Moriyama, Shiga

Moriyama, Shiga (守山市; Moriyama-shi)
Sushi-kiri Matsuri More Moriyama photos here.
Location	Shiga Prefecture, Kinki region, Honshu island, JAPAN
Population	85,590 (?? foreigners) (2022-10-31)
Area	44.26 km²
City Centers	Moriyama Station
Major Sights	Nagisa Park, Biwako Ohashi Bridge
Major Gateways	JR Tokaido Line Moriyama Station
Train Stations	JR Tokaido Line Moriyama Station
Claim to Fame	Nakasendo stage town, the only city in Shiga to produce a Japanese prime minister
Products	enter
Neighbors	Kusatsu, Ritto, Yasu
Old Name(s)	Moriyama-juku
Keywords	Nakasendo
Historical Persons	Uno Sosuke (75th Prime Minister of Japan)
Links	Moriyama Articles | Moriyama Photos
Moriyama Tourist Information
Location	〒524-8585 守山市吉身二丁目5-22　守山市役所環境経済部商工観光課内 Moriyama Station
Phone	077-582-1131
Tourist Links	Station tourist office Tourism Ass.
Int'l Association	Web site Phone: 077-583-4653
Volunteer Guides	Webpage Phone: 077-582-1131
Moriyama City Hall 守山市役所
Address	滋賀県守山市吉身二丁目5番22号 JAPAN
Phone/Fax	077-583-2525
Official Site	Japanese | English
Symbols	Flower:	Lotus
	Tree:	Camphor Laurel クスノキ
	Bird:	None
	Others:
	Logo:
Sister Cities	Adrian, Michigan; Kauai, Hawaii, USA; Gongju, South Chungcheong province, South Korea

Last updated: June 25, 2024

by Philbert Ono

Bridging the Lake

Moriyama (守山市; Moriyama-shi) is a city in southeastern Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

Famous for:

• Biwako Ohashi Bridge spanning the neck of Lake Biwa.
• Katsube Shrine and Sumiyoshi Shrine Fire Festivals in Jan.
• Naginata Odori, one of the furyu odori folk performing arts in Japan designated as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• Sushi-kiri Matsuri with young lads cutting funa-zushi fermented fish.

Lakeside city in southeastern Shiga and host to one end of the Biwako Ohashi Bridge spanning the neck of the lake's panhandle. Moriyama is another former lodging town (shukuba) on the Nakasendo Road with noted shrines and temples mostly on the west side (toward the lake) of the station. Other attractions include fire festivals in winter, flower gardens, a beautiful art museum, and a beautiful new public library designed by Kengo Kuma. For Shiga residents, Moriyama is where you go to obtain or renew your driver's license.

The name "Moriyama" means "Protected Mountain." The mountain being protected is Mt. Hiei across the lake. The name originated from Tomon-in Temple (比叡山 東門院 守谷寺) in central Moriyama founded in the 8th century as Enryakuji's East Gate (Tomon) to protect Mt. Hie from demons in the east. The temple was founded by a disciple of Saicho (founder of Tendai Buddhism and Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei).

Sights

Katsube Shrine Fire Festival	Sumiyoshi Shrine Fire Festival	Nagisa Park rape blossoms
Sushi-kiri Matsuri	Naginata Odori	Sagawa Art Museum

• Moriyama-juku 守山宿 - Established in 1642, Moriyama-juku was the sixty-seventh of the sixty-nine stations or shukuba post towns on the Nakasendo Road. It is the eighth Nakasendo station in Shiga (following Musa-juku in Omi-Hachiman), and one of ten Nakasendo stations in Shiga. There is very little left. Near JR Moriyama Station on the JR Biwako Line. Map

• Nagisa Park 第一なぎさ公園 - Rape blossoms (nano-hana) bloom in winter from early-Jan. to mid-March at this lakeside park in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture. About 12,000 flower plants carpet the area in yellow. And in July-Aug., there are sunflowers. Free admission. Map

• Biwako Ohashi Bridge - The lake's largest bridge spans the neck of Lake Biwa. Buses available to cross the bridge from Moriyama Station to Katata Station. Since 2009, Biwako Ohashi Bridge also has a "melody road" with grooves on a 600m stretch of the bridge. When you drive over it, you can hear the melody for Biwako Shuko no Uta (Lake Biwa Rowing Song). Map

• Sagawa Art Museum 佐川美術館 - Large art museum with beautiful architecture resembling a Shinto shrine. Operated by the Sagawa Kyubin door-to-door courier company, the museum has an impressive collection of paintings by renown painter Hirayama Ikuo, sculpture by Sato Churyo, and tea bowls by potter Raku Kichizaemon. Opened in 1998 to mark the 40th anniversary of the company's founding. Highly recommended. Admission 1,000 yen for adults. Open 9:30 am - 5 pm, closed Mon. (open if a national holiday and closed on Tue. instead). From JR Moriyama Station's west (Nishi) exit, go to bus stop 1. 25-min. ride to the museum (bus fare 450 yen). Parking available. Map

• Moriyama Rose and Herb Garden もりやまバラ・ハーブ園 - Rose gardens and greenhouses delight your eyes and nose during May and June and Oct. See 82 species of roses and 100 herbs. Admission 200 yen. Buses run from Moriyama Station. Map

