Higashi-Omi in eastern Shiga Prefecture is famous for its giant kite measuring 12 meters by 13 meters. It’s flown on the last Sunday of May at the annual Giant Kite Festival (Odako Matsuri). (Details below.)

For people who can’t see the festival, they should visit the Higashi-Omi Giant KIte Museum (東近江大凧会館 formerly Yokaichi Giant Kite Museum) not far from Ohmi Railways Yokaichi Station (map here). It displays the previous giant kite along with hundreds of kites from all over Japan and the world.

I made this video of the kite museum with three English-speaking local kids as the reporters. We went to the museum on May 5, 2013, Children’s Day, when the kite museum held an event for kids to paste stickers written with their wishes or dreams on the giant kite. They also attended a kite-making session.

We are gearing up to see the giant kite festival on May 26, 2013 to be held at Fureai Undo Park west of JR Notogawa Station. Free shuttle buses will run from Notogawa Station. They are holding the festival at a different riverside park now, closer to Lake Biwa where the winds are stronger. The old riverside festival site was getting narrower due to the river getting wider. Winds were also weaker. Also note that they changed the name of festival from Yokaichi Giant Kite Festival to Higashi-Omi Giant Kite Festival.

Update:
After a ceremony at 9:20 am, the Higashi-Omi Giant Kite Festival 2013 (東近江大凧まつり 2013) will start from 10:15 am with a kite flying contest. They will fly the giant kite twice, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:30 pm to 3 pm when the festival will end. There will be some stage entertainment like taiko drumming, display of the giant kite on the ground, and an area to fly kites. They’ll have food and souvenir booths.

Free shuttle buses from JR Notogawa Station (from 8 am), the Odako Kaikan kite museum, and designated parking lots will run to the festival site at Fureai Undo Koen park.

The Hikone Castle Museum is now exhibiting the Hikone Byobu folding screen (彦根屏風), a National Treasure, until May 7, 2013. Shiga Prefecture has only four paintings that are National Treasures, and this is one of them and the only non-religious one. The others are all religious paintings owned by temples like Miidera. (Japan has 158 paintings designated as National Treasures as of this writing.) The byobu shows a pleasure quarters scene in Kyoto. It’s painted on a gold-leaf paper background.

The six-panel byobu is dated to be from the Edo Period’s Kan’ei era (1624-44). It measures 271 cm wide and 94 cm high. Since it was kept by the Ii clan (lord of Hikone Castle) for generations, the screen is nicknamed “Hikone Byobu” even though the painting is not related to Hikone. The byobu’s official name is a mouthful: Shihon Kinjichaku-shoku Fuzoku-zu (紙本金地著色風俗図). The city of Hikone now owns the byobu (since 1997). The Hikone Byobu underwent meticulous repairs for two years and it is exhibited for a few weeks every spring during this time.

The byobu’s National Treasure acclaim is due to the highly skilled and meticulous painting style and the myriad of people, fashion, and objects depicted from that era. Extremely fine lines and dots are painted for the hair, kimono patterns, etc. You’ll need a magnifying glass to see all that intricate detail (although you won’t be able to get that close to the painting). The painted scene is an outstanding snapshot of the people and customs of that time. Thus, it is called a fuzoku-zu (風俗図). With so many little details pictured, you would have to be well-versed in the arts, fashion, customs, and history of that period to fully appreciate what is depicted.

On the left of the byobu, you can see a folding screen with a Chinese-style painting. This is the only prop we see in the background and it indicates that the scene on the left half of the screen is indoors where everyone is sitting close together. The right half of the screen looks like it’s outdoors since the people are standing and one woman is walking her little dog (imported from Europe) even. We see no boundary between the indoors and outdoors, but it is obviously implied.

On the screen’s left half showing the indoor scene, three people are playing the samisen and three people are playing Japanese backgammon called sugoroku (双六). There is also a long tobacco pipe below the backgammon player dressed in black. Tobacco pipes were imported from Spain and Portugal at the time and were very popular in Japan. Their length eventually got shorter in later years.

