Emily Hammond

Okishima Island 沖島

Did you know that Shiga Prefecture has its own cat island? This might seem surprising, as Shiga is technically a landlocked prefecture, but in addition to boasting the largest lake in Japan, Lake Biwa, Shiga also has the claim to fame of containing the only inhabited lake island in the country. And that island also…

Semimaru Shrine 蝉丸神社

One goal of this series is not just to introduce the most popular and well-known tourism sites in Shiga, but also lesser known attractions. Otsu specifically is a very old city, and many of its shrines, temples, and roads have their own interesting story to tell. このシリーズの目的の一つは、滋賀県の最も有名かつ人気である観光地だけではなく、知名度の低い場所も紹介することです。大津市はことに古い都市で、数ある神社、お寺、道路などにそれぞれの歴史や逸話があります。 This time we visited Semimaru Jinja, a lesser…

This Temple is NOT IN KYOTO (Hieizan Enryakuji Temple) 比叡山延暦寺

Hey Everyone! I hope you are continuing to press on during this crazy year. 皆さまこんにちは。予断を許さない状況が続いておりますが、元気にお過ごしでしょうか。 Location One of the biggest and most famous attractions in Otsu is the World Cultural Heritage Site, Hieizan Enryakuji Temple. Despite often erroneously claimed otherwise, THIS TEMPLE IS NOT IN KYOTO. I won’t put any specific blogs under fire for…

Kaizu Osaki

Hello Everyone! I hope you are all keeping your spirits up as much as you can during this time of uncertainty. This month’s video and blog are going to be a little bit different, as obviously I am limited in what I can do during this pandemic. But since we are all in desperate need…

Sunai no Sato　寿長生の郷

Hey there everyone! This month’s adventure brought Émilie and I to Sunai no Sato, a Japanese sweets & traditional experience attraction in southeast Otsu. Sunai-no-Sato is the headquarters of the Kanou Shojuan brand of wagashi, or Japanese confectionary. The sweets are made completely in-house, from the trees and fruits to the final product. This location…

Omi Jingu Shrine

Happy 2020 Everyone! We hope to make this year our most active yet on this blog! 皆さん明けましておめでとうございます！2020年もよろしくお願いします！今年こそこのブログでもっと活動できるように頑張りたいです！ We’re starting off the year the way many Japanese people do, at a shrine! In particular, Omi Jingu Shrine, one of the most prominent shrines in Otsu. 今年の最初の投稿は、日本人がよく年明けに神社でする初詣！今回は、大津の有名な近江神宮に行ってきました。 Omi Jingu Shrine was constructed in 1940 and is dedicated…

Shigaraki: Shiga’s Tanuki Town

Hey there friends! Our adventures through Shiga continue this time in the town of Shigaraki-cho, now part of Koka-shi in Shiga Prefecture. This time, myself and Émilie were joined by Émilie’s supervisor from the prefectural government, Mashiko! 皆さんこんにちは～　今回の滋賀への冒険には甲賀市の信楽町に行ってきました！私とヱミリーとともに、滋賀県庁の国際課のましこさんも来てくださいました！ Shigaraki is a small town of approx. 13,000 people, located in southeast Shiga Prefecture. The town was…

Former Chikurin-in

Overview: The Former Chikurin-in, also known as Kyuchikurin-in, is located in the Sakamoto area of Otsu, Shiga Prefecture. It is a former satobo, or a monk retirement residence. This particular one was home to many monks after they finished their tenure on Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei, at the foot of which sits Sakamoto. 滋賀県大津市坂本地域にある旧竹林院。元々は里坊と呼ばれる比叡山延暦寺で修行を終えた僧侶の隠居所でした。…

Chikubushima Island 竹生島

Hey what’s up peeps! It’s been forever since we’ve updated this blog! Today I want to introduce Chikubushima Island, the first in a new video/blog series about various tourism spots in Shiga Prefecture. 久しぶりの投稿です！今回は、滋賀県の様々な観光地についての新しいシリーズで、竹生島を紹介したいと思います！ Shiga Prefecture is unfortunately often skipped over or ignored by tourists, both from abroad and Japan alike. So, fellow CIR…