirahige-jinja-mae stop, right by the shrine. A limited number of rental bicycles are available at the tourist information center in the station. Check taxi reservations and bicycle availability before setting out.
Discover more destinations: Ōtsu, Ritto, Hikone, Higashiōmi, Maibara, Kōka, Moriyama, Ōmihachiman.
For the main travel overview: Shiga Prefecture.
