Wikipedia

Lake Biwa

This article is about the lake in Japan. For the album by Wadada Leo Smith, seeLake Biwa (album).

Lake Biwa(Tỳ bà hồ,Biwa-ko)is the largestfreshwaterlakein Japan. It is located entirely withinShiga Prefecture(west-centralHonshu), northeast of the former capital city ofKyoto.[3]Lake Biwa is anancient lake,over 4 million years old.[1]It is estimated to be the 13th oldest lake in the world.[4]Because of its proximity to the country's historical capitalKyoto,references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.

Lake Biwa
Tỳ bà hồ(Japanese)
Lake Biwa from space
Lake Biwa is located in Japan
Lake Biwa
Lake Biwa
Lake Biwa is located in Shiga Prefecture
Lake Biwa
Lake Biwa
LocationShiga Prefecture,Japan
Coordinates35°15′18″N136°04′48″E/ 35.25500°N 136.08000°E/35.25500; 136.08000
TypeAncient lake,tectonic,freshwater
Primary inflows118 rivers
Primary outflowsSeta River
Catchment area3,174 km2(1,225 sq mi)
BasincountriesJapan
Max. length63.49 km (39.45 mi)
Max. width22.8 km (14.2 mi)
Surface area670.3 km2(258.8 sq mi)[1]
Average depth41 m (135 ft)
Max. depth104 m (341 ft)[1]
Water volume27.5 km3(6.6 cu mi)[1]
Residence time5.5 years
Shore length1235.2 km (146.1 mi)
Surface elevation85.6 m (281 ft)
IslandsChikubu,Takeshima,Okishima(inhabited)
SettlementsHigashiōmi,Hikone,Kusatsu,Maibara,Moriyama,Nagahama,Ōmihachiman,Ōtsu,Takashima,Yasu
Official nameBiwa-ko
DesignatedJune 10, 1993
Reference no.617[2]
1Shore length isnot a well-defined measure.
Lake Biwa aerial view

Name

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The nameBiwakowas established in theEdo period.There are various theories about the origin of the nameBiwako,but it is generally believed to be so named because of the resemblance of its shape to that of a stringed instrument called thebiwa.Kōsō, a learned monk ofEnryaku-jiin the 14th century, gave a clue to the origin of the nameBiwakoin his writing: "The lake is thePure landof the goddessBenzaitenbecause she lives onChikubu Islandand the shape of the lake is similar to that of thebiwa,her favorite instrument. "[5]

The lake was formerly known as theAwaumi(Đạm hải,Freshwater Sea)or theChikatsu Awaumi(Gần đạm hải,Freshwater Sea Near [the Capital]).Later the pronunciationAwaumichanged to the modernŌmias in the name ofŌmi Province.The lake is also calledNio no Umi(鳰 の hải,"Little GrebeLake ")in literature.

Area and use

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The area of this lake is about 670 km2(260 sq mi).[6]Small rivers drain from the surrounding mountains into Lake Biwa, and its main outlet is theSeta River,which later becomes the Uji River, combining with the Katsura and Kizu to become theYodo Riverand flows into theSeto Inland SeaatOsaka Bay.

It serves as a reservoir for the cities ofKyotoandŌtsuand is a valuable resource for nearby textile industries. It provides drinking water for about 15 million people in theKansai region.Lake Biwa is a breeding ground for freshwater fish, includingtrout,and for thepearl cultureindustry.

TheLake Biwa Canal,built in the late 1890s and later expanded during theTaishō period,played a role of great importance in the rekindling of Kyoto's industrial life, after a steep decline following the transfer of the capital to Tokyo.

Lake Biwa is home to many popular beaches along the north-western shore, in particularShigaBeach andOmi-Maiko.TheMizunomori Water Botanical Gardenand theLake Biwa MuseuminKusatsuare also of interest.

TheLake Biwa Marathontook place annually in Ōtsu, the city at the southern end of the lake, from 1962 until 2021.

Natural history

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Thegiant Lake Biwa catfishis the largest predatory fish in the lake and is found nowhere else.

Lake Biwa is oftectonicorigin and is one of the world'soldest lakes,dating to at least 4 million years ago.[1]This long uninterrupted age has allowed for a notably diverseecosystemto evolve in the lake. Naturalists have documented more than 1000 species andsubspeciesin the lake, including about 60endemics.[1]Lake Biwa is an important place forwater birds.About 5,000 water birds visit Lake Biwa every year.

There are 46 native fish species and subspecies in the lake,[7]including 11 species and 5 subspecies that are endemic or near-endemic.[1]The endemic species are fivecyprinids(Carassius cuvieri,Gnathopogon caerulescens,Ischikauia steenackeri,Opsariichthys uncirostrisandSarcocheilichthys biwaensis), atrue loach(Cobitis magnostriata), twogobies(Gymnogobius isazaandRhinogobius biwaensis), twosilurid catfish(Silurus biwaensisandS. lithophilus) and acottid(Cottus reinii).[1][7]TheBiwa troutis also endemic to the lake, but some maintain that it is a subspecies of the widespreadmasu salmonrather than a separate species.[1][7]The remaining endemic fish are subspecies ofCarassius auratus,Cobitis minamorii,Sarcocheilichthys variegatusandSqualidus (chankaensis) biwae.[a][1][7]

Lake Biwa is also the home of a large number ofmolluscs,including 38freshwater snails(19 endemic) and 16bivalves(9 endemic).[8]

Recently thebiodiversityof the lake has suffered greatly due to theinvasion of foreign fish,theblack bassand thebluegill.Bluegill were presented to theEmperorand later freed in the lake as a food source for other fish. Black bass were introduced as asport fish.In July 2009, alargemouth bassweighing 10.12 kg (22 lb 5 oz) wascaughtfrom the lake by Manabu Kurita. It has been officially certified by theInternational Game Fish Association(IGFA) to tie the largemouth bassworld recordheld solely by George Perry for 77 years.[9][10]

Archaeology

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The Awazu site, a submergedShell midden,is an importantarchaeological siteof theJōmon period.It goes back to the beginning of theInitial Jōmon period(ca. 9300BP). It lies near the southern end of Lake Biwa, close toOtsu City,at a depth of 2 to 3 meters from the bottom.[11]

The site shows the use of plant and animal food resources by theJōmon people.It also demonstrates the importance of nut consumption in this period.

