The Lake Biwa Canal

The Lake Biwa Canal is an example of innovative civil engineering that was built in the Meiji era. It serves a variety of purposes including transportation to Kyoto, production of hydroelectricity, and provision of drinking water. The canal spans approximately 11 km from the Kannon-ji Temple opening to Kyoto. Tanabe Sakurou was the manager of the canal’s construction from 1885 to 1890. Currently, both sides of the canal leading to the Mii-dera Temple Kannon-do gate are lined with cherry blossom trees. During spring, you can enjoy beautiful views as the trees light up at night. The canal was recorded as one of Japan’s Heritage of Industrial Modernization sites in 2007.