Lake Biwa

• Co-ordinates: 35°20′N 136°10′E
• Region: Kansai Region
• Prefecture: Shiga Prefecture
• Depth: 104 metres.

Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa (琵琶湖) is a lake within Shiga Prefecture. The Seta-no-Karashi Bridge is built on the lake.¹

According to Buddhist tradition, Mount Fuji rose from the earth in 286 BC after an earthquake that also created Lake Biwa.²

Supernatural Connections

It is mentioned as the home of The Dragon King in the Japanese Folktale My Lord Bag of Rice where Fujiwara Hidesato kills the Giant Centipede Seta.¹ Additionally we see the tale known as The Gratitude of the Samebito set in this are where we find a creature known as the Samebito who due to a minor offence has been expelled from the service of the Dragon King.²

Poetry

A poem written by Priest Manzei (subjected to the art of honkadori in the Tōkan Kikō) states that he wrote a poem whilst standing on Mt. Hiei gazing over Lake Biwa.³

Footnotes

1. Ozaki, Y.T. (1903) “The Japanese Fairy Book”. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd.
2. Davis, F. H. (1992) “Myths and Legends of Japan.” New York: Dover Publications, Inc.
3. Miller, R. A.. (1981) “The Lost Poetic Sequence of the Priest Manzei”. Monumenta Nipponica. Vol.36 No.2 pp.133-172

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