Food Men-ya Lennon Barry Louie Men-ya Lennon has excellent ramen just a few minutes walk from JR Otsu Station.
On the way to Hiyoshi Shrine Cathy Cawood The approach to Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine passes mossy stone walls and three ancient stone bridges across the Omiya River.
Culture Ishiyamadera's Muyu-en Pond Garden Cathy Cawood Muyu-en, a beautiful Japanese pond garden at Ishiyamadera in Otsu, has koi ponds, red bridges and a small waterfall.
Culture Tachiki-Kannon Temple in Shiga Cathy Cawood Tachiki-Kannon Temple in Shiga Prefecture: stone lanterns, statue of Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi riding a deer, and many, many,...
Kaeru-Iwa Rapids on the Seta River Cathy Cawood White water at Kaeru-Iwa on the Seta River, with beautiful scenery and fantastically shaped rocks.
Manhole Art in Shiga Prefecture Cathy Cawood The intricate and beautiful manhole cover art of Shiga Prefecture features flowers and birds as well as other attractions of ...
Calligraphy Event at Museum in Otsu Cathy Cawood Huge annual exhibition show-casing the best calligraphy in every grade from all over Shiga Prefecture.
Windmill Ojizos at Kongorinji Cathy Cawood Thousands of Ojizo statues bearing brightly colored plastic windmills stand on either side of the path, and also in the fores...
Pagoda and Main Hall at Kongorinji Cathy Cawood One of three Kotosanzan temples in Shiga Prefecture famous for wonderful color in autumn, Kongorinji's main hall and pagoda l...
Activities Cherry Blossoms of Kaizu Osaki Amanda Ho Kaizu Osaki is voted as one of Japan's top 100 cherry blossom spots, with almost 600 cherry blossom trees lining an incredibl...
Activities Sakura Season at Hokoen and Nagahama Castle Kim Bergström Sakura Season at Hokoen Park and Nagahama Castle is a delight, with around 600 Somei Yoshino cherry trees dotting the grounds...
Culture Hikone Castle Bryan Baier One of the 12 remaining pre Edo-era castles in Japan just outside of Kyoto
Omi-Hachiman Canal in Winter Cathy Cawood Historic Omi-Hachiman Canal is a lovely place for a winter stroll followed by afternoon tea at Taneya or Club Harie.
Autumn leaves at Saimyo-ji Cathy Cawood This temple in Shiga Prefecture with a three tier pagoda and an enclosed garden with a pond is especially beautiful in Autumn...