• Moriyama Ashikari Garden もりやま芦刈園 - Huge hydrangea garden with 100 varieties of 10,000 hydrangea on two hectares. Diverse collection of hydrangea in bloom from mid-June to early July. Buses run from Moriyama Station. Take the Sugie Junkan (杉江循環) bus. It leaves only once an hour. Get off at Sugie Higashi-guchi (杉江東口) bus stop, then walk for 15 min. Open from 9 am to 5 pm during June. Hours vary during other months. Map

• Omi Myoren Lotus Park and Museum 近江妙連公園・資料館 - Two small lotus ponds and a nice Lotus flower museum. The lotus blooms in late July to mid-Aug. Moriyama's official flower is the lotus. Open every day 9 am to 5 pm during June to September (closed Tue.). In other months, open only on weekends and national holidays. Admission 200 yen. Buses run from Moriyama Station west exit. Get off at Tanaka bus stop. Map

• Pieri Moriyama - Large shopping mall along the lake shore, north of Biwako Ohashi Bridge. Map

• Moriyama City Library 守山市立図書館 - Beautiful, new public library designed by Kengo Kuma. Opened on Nov. 1, 2018. This beautiful, wood-themed building replaces the old public library with more floor space & books & a cafe. Kuma designed the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium. Hours: 10 am–7 pm (till 8 pm on Sat.), closed Mon. (open if a national holiday and closed the next day), Dec. 29–Jan. 4. Map

Event Calendar

Moriyama's official mascot

• Mid-Jan.: Katsube Shrine Fire Festival 勝部神社火まつり - Both this shrine and Sumiyoshi Shrine light giant torches for the festival's climax. According to legend, a dragon was finally slain during the Kamakura Period, and Emperor Tsuchikado then recovered from his illness. When the dragon was burned, the body fell on Katsube Shrine while the head fell on Sumiyoshi Shrine. Unfortunately, you cannot see the festival at both shrines since they are held around the same time. Katsube Shrine's fire festival is bigger with more torches, twelve of them. Map

• Mid-Jan.: Sumiyoshi Shrine Fire Festival 住吉神社火まつり - Sister festival to the Katsube Shrine Fire Festival. Sumiyoshi Shrine's fire festival is smaller with fewer (six) torches which represent the head of the slain dragon. Map

• May 5: Naginata Odori 長刀踊り まつり - Held annually on May 5 by Ozu Jinja Shrine, the festival consists of dances and music by children, taiko drumming, a naginata dance and acrobatics by boys using a pole sword, and a roundtrip procession from Ozu Shrine to Ozu Wakamiya Shrine. One of the furyu odori folk performing arts in Japan designated as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022. Map

• May 5: Sushi-kiri Matsuri すし切りまつり - Held every May 5 at Shimoniikawa Shrine, an unusual festival with two young lads cutting funa-zushi fermented fish (crucian carp native to Lake Biwa) as an offering. Afterward, they offer the cut pieces of funa-zushi to festival spectators for free. Shimoniikawa Shrine worships a god named Toyoki-iribiko-no-Mikoto (豊城入彦命) who was the first son of Emperor Sujin 崇神天皇, Japan's tenth emperor. The shrine is a 20-min. bus ride from Moriyama Station, get off at Shimoniikawa Jinja-mae bus stop. Map

Travel Tips

• Moriyama Station west exit has a tourist information office open till 7:30 pm.
• Almost all the places of interest are on the west side of the train tracks.
• From Moriyama Station west exit, there are buses going to Katata Station on the other side of the lake via the Biwako Ohashi Bridge.
• Current weather warnings/advisories for Moriyama here (Japan Meteorological Agency).

Getting There

Moriyama has only one train station: Moriyama Station on the JR Tokaido/Biwako Line. Buses also run from Katata Station to Moriyama Station by crossing the Biwako Ohashi Bridge.

Getting Around

Moriyama Station (守山駅) west exit has buses going to local sights.

By bicycle

Rent a bicycle at the tourist office (077−514−3765) at the Moriyama Station west exit until 7:30 pm. Also bicycle rental at Laforet Biwako (phone: 077-584-2180), a hotel on the lakeshore (accessible by bus from the station).

Maps

Click on upper right icon to enlarge.

Photos

Sushi-kiri Matsuri	Naginata Odori

More photos at Moriyama Photos. More Shiga photos here.

Videos

Click on the video image to start playing the video. More Shiga videos here.

Side Trips

Other sights in neighboring cities/towns within easy reach from Moriyama.

• Katata - Via bus crossing the Biwako Ohashi Bridge.

History

• 1889 Moriyama village founded.
• 1904 Moriyama village becomes a town.
• 1970 Moriyama-cho town becomes a city with a population of 35,000.

Additional Reading

Monreve bakery in Moriyama is famous for Funazushi Pie, a cookie made with funazushi fermented Biwako carp. Love it! https://t.co/dgWbGw8v8r pic.twitter.com/0aaWmnbwpM

— Shiga Headlines (@ShigaHeadlines) March 24, 2017

• Katsube Shrine Fire Festival video with kids - January 21, 2013
• Fire festivals in Moriyama - January 10, 2012

More Moriyama News here.

Miscellaneous

Weather forecast provided by tititudorancea.com

Famous People

• Uno Sosuke (1922-1998) - Native of Moriyama and Japan's 75th prime minister during June-Sept. 1989. Resigned in disgrace after an extramarital affair with a Tokyo geisha was made public.

Related Articles

• Shiga Prefecture
• Shiga Prefecture Sights
• History of Shiga Prefecture
• Shiga Prefecture Transportation

External Links

• shiga-ken.com