Every three years, the giant kite flown at Higashi-Omi’s annual Yokaichi Odako (Giant Kite) Matsuri festival in May is replaced with a new one. And this year in 2010 is when they are building a new giant kite to replace the old one which saw its third and last flight in May 2010. The retired [...]
Posts under ‘Higashi-Omi’
Japan’s oldest clay figure in Higashi-Omi
Making national news in May 2010 was the discovery of Japan’s oldest clay figure (called “doguu” 土偶) in Higashi-Omi. Slightly larger than a human thumbnail, the tiny clay figure is about 1.3 cm tall and depicts the upper torso of a female. Though the head is missing, the figure shows an ample bust and narrower [...]
Higashi-Omi buses collect used cooking oil
Those cute little buses you see outside Yokaichi Station and elsewhere in the city, called Chokotto bus, have started collecting used cooking oil from September 1, 2009. Bring an old PET bottle (label detached) of your used cooking oil and give it to the bus driver. In return, you will receive a 100-yen ticket which [...]
Yokaichi giant kite festival 2008
On Sun., May 25, I went to see the Yokaichi Giant Kite Festival. I got there after 1 pm, just when they were preparing to fly the giant kite. At about 1:45 pm, they flew the big kite for over 3 min. The longest flight I’ve ever seen. Everyone was happy and relieved. It was [...]
Making Yokaichi giant kite
As you may know, the Yokaichi giant kite is replaced with a new one every three years. This year is when they will make a new giant kite. During this past weekend on July 7-8, they announced the new kite design and started making the new giant kite. I missed this event three years ago, [...]
Yokaichi Giant Kite crashes into bamboo
On May 27, 2007, I went to see the annual Yokaichi Odako Matsuri or Giant Kite Festival. Slightly past noon, they launched the first flight of the giant kite. What we were all waiting for. It was a pretty windy day, so the kite immediately went straight up and very high. What should have been [...]
Lake Biwa Rowing Song photo exhibition at Yokaichi
I have a Lake Biwa Rowing Song photo exhibition at Yokaichi Public Library (2nd floor gallery) until May 20. I will be at the gallery on Sat. the 12th from lunch time until maybe 2 pm or so. If you have time to visit, please come! There will be a CD player playing my CD. [...]
Gokasho
During New Year’s vacation, I visited Gokasho again. My second time. This time, I took many pictures with my digital camera. The pretty Hinamatsuri dolls were also displayed. I now have 170 pictures of Gokasho online: http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=472 http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=109 I got off at Gokasho Station on Ohmi Railways. It is an easy walk to the first [...]
Higashi-Omi has no English Web site for sightseeing
Imagine that your friends from overseas will visit you in Higashi-Omi. How would you explain or introduce your city in English? The city hall’s Web site has some English pages introducing Higashi-Omi. The English is good quality so you can give them this URL: http://www.city.higashiomi.shiga.jp/outside/English/ However, they still don’t have any English info about sightseeing [...]
How to spell 東近江?
When Higashiomi was first established, I wondered how they would spell the name of the city. I thought that “Higashi-Omi” would be the best way to spell it. However, I see that the city hall is spelling it “Higashiomi” as one word, which I think is the worse way to spell it. Some people might [...]