Marked by the start of the 21st century, BIWAKO Biennale began in 2001. The exhibition utilizes venues throughout the old town of Omihachiman. Omihachiman was built as a castle town by Hidetsugu Toyotomi and is known as the birthplace of the Omi merchants. Today, several areas of the old town are designated for preservation by the city, including : Shinmachi street, lined with houses built in Edo period; Nagahara street, the townscape along the Hachiman canal: as well as the grounds of Himure Hachiman shrine. These sites have been registered by the government as “Omihachiman Hachiman traditional buildings preservation district”. Dotted throughout the old town many empty, old houses, after falling into disrepair, eventually become parking lots or new, modern houses. In an effort to save these irreplaceable historic buildings, BIWAKO Biennale attempts put them to use. We begin by cleaning these long neglected buildings with the help of volunteers comprised of both local residents and people from across Japan. Then, artists from home and abroad work with each of the spaces to turn them into works of art. We hope you enjoy experiencing both the artists’ work and how the once neglected and forgotten buildings spring back to life with a new radiance.