Archive for July 2011

Waterfalls in Shiga

July 12, 2011 Konan Comments Off


Video link: http://youtu.be/leT3_iOfjFE

The hot summer is upon us and we need to think about ways to stay cool without using too much electricity. Some of the nuclear power plants in neighboring Fukui are offline for inspections and the local residents understandably do not want them to be restarted. Hence, the current power shortage and power-saving efforts in Shiga/Kyoto/Osaka.

I recently found a great way to stay cool: Waterfalls. Did you know that there are numerous waterfalls in Shiga? Hardly anyone knows about waterfalls in Shiga since none are exceptionally famous. But a book about waterfalls in Shiga (ISBN 978-4-88325-165-0) was published last year and I was surprised to find over 45 waterfalls in Shiga listed. Actually, Shiga should have many waterfalls since we do have many mountains and streams/rivers flowing into Lake Biwa.

But I was shocked to realize that I had never seen a waterfall in Shiga. I had never even thought about seeing waterfalls in Shiga until a woodblock print artist in Michigan asked me about it. So I bought the waterfall book and did some reading. As usual, Japan has a list of 100 Most Famous Waterfalls and one of them is in Shiga, called Yatsubuchi-no-taki (Yatsubuchi Falls) in Takashima. It is a series of eight waterfalls. (See detailed description below.)

Some waterfalls are far or hazardous to reach, and a few are easy to get to like the first waterfall I ever visited in Shiga which was the Fudo-no-taki Waterfall in the city of Konan (see video above). It is a short taxi ride south of Mikumo Station on the JR Kusatsu Line. The waterfall is a short walk from the road. The place is a small river gorge lush with trees and greenery and very cool. Waterfalls are a great place to cool off during the hot summer. This waterfall is also a religious spot for pilgrims. You may see a pilgrim bathing to purify him/herself.

I have started including locations of waterfalls in my Google maps of Shiga cities and towns. I describe only two waterfalls in Shiga below. If anybody else has visited a waterfall in Shiga, you are welcome to send me links to any photos/videos you have and I’ll post them here. Hope you all stay cool this summer.

Mikumo Fudo-no-taki Waterfall 三雲 不動の滝

Fudo is the name of a god and many waterfalls are named Fudo-no-taki. About 5 meters high. Next to the falls is an altar for the Fudo Myo-o god. (See video above.)

Directions: JR Mikumo Station (JR Kusatsu Line) is the closest station. From the train station, it’s about 1.4 km by car or 700 meters south from the Mikumo intersection. There’s a roadside stone marker for the waterfall and when you enter the path and walk toward the river, you will see the falls. It’s very near the road.

Google Map here.

Yatsubuchi-no-taki (Yatsubuchi Falls) 八淵の滝

Located in Takashima, one of Japan’s 100 Most Famous Waterfalls and Shiga’s most acclaimed waterfalls. It is a series of eight waterfalls along a river. Each waterfall has a name and they come in a great variety.

The problem is, most of the falls require a steep trail to access. You will need to grab chains while climbing rockfaces or go up a ladder set on rock. If you’re afraid of heights, better not to try and see the more difficult falls. You need to cross the river so shoes will get wet. If it had rained, the water level will rise, making it dangerous to cross the river or waterfall.

Only two of the waterfalls (Osuribachi and Kosuribachi) are accessible by a normal hiking trail taking about 30 min. from the Gulliver Village parking lot. Osuribachi empties into a small basin and it is popular among hikers to rest and have lunch. To see the rest of the eight falls, you will have to take the steep trails. Have to be very careful.

Directions: JR Omi-Takashima is the nearest train station. Bus is available to Gulliver Village. From Gulliver Village the waterfall/mountain trail starts. Parking is also available at Gulliver Village.

Google Map here.

Photos and online reference in English:

http://archives.kansaiscene.com/2008_07/html/feature.shtml
http://www.english-japan.com/node/2590
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48oe6YVSZpw&feature=related

Photos and online reference in Japanese:

http://www.city.takashima.shiga.jp/icity/browser?ActionCode=content&ContentID=1140788531540&SiteID=0
http://kitayamawa.exblog.jp/8332708/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_gaVZkCLt8&feature=related

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Odani Castle tour

July 11, 2011 Best posts (most popular), Nagahama Comments Off

Odani Castle Honmaru wall. Click photo to see more photos.

As you may know, the Go and Azai Sisters Expo is in full swing in Nagahama. Their visitor count has exceeded expectations, thanks to the popularity of the current NHK Taiga Drama, Go–Himetachi no Sengoku.

If you like the TV series or like Japanese castles, be sure to take advantage of the guided tours of Odani Castle being offered during the expo period until Dec. 4, 2011. The easiest way to get to Odani Castle (if you don’t have a car) is to buy a 1,000 ticket for the expo and shuttle bus at Nagahama Station on the west side. For 1,000 yen, you can ride the shuttle bus round trip and enter all three expo pavilions. Or if you don’t have time to enter the pavilions, just pay 500 yen for the roundtrip shuttle bus ticket.

