Named for the largest lake in Japan, 235 km in circumference and up to 104 m in depth. Like the Dynic Astronomical Observatory, the lake is located in Shiga prefecture. Lake Biwa, whose shape resembles the old Japanese instrument “Biwa”, is one of the oldest lakes in the world and has played an important role in politics, economy, culture, transportation, and so on. It is a quasi-national park, surrounded by a spacious resort zone. (M 16249) _ _.