Sunshine Trail

3.9-kilometer paved path in the Shiga Highlands, accessible to wheelchairs and strollers and requiring about 90 minutes to complete. It starts at Hasu Pond near the Shiga Kogen Nature Conservation Center and meanders through several scenic ponds before ending at the Asahiyama-shita bus stop, with only about 100 meters of elevation change along the way. Biwa Pond is the highlight, ringed with purple irises and azaleas in summer and reflecting the autumn colors of Mt. Asahi in the fall. The area's abundance of standing water supports 32 species of dragonflies and damselflies, including a Mesozoic-lineage species sometimes called a living fossil.