Okishima

What it is

• The largest island in Lake Biwa and a designated Japan Heritage site.
• Japan's only inhabited island located within a freshwater lake.
• A residential community of approximately 250 people in the southwestern area.
• Home to Okitsushima Shrine, which was established by Fujira no Fuhito.

What to see

• A car-free landscape where residents use bicycles and three-wheeled cycles.
• The protected natural scenery of the Biwako Quasi-National Park.
• Local island life powered by mainland electricity via submarine cables.
• Okitsushima Shrine located on the island grounds.

Getting there

• Accessible by ferry from Horikiri Port on the mainland.
• The island sits 1.5 kilometers off the coast of Omihachiman City.

Notes written by Japan Gems from facts in Japanese Wikipedia.