Shirahige Shrine

Shirahige is said to be the oldest shrine in Shiga, with a foundation tradition going back to the reign of Emperor Suinin, and its buildings on the landward side date from 1603, rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyori. The famous element is in the water: a vermilion torii standing about ten metres offshore in Lake Biwa, comparable in arrangement to the one at Itsukushima and far less visited. Because the shrine faces roughly east across the lake, the sun rises behind the gate, and photographers work out the alignment by season. The complication is the road: Route 161 runs between the shrine and the shore, it is busy, there is no crossing at the shrine, and people have been killed crossing it to photograph the torii. The shrine asks visitors not to cross there and there is a proper crossing a short distance away.

What you actually see

• A torii in the lake - vermilion, about ten metres offshore in Biwa.
• Sunrise behind the gate - the alignment shifting through the year.
• 1603 buildings - the landward halls rebuilt by Toyotomi Hideyori.
• A quiet alternative - the arrangement of Itsukushima without the crowds.

When to go

All year, at dawn. An hour.

Honest expectations

Route 161 runs between the shrine and the shore and crossing it at the shrine is dangerous and has caused deaths - use the proper crossing. Traffic noise is constant. There is no parking directly at the site for the lakeside view. The shrine is small.

Nearby

Omi-Takashima is south; Lake Biwa's western shore runs north and south.