【滋賀の穴場】こんなところがあったのか！？大阪から２時間「びわ湖の軍艦島」と絶壁に建つお堂と戦争遺跡

Lake Biwa has four islands. One of them, Tagae Island, is said to “change its appearance depending on the angle you view it from.” From the water, it looks almost like Japan’s famous Battleship Island floating in the lake. The entire island is the grounds of Kentō-ji Temple (Nichiren sect), and it has long been revered as a sacred place. You’ll find the 10-meter-high Daimoku Rock engraved with “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō,” the 20-meter Oath Pillar inscribed with the Imperial Rescript, and a cliffside stage-style hall reminiscent of Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera. All of these testify to the island’s deep history of faith. ⏱ Recommended Visit Time The island is about 600 meters around. It takes roughly 30 minutes to walk the circuit, or 40–60 minutes if you stop for photos and worship. 🌅 Highlights & Scenic Views Daimoku Rock and the Oath Pillar reflected in the lake A sweeping panorama of Lake Biwa from the stage-style temple The island’s shifting silhouettes, which give Tagae its name This trip also takes us to Maibara, a historic railway hub. Here remain unfinished WWII locomotive air-raid shelters, dug in the closing days of the war to hide steam engines from Allied bombing. Workers used picks, shovels, and explosives to dig into the hard rock, but the tunnels were never completed before the war ended. For decades they were abandoned and even used as garbage dumps, but thanks to local efforts they have been preserved as wartime heritage sites. Nearby, the Iwawaki Inari Shrine offers an impressive setting, with the unique view of Shinkansen bullet trains rushing past right behind the shrine grounds. A journey through Shiga’s hidden history and untold stories—be sure to watch until the end. ⏰ Chapters 00:00 Opening 01:07 The Four Islands of Lake Biwa 01:44 From Hikone Port to Tagae Island 02:49 Landing on Tagae Island 04:07 Daimoku Rock & Seven-Tiered Pagoda 05:45 The Oath Pillar 06:24 The Best Scenic Spot on the Island 08:12 Railway Town Maibara – Iwawaki Inari Shrine & the Shinkansen 08:43 The Cliffside Stage of Iwaya Zenko-dō 09:50 WWII Relic – Locomotive Air-Raid Shelter 11:17 Map Recap