Genkyu-en Garden is a Daimyo ("feudal lord") garden located to the northeast of Hikone Castle. It was created in 1677 to resemble the Eight Views of Omi originating from the Chinese Eight Views of Xiaoxiang and from the Eight Views of Lake Biwa. [...]
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Completed in 1622 after more than 20 years of intense labor, Hikone Castle, a hilltop castle, survived many wars and calamities is one of Japan’s very few original castles entirely build in wood, unlike Osaka and Aichi Castle for example. [...]
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Located at the foot of Mount Hachiman in Shiga prefecture, and a few meters away from the Hachiman Bori canal, Himure Hachimangu Shrine is the largest shrine in Omihachiman. It was first established in 131 by Takenouchi no Sukune. In 275 Emperor Ojin visited the shrine and had a […]
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Ukimido is located by the beautiful shores of Lake Biwako, just 30 minutes away from the center of Kyoto. Ukimido, is also known as the "floating temple hall" at Mangetsuji, and is famous for being featured as one of the Eight Views of Omi, "wild geese returning home at Katata." [...]
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Often wrongly credited as one of the many beautiful temples of Kyoto, Enryakuji, is actually located on top of Mount Hieizan in Shiga prefecture. It is properly credited however as one of the most important monasteries in Japanese history as well as being the headquarters of the Tendai sect […]
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Not too far from the beautiful torii of Shirahige Shrine, you will find the small village of Harie and its unique feature: free water! Thanks to its several rather easily accessible water springs Harie, also know in Japanese as “Shozu-No-Sato” or The Village of Pure Water” [...]
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Located north of Shiga, 40 minutes from Kyoto is beautiful Biwako lake. Shirahige is far from being your average shrine. It features one of Japan’s most beautiful, iconic views thanks to its gorgeous Torii standing in the lake. If you are looking for that “postcard” photo or to tease [...]
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Having been a port since the medieval times, Shukunegi went through a prosperous 17th century brought about by the Sado Kinzan Gold Mine. It was developed as a kitamaebune (a famous shipping route from the Edo period) port of call for the merchant shipping industry. [...]
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Kaizu Osaki is the pride and joy of Shiga. This beautiful peninsula that juts into Lake Biwa, Japan's biggest natural lake, features 600 cherry trees on its 4km long coast. Located less than an hour away from the center of Kyoto, Biwako and the cherry trees of Kaizu Osaki […]
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Ondagawa is a small river that flows through Machida City, a suburb in southwest Tokyo. Unassuming all year long, Ondagawa is however, during Sakura season, one of the most beautiful secret sakura spots in Tokyo that you definitely have to check thanks to its 400 plus cherry trees […]
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Fukagawa city is located on the east side of Tokyo in the Koto ward. It was founded after the Great Fire of Meireki of 1657 and named after its founder Fukagawa Hachirozaemon. The shogunate ordered Buddhist temples on the east bank of the Sumida river, and on both the […]
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Located nearby the quite crowded Oji and Nanbokusenoji Stations, Otonashi Park, also known as Otonashi Shinsui Park (Quiet Water Park), is a small Edo style water park famous for its many sakura. While the water part of this park is only open from 9 a.m. to [...]
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