Nanzenji Suirokaku Aqueduct

Nanzen-ji Suirokaku is the red-brick arched aqueduct bridge of the Lake Biwa Canal, which brings water from Lake Biwa to Kyoto. After the Meiji Restoration, it was planned by Kunimichi Kitagaki, the governor of Kyoto Prefecture at the time, to promote industrial development in Kyoto. After 4 years and 8 months of work, it was completed in 1890 (Meiji 23). The canal’s purposes included boat transport between Osaka Bay and Lake Biwa, powering the textile industry with waterwheels, providing irrigation water, and supplying firefighting water. Nanzen-ji Suirokaku itself was completed in 1888 (Meiji 21), and because it passes through the Nanzen-ji temple grounds, it was designed by Sakuro Tanabe with careful consideration for the surrounding landscape. Measuring 93.2 meters long, 4 meters wide, and 9 meters high, it is a dignified structure built of red brick and granite with arched piers, blending into the quiet Higashiyama scenery. Nearby are related Lake Biwa Canal sites such as the Keage Incline with its remaining railway track beds and the Lake Biwa Canal Museum. In 2018, the Lake Biwa Canal Cruise (Biwako Sosui-sen) began operating between Otsu and Keage in spring and autumn seasons, becoming extremely popular.