Lake Biwa Canal

Lake Biwa Canal (琵琶湖疏水 or 琵琶湖疎水, Biwako Sosui) is a waterway in Japan constructed during the Meiji Period to transport water, freight, and passengers from Lake Biwa to the nearby City of Kyoto. The canal supplied Japan's first public hydroelectric power generator, which served from 1895 to provide electricity for Kyoto's trams.

In 1996 the canal was designated a Historic Site. As of 2008, the waterway is not used so much to generate electricity, but rather for water supply, fire-fighting and irrigation purposes.

Facilities

The waterway runs from the vicinity of Mii-dera in Ōtsu, Shiga to its terminus near Nanzen-ji in Kyoto through tunnels under the mountains. Between the two cities, the canal has two routes, the Canal No. 1 (第一疏水, Dai-ichi sosui) and the Canal No. 2 (第二疏水, Dai-ni sosui).

Due to the 36 meter difference in elevation between the upstream dam and its terminus, an inclined plane was built, which allowed boats to travel on land via the use of a flat car on which they were placed. Operation of the 9 ft (2,743 mm) track gauge incline ceased in 1948, but part of its structure has been preserved and is now a tourist attraction, famous for its ornamental cherry trees.