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On my first trip, I figured I'd have time for some sightseeing since the path around the lake was so level - and I was right. This is Hikone Castle, on the eastern shore. Dutifully I climbed to the top and had a look around, then hiked around the beautiful grounds - as if I wasn't already getting enough exercise. If nothing else, I will never again confuse Hikone with H_A_kone, the mountainous spa area near Tokyo... For the record, this is the location of one of the "eight views of Biwa (Biwa-Hakkei).


The lake also offers a surprising number of bikepaths, or "cycling roads" as they are known in Japanese. Most of them are short, though, and they seem to start and end rather abruptly, making them difficult to use as a way of getting from one place to another. But they certainly are pleasant...