On the lower right in the indoor scene is a girl writing a love letter with ink and brush. The samisen players, sugoroku players, letter writer, and background folding screen all refer to the Chinese-originated cultural concept of kinkishoga (琴棋書画), meaning stringed instrument (koto), traditional board game, calligraphy, and painting. Being skilled at these four traditional arts was considered a prerequisite of a cultured person. It was common for paintings to depict kinkishoga.

Above the letter writer is a middle-age woman leaning on an arm rest. She is thought to be a Buddhist layman of great knowledge, making her the de facto supervisor there.

The pleasure quarters was for people of taste and culture. It was a leading edge for fashion and we can see various fashion statements in the painting. The people wear a variety of hairstyles. For example, the karawa-mage style (唐輪髷) with the hair stacked up was favored by the courtesans of that day. We also see short-sleeve casual kimono called kosode (小袖) and they also have gold leaf embedded in the material.

On the right side of the byobu, the woman second from the right edge is wearing a kimono with a basho (banana plant) design. It reminds one of a Noh song titled, Basho. (Famous haiku poet Basho named himself after the banana plant.)

When the Hikone Byobu was made in the early Edo Period, it wasn’t for the masses to see. Only the cultural elite would be able to see it and the artist knew this. The artist therefore included little details that only the cultural elite would appreciate and understand. They would have been well-versed in Chinese-style painting, religious paintings, Noh plays, etc.

The painting was designed to be viewed not as a flat painting, but on a folding screen with its characteristic zig-zag panels facing inward or outward. The people were painted to match the respective panel’s angle. If you look closely, you can see that the way the people are facing are indeed enhanced or emphasized by the angle of the panel. Since the painting was not signed, the artist is unknown. However, experts say that the painter likely belonged to the Kano school of Japanese painting. It’s astonishing that the artist did not sign such a masterpiece. I wonder if the artist didn’t sign it because the work was still unfinished (the background looks too empty to me) or maybe there were multiple artists. There are still things about the painting that experts do not know about.

I went to see this byobu a year ago during Golden Week. I went without reading up about it, so I was unable to fully appreciate the byobu’s artistic and cultural value when I saw it. It was only after I did some reading when I was able to appreciate this rare National Treasure. I’m happy to now share with you what I’ve learned about this fascinating byobu. You should appreciate it for what it’s really worth. A little knowledge (and language) goes a long way.

The Hikone Castle Museum is next to the ticket booth to enter Hikone Castle. Open 8:30 am to 5 pm (enter by 4:30 pm). Admission is 500 yen for adults (cheaper if you also buy a ticket to enter Hikone Castle). Google Map

Nagahama Hikiyama Matsuri, April 15

April is a great month. Soon after the onslaught of cherry blossoms, we have an onslaught of festivals (matsuri). This is the time to go out and celebrate the coming of spring, pray for good harvests, and see the traditional splendor of Shiga. The highest number of matsuri are held during these two months, especially during the string of national holidays in late April and early May called Golden Week. During the Golden Week holidays, Shiga has multiple festivals on the same day.

To make it easier to decide which ones to see, I’ve picked Shiga Prefecture’s Top 10 Festivals for April-May. I ranked them based on scale (number of participants, length of festival, etc.), grandioseness, cultural importance/significance, cultural perpetuation and practice for younger generations, uniqueness, and enjoyment by spectators.

