OMIHACHIMAN, Shiga Pref. -- Tired of group-tour hell? Does a four-cities-in-five-days' trip to Europe, or being herded like hyperactive cattle through the temples of Kyoto make you wish you could take a vacation from your vacation?
If you're ready to slow things down a bit, get away from the hordes of tourists and sample organic local cuisine rather than overpriced hotel fare, you may find that a trip to the northern end of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture is definitely worth your while.
For years, Lake Biwa was less than an ideal tourist spot. The southern part nearest Kyoto, where the average depth of the water is less than 5 meters, was notoriously polluted and not recommended for swimming. The northern part close to Fukui Prefecture, where the water averages more than 50 meters deep, was considered much cleaner, but also far more remote and inaccessible.