Shell Midden No. 3 is dated to theMiddle Jōmon period.An abundance ofhorse chestnutswere uncovered here (about 40% of their total estimated diet). This indicates that, by this later period, a sophisticated processing technology was mastered in order to remove the harmfultannic acid,and make this food safe for consumption.[12]

Ishiyama is another such site of theEarly Jōmon periodon Lake Biwa.[11]

Environmental legislation

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Various environmental laws cover Lake Biwa:

Eutrophication prevention

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At the prefectural level, Eutrophication Control Ordinance was enacted in 1979. It was intended to control the use of synthetic detergents by companies and residents alike and followed a successful citizens' campaign known as the Soap Movement, which had emerged from women's consumer groups earlier in the 1970s.[13]

Legislation to preventeutrophicationwas enacted in 1981 and first enforced on July 1, 1982; therefore, this day is called "Lake Biwa Day(びわ hồ の ngày,Biwako no Hi)".The legislation established standards for thenitrogenandphosphoruslevels for agricultural, industrial, and household water sources emptying into the lake. They also banned people from using and selling syntheticdetergentswhich contain phosphorus.

Wetlands protection

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The lake was designated as aUNESCORamsar Wetland (1993) in accordance with theRamsar Convention.The object of this treaty is to protect and sensibly use internationally valuablewetlands.The Kushiro marsh (Xuyến lộ ướt nguyên,Kushiro Shitsugen) in Japan is under this treaty now.

Conservation of Reed Vegetation Zones

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Reedcolonies on the shore form give Lake Biwa its characteristic scenery. The reeds play an important role in purifying water as well as providing habitat for birds and fish. At one time there were large areas of reeds along the shores of Lake Biwa, which local government surveys recently found to have halved in size due to encroaching development. This Shiga Ordinance for the Conservation of Reed Vegetation Zones to protect, grow, and utilize the reed beds has been in force since 1992.

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See also

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Explanatory notes

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  1. ^The subspecies differentiation may not be recognized, for example by the currentFishBase.

References

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  1. ^abcdefghijTabata, R.; Kakioka, R.; Tominaga, K.; Komiya, T.; Watanabe, K. (2016).Phylogeny and historical demography of endemic fishes in Lake Biwa: the ancient lake as a promoter of evolution and diversification of freshwater fishes in western Japan.Ecology and Evolution 6(8): 2601–2623.
  2. ^"Biwa-ko".RamsarSites Information Service.RetrievedApril 25,2018.
  3. ^"Biwa, Lake".Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias.
  4. ^"Ancient lakes of the world".Christopher M. Free. Archived fromthe original(website)on February 9, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 20,2020.
  5. ^Yoshihiro Kimura (2001).Biwako -sono koshō no yurai-[Lake Biwa, the origin of its name]. Hikone: Sunrise Publishing.ISBN4-88325-129-2
  6. ^Kunimune, Yoshio; Mitsunaga, Yasushi; Komeyama, Kazuyoshi; Matsuda, Masanari; Kobayashi, Toru; Takagi, Tsutomu; Yamane, Takeshi (2011). "Seasonal distribution of adult crucian carp nigorobuna Carassius auratus grandoculis and gengoroubuna Carassius cuvieri in Lake Biwa, Japan".Fisheries Science.77(4): 521–532.Bibcode:2011FisSc..77..521K.doi:10.1007/s12562-011-0354-7.S2CID44186839.
  7. ^abcdKawanabe, H.; Nishino, M.; and Maehata, M., editors (2012).Lake Biwa: Interactions between Nature and People.pp 119-120.ISBN978-94-007-1783-1
  8. ^Segers, H.; and Martens, K; editors (2005).The Diversity of Aquatic Ecosystems.p. 46. Developments in Hydrobiology. Aquatic Biodiversity.ISBN1-4020-3745-7
  9. ^"IGFA World Records".RetrievedApril 3,2019.
  10. ^"Game & Fish".May 12, 2015.RetrievedApril 3,2019.
  11. ^abFrancesco Menotti, Aidan O'Sullivan,The Oxford Handbook of Wetland Archaeology.OUP Oxford, 2013.ISBN0199573492p.181
  12. ^Habu, Junko; Matsui, Akira; Yamamoto, Naoto; Kanno, Tomonori (2011)."Shell midden archaeology in Japan: Aquatic food acquisition and long-term change in the Jomon culture"(PDF).Quaternary International.239(1–2): 19–27.Bibcode:2011QuInt.239...19H.doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2011.03.014.ISSN1040-6182.
  13. ^Kira, T., Ide, S., Fukada, F., Nakamura, M. (2005)Lake Biwa: Experience and Lessons Learned Brief.International Lake Environment Committee Foundation, Shiga, Japan.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related toLake Biwa.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forLake Biwa.
Wikisourcehas the text of the 1905New International Encyclopediaarticle "Biwa".
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