From Nagahama Station, take the shuttle bus to the Odani pavilion (Go no Furusato-no-Yakata) taking about 35 min. with a few stops along the way. The bus leaves twice an hour between 9:20 am and 5:10 pm. (Bus schedule in Japanese here.) From the Odani pavilion, there’s a shuttle bus going up to Odani Castle, one of Japan’s five most famous mountain castles. This shuttle bus costs 500 yen roundtrip and it includes a 60-min. guided tour. The Odani pavilion has a bus ticket booth nearby.

You can also hike up to Odani Castle on the paved road for free, but taking the shuttle bus halfway up (to the Bansho) saves you a lot of time and sweat. When the expo ends on Dec. 4, the shuttle bus service going up to Odani Castle will end I’m told. This means that getting to Odani Castle will be a lot more troublesome via public transportation since you will have to take the train to Kawake Station (JR Hokuriku Line) and then rent a bicycle or walk to Odani Castle (20-30 min. to the foot of Mt. Odani). I don’t know why they won’t provide better public transportation to such a major sight in Shiga.

Shuttle bus from Odani pavilion to Odani Castle leaves every half hour from 9 am to 3:30 pm. 10-min. ride, 500 yen roundtrip.

In early May 2011, I took the shuttle bus from the Odani pavilion to Odani Castle and went on the guided tour. The bus goes up to the Bansho area which is pretty high up. The tour guide uses a megaphone to explain the points of interest (no English), and the guided tour takes about 60 min. The castle trail is not strenuous, so young and old can enjoy the tour. But it is a dirt trail and a little rocky, so wear shoes and avoid rainy days. High heels is not good, and wheelchairs won’t work unless you have people who can carry it on some rocky slopes/steps. Lots of flying insects in the warmer months too, so a paper fan to fan them away would be handy. Note that the shuttle buses to the castle might not run during rough or snowy weather.

The tour takes you all the way to the Honmaru which is the focal point of the castle and where the main castle tower (tenshukaku) stood. Then they take you back to the bus. The main points of interest are indeed between where you get off the shuttle bus at the Bansho (guard house site) and the Honmaru, but the castle ruins go well beyond the Honmaru along the mountain ridge. It was my second visit to Odani Castle, and I wanted to go beyond the Honmaru so I left my tour group and went on my own. I had never gone beyond the Honmaru.

It turned out to be an easy walk all the way to the Sannomaru which is on the edge of the main castle grounds before it goes down and up to the peak of Mt. Odani. I turned back at Sannomaru. There are a number of “maru” castle baileys or enclosures beyond the Honmaru and each have an explanatory sign (but no English). There are also remains of a sword-washing pond and a large stone wall. If you have the time, I recommend going all the way to Sannomaru. It won’t take long.

You can also visit the place where Azai Nagamasa committed seppuku at the Akao-yashiki residence near the Honmaru. The guided tour does not take you there. I have now revamped my Odani Castle photo gallery with new photos and English explanations of the points of interest.

Spot where Azai Nagamasa slit his belly while under siege by Oda Nobunaga in 1573. The guided tour does not take you here.

For my return trip on the shuttle bus back to the Odani pavilion, I joined a later tour group and asked if they had room on the bus. They did, so I showed my bus ticket and got on the bus. You can do this too. You can return with a later tour group and take a later shuttle bus back to the Odani pavilion. But make sure the later tour group has room for you. They won’t allow you to stand in the bus. Only 25 people can sit in the bus. And the last shuttle bus leaves the castle at 4:45 pm. If you miss the last bus or if they don’t have enough room for you, you will have to walk back down (which isn’t so bad since you are going down and there are a few scenic lookouts along the way). It’s too bad that they don’t have buses going from the Odani pavilion to Sugatani Onsen, a noted hot spring near Odani. It was Ichi’s (Nagamasa’s wife and mother of the three Azai sisters) favorite spa while she lived in Odani Castle. The hot spring waters is a muddy brown color.

One thing you have to understand about Odani Castle is that, the castle atop the mountain was mainly for military purposes. Most people did not normally live atop the mountain. They normally lived in the adjacent Shimizu Valley on flat land where it was more convenient logistically. Hauling up water to the mountain top must’ve been tough. The Azai family (sisters included) normally lived in Shimizu Valley below. There are now stone markers indicating the location of the palace or Oyashiki residence where Nagamasa, Ichi, and Azai sisters lived and the location of the residence of Azai’s samurai retainers. If the shuttle bus tour to the castle is canceled due to bad weather, they will offer an alternate bus tour to the Shimizu Valley area. (They call it the “B Course,” while the castle tour is the “A Course.”) I haven’t seen the places in Shimizu Valley yet. Perhaps next time. Google Map

Panel showing an illustration of Odani Castle.

Go and Azai Sisters official site (no English): http://www.azai-go.jp/
Tourist map related to Azai sisters in Shiga: http://www.azai-go.jp/pdf/sengokumap.pdf
Tourist map of Nagahama: http://www.azai-go.jp/pdf/eria_map.pdf
Tourist map of central Nagahama: http://www.azai-go.jp/pdf/town_map.pdf

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