Lake Biwa Canal

Built between 1885 and 1890 under civil engineer Tanabe Sakuro, the 20-kilometer Lake Biwa Canal carries water from Japan's largest lake to Kyoto, supplying drinking water and powering the country's first hydroelectric station. One steep section near Nanzenji Temple required the Keage Incline, a tracked ramp that moved boats up and down the elevation change. Boat traffic on the canal stopped in 1951 when rail and road transport took over, but resumed in 2015. The canal route past Nanzenji's brick aqueduct is one of the more scenic walks in Kyoto.