Shiga prefecture is part of the Kansai region and is found to the east of Kyoto. Here you will find Japan's largest lake, Lake Biwa, and Hikone, where you can see Hikone Castle, a Japanese national treasure. Shiga is also home to Ishiyama-dera, the Buddhist Temple where the world's first novel, The Tale of Genji, was written by Murasaki Shikibu during the Heian era (794 - 1185).