We visit Hikone, where we see Hikonyan and the castle, and then visit our last Biwa island: Takeshima!
Michigan Cruise ミシガンクルーズ
Enjoy a slice of classic Americana with a Japanese twist on the Michigan. ミシガンクルーズでは日本にいながら伝統的なアメリカ文化を楽しむことができます。 You might be confused as to why, of all things, a Huckleberry Finn-esque paddle steamer offers cruises on Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. The answer is rather simple and heartwarming – it is a show of the sister state bonds that…
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…
Nagahama-rama Pt. 2 長浜へ行こう、その二
Nagahama Harder!
Read all about the second part of Émilie’s adventure in Nagahama, this time featuring soba-making, Hobbits, a beautiful garden and kimono silk!
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…
Nagahama-rama Pt. 1 長浜へ行こう、その一
Read all about Émilie’s adventure in Nagahama, feature a string maker, a very old road, the oldest train station building in Japan, a beautiful garden and bonsai!
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…
O Antigo Chikurin-in
Oi, pessoal! Tive a oportunidade de acompanhar a Émilie e a Emily em um passeio pela cidade de Otsu (capital da província de Shiga) no mês passado, então hoje quero relatar sobre esse dia para vocês! Uma coisa que eu gostaria de dizer, primeiramente, é que a província de Shiga e a sua capital são…
Yo! Biwako 