So Nagahama has published a sightseeing map in English (together with Japanese).
http://mainichi.jp/area/shiga/news/20080123ddlk25040237000c.html
That’s really nice. Next time I visit Nagahama, I hope to get the map, available at the tourist info counter at Nagahama Station and other major tourist spots in the city.
Indigo dye vats at Konki Senshoku
One great hands-on experience in Shiga is indigo dyeing in Konan. An indigo fabric shop called Konki Senshoku offers easy indigo dyeing lessons using something as small as a handkerchief or as large as a T-shirt.
We tried it with a small handkerchief (1200 yen) and it was fun, though we got mixed results in the final tie-dye design. But it was fun and interesting.
One unique or rare thing about this shop is that they use natural indigo dye, from indigo plants that they grow themselves.
I’ve started creating Google Maps of Shiga. Unfortunately, we still cannot see an English version of Google Maps of Japan.
However, we can add placemarks in English which is what I’m doing for all the cities and towns of Shiga:
See the Google Maps of Shiga I’ve done so far:
Takatsuki-cho
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=
105501786212832952601.000442bb566771db7e066&z=13&om=1
Torahime-cho
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=
105501786212832952601.000442b4fb0b011ac9855&z=16&om=1
Toyosato-cho
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=
105501786212832952601.000442ab9627ced4266a5&z=14&om=1
Update: Short URLs have been incorporated. See the Shiga-ken.com home page under Maps.
