Omi-Hachiman Suigo Canal

Reed-lined waterways wind through the wetlands at the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, navigated by hand-poled flat-bottomed boats that glide past wild irises, kingfishers, and the occasional otter. The canals connect to the Hachiman-bori moat, lined with white-walled Omi merchant storehouses from the Edo period. Boat tours run year-round, but spring and autumn color the reeds in changing palettes.