Nagahama

Did you know that Kyoto Shimbun has a collection of English articles? Most of them are about Kyoto, but there are some about Shiga. Here are articles about Nagahama by Kyoto Shimbun: 

Kohoku Region Tourist Booklet 
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/topics/eng/2006jun/06-10.html

Guidebook for Kazutoyo-Chiyo Exhibition 
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/topics/eng/2005dec/12-23.html 

Tourist Grape Farm 
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/topics/eng/2006aug/08-11.html 

Bonsai plum tree exhibition (Bonbai) 
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/topics/eng/2006jan/01-31.html 

Other articles in English 
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/topics/eng/eng.html 

Unfortunately, most newspapers will delete old articles so we cannot view them after 1 month or so. The Japan Times has some good articles about Shiga, but we cannot freely access them. I’m not sure how long these Kyoto Shimbun articles will stay online. Maybe 1 year or so. Hopefully forever.

Is everyone watching “Komyo ga Tsuji,” NHK’s Taiga Drama? I’m watching and enjoying it, but sometimes I miss a few episodes. When I miss an episode, I read the synopsis in English here so I can find out what happened: 

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Koumyou_ga_Tsuji 

This show has helped me understand a little more about Shiga’s history. I cannot understand everything they say, but it’s interesting. People overseas are lucky because they can watch the show with English subtitles. I liked Tachi Hiroshi as Nobunaga. Nakama Yukie is also good, but I wish a Shiga actress played Chiyo. Yukie is from Okinawa. Karasuma Setsuko is from Shiga, but too old to play Chiyo. She played another character. 

Nagahama has a few exhibitions for this TV drama at Nagahama Castle, the Hikiyama Matsuri museum, and Daitsuji. I went to see them and it was good. Daitsuji temple was very impressive. Big tatami rooms and beautiful fusuma paintings. I think your overseas friends would like seeing this temple, besides Nagahama Castle. 

I also visited Kazutoyo’s mother’s grave near Sakata Station. They really prepared this area for tourists. 

http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=24 

I still have to visit Ishida Mitsunari’s birthplace in Nagahama and Anegawa River, site of the Anegawa Battle. 

Guidebook for Kazutoyo-Chiyo Exhibition 

http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/topics/eng/2005dec/12-23.html 

Uh-oh, looks like Shiga will have another big debate, probably bigger than the shinkansen station in Ritto. 

On Sept. 20, 2006, the mayor of Yogo-cho town again told the town assembly that he wants to accept highly radioactive nuclear waste for final disposal in Yogo. He said that it was important for Japan to find such a place.

The large amount of money the town would receive for studies conducted for the disposal site would greatly help the cash-strapped town which forecasts a lot of red ink in the coming years. 

Shiga Governor Kada Yukiko is opposed to the plan, saying that a nuclear waste dump near Lake Biwa which supplies water to 14 million people in the Kinki region would cause too much anxiety among the population. 

Even if they go ahead with the plan, it will take over 20 years to conduct studies and build the disposal site. That’s the year 2030. How old will you be by then? I’ll be a bald ojisan for sure. 

After the nuclear waste is processed, it has to be put in cold storage for 30 to 50 years. Then it has to be buried in stable ground at least 300 meters deep where the radiation should not affect humans. Right, that supposed to make us feel better. 

Yogo is one of Shiga’s most beautiful and nature-oriented areas. It’s very disturbing to think that the area will also include the world’s most hazardous substances. The town will still require approval from the prefectural government to proceed all the way with the plan. I doubt that it will go through. But we have to do something about Yogo’s financial situation. Let’s try to bring more foreign tourists to Yogo. I know they would love it.

I just found an interesting article in English about a 27-year-old woman who has taken over a large farm in Kohoku-cho. Her name is Tanaka Sayuri and her farm is Kizu Noen. The article is here: 

http://www.stella-web.jp/en/interview/tanaka01.html 

There will be Part 2 of the interview later.  

I also found a Japanese version: 

http://www.nca.or.jp/shinbun/20060825/agri060825.html