Otsu

Enryaku-ji, the ancient headquarters of the Tendai Buddhist sect on Mount Hiei, draws visitors to this lakeside prefectural capital in Shiga, Japan. The monastery is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering historic monuments of Kyoto, Uji, and Otsu, and overlooks both the city and Kyoto beyond. Otsu sits directly on Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, with mountain terrain close by and a city centre well supplied with cafés and restaurants.

• Population342,607
• Nearest water from center0.3 km
• Nearest mountain from center2.5 km
• UNESCO within 50 km26