1) biwa
A Japanese lute, with a pear-shaped soundbox, short neck, and four strings, which are plucked with a plectrum. The instrument is used in, among others, gagaku ensembles.
2) Biwa-ko (Lake Biwa)
Located on Honshu, Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan (673 km2). The name refers to the shape of the biwa (see above).
Lake Biwa was formerly an important waterway for goods travelling North from Kyoto. It supplies the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe region with freshwater for use as drinking water and for irrigation and industrial use. In the lake, fishing is done for trout and carp, and cultured pearls are harvested.
3) biwa (Eriobotrya japonica)
More commonly known as the loquat, or "Japanese apricot". This evergreen tree, up to 10 m in height, bears delicious fruit. The fruit is small, tangerine-coloured, and pear-shaped, 3 to 4 cm in diameter, with a comparatively big kernel in the center.
Despite the name, Eriobotrya japonica is probably native to China, not Japan, though it grows in the southern regions of both countries.