Winter charms of Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa has been one of my family's favorite travel destinations.  We have travelled around Lake Biwa many times and found charms of its own in spring, summer, and autumn, and now I found the charms of winter.



Some 12000 rape blossoms carpet the 4000-square-meter Nagisa Park by the lake till the middle of February.  The flowers are Kanzaki-hanana, species of early rape blossoms. Hira Mountains are seen beyond the lake.  The contrast of winter and spring, snow-capped Hira Mountains and yellow rape blossoms, is fantastic.

Nagisa Park is located at the coastal area of Lake Biwa in Moriyama City.  Waterfront and flowers are two of the elements I like and when another element, snow-capped mountains, is added, it's perfectly lovely.  It was a very cold day with the highest temperature 5 degrees C but my heart was warm and cheerful under the blue skies.

a fishing boat

Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest freshwater lake and is relied upon to supply water for 14 million people in the vicinity and downstream urban regions including Osaka as well as industrial and agricultural uses within the watershed. The shores of Lake Biwa are alive with exquisite nature, rich wildlife of more than 1,100 species of animals and plants recoreded, history and culture.  It is one of the most important lakes in the world in terms of natural history and biodiversity.  (WWF - Lake Biwa)

Leaving Nagisa Park, my husband and I drove south to the Lotus colony at Karasuma Peninsula in Kusatsu City.  (A large colony of lotus at Lake Biwa)

Blooms of lotus from July to August

When lotus leaves begin to turn brown in autumn, the lotus is beginning to go dormant for the winter. Above the water line, they die back naturally.  They were forming lovely geometric patterns and reflections.  Don’t you think?  

In summer, this area is a thick aqua-grove of lotus. This plain appearance of winter enables you to see many waterfowl.

The coastal area of the lake is important wintering areas for waterfowl with over 50,000 birds arriving each year. 

There is beauty, peace, and richness in these desolate winter scenes. BECAUSE I know the beauty of flowers, lush green, colored leaves, or fruitfulness, I see beauty in the absence of apparent beauty and stark simplicity all the more.  No comparison: each season has its own beauty.

 I like it when a scene looks like a line drawing of a pale wintry landscape.

summer view of the same place with the photo above

This post is linked to Our World.