Mizunomori Water Botanical Park

Kusatsu, Japan, Japan

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Mizunomori Water Botanical Park (also called Mizunomori Water Botanical Garden or Kusatsu City Aquatic Botanical Garden Mizunomori) is a specialized botanical garden focusing on aquatic plants, located at 1091 Oroshimo-cho in Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture, on the Karasuma Peninsula along Lake Biwa's southeastern shore, and established in 1996 as a center for aquatic plant preservation and research in Shiga Prefecture. The garden's name "Mizunomori" translates to "water forest," reflecting the Japanese connection between natural elements and horticultural practices, and it features extensive lakes spreading in three directions with over 150 types of water lilies displayed across its grounds. The main attraction is the Lotus Pavilion, a dedicated facility for aquatic plants including lotus and water lilies, which contains an atrium (greenhouse) showcasing tropical aquatic plants and an aquarium where visitors can observe aquatic vegetation growing underwater, with the heated atrium displaying aquatic plants from Japan and abroad year-round, particularly tropical water lilies.