1. Nagahama Hikiyama Matsuri, Nagahama Hachiman Shrine, Nagahama, April 15
Deciding Shiga’s No. 1 spring festival was a toss-up between the Nagahama Hikiyama Matsuri and Sanno-sai (No. 2 below). But I gave the edge to the Hikiyama Matsuri because it centers on passing on a traditional art to kids. Young boys undergo months-long rigorous training in voice and acting to put on a kabuki play during the festival. The festival has four ornate floats (hikiyama) with a small stage for authentic kabuki plays performed by grade school boys. Even if you cannot understand what they are saying, just looking at their makeup, costumes, and acting will delight. The kabuki performances start at the shrine at 10 am. Then the floats are pulled to other spots in central Nagahama where the boys perform again. By the evening, all the floats gather at the Otabisho across town for more revelry until 9:30 pm when it ends. Although it gets crowded in front of the float, you can usually see the kabuki actors because they are elevated on the float. My video | Google Map

Sanno-sai Festival, Hiyoshi Taisha

2. Sanno-sai Festival, Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Otsu, April 12-15
Held by Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine in western Otsu at the foot of Mt. Hiei. This is perhaps Shiga Prefecture’s largest festival in terms of participants and the number of events. Held over a few days, you can see diverse events and rituals like an evening torch procession, thunderous rocking of portable shrines, and even a boat procession on the lake. One thing I like is the joint cooperation of Shinto and Buddhist priests in the ceremonies. You can see and hear both Shinto priests and Tendai Buddhist priests from Enryakuji temple praying or chanting at the same ceremony during the festival. So it’s not entirely a Shinto festival. Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine was historically affiliated with Enryakuji temple until the state required that Shinto and Buddhism be separate organizations. It’s up to you to decide which day and what time to see the festival. Click on the link above to see my photos of the festival (taken on April 13-15) to decide what you want to see. I saw and photographed all the major festival events except on the first day when they brought down the portable shrine from a low mountain. If it’s one festival that wore me out after three days, it’s this one. My video | Google Map

3. Niu Chawan Matsuri, Niu Shrine, Yogo (Nagahama), once every several years on May 4
Another of my all-time favorite festivals. They have three wooden floats topped with lofty “balancing act” chawan bowl decorations. They also hold beautiful sacred dances by boys dressed as girls. A procession of colorful flower umbrella dancers also provides a colorful accent to the festival. It’s held deep in a mountain valley of Yogo in northern Nagahama so the whole area is lush and peaceful. The only problem is that the festival is held only once every 5-6 years. The last time it was held was in 2009. According to rumors, the festival will be held in May 2014, next year. My video | Google Map

Hino Matsuri floats at Umamioka Watamuki Shrine.

4. Hino Matsuri, Hino, May 3
Shiga has a good number of float festivals, but the grandest one in spring is the Hino Matsuri. It’s grand because they have as many as 16 ornate floats with large wooden wheels that they pull through the main streets of Hino town. Each float belongs to a specific neighborhood in Hino and they are decorated with elaborate tapestries, paper lanterns, and a homemade paper sculpture on the roof that changes every year. They also have side attractions like a portable shrine procession and ceremonies featuring a sacred dance. From the morning, the floats are pulled along the streets to gather at Umamioka Watamuki Shrine, the center of the action. They play festival music and show off their floats. If you have time, you should also visit Shakunage Gorge, famous for rhododendron growing in a scenic gorge. There are lovely nature walking paths. Buses run from Hino Station. My video | Google Map

Yokaichi Giant Kite Festival held on the last Sun. in May.

5. Higashi-Omi Giant Kite Festival (formerly Yokaichi Giant Kite Festival) (Odako Matsuri), Higashi-Omi, May 26 (last Sun. in May)
The giant kite, made of washi paper and a bamboo frame, measures about 13 meters by 12 meters (size of 100 tatami mats) and weighs 700 kg. It is a work of art with a distinct shape, cutouts, and paint job featuring a traditional design of a large kanji character and twin animals. The design is selected from entries from the public and a new giant kite with a new design is made every three years. The public is also invited to help build the new kite every three years during the summer. On the festival day, the kite is flown on a riverbank a few times. It usually doesn’t stay aloft for very long unless there are strong winds. It can even crash so they clear the whole area whenever they fly the kite. You can also sign up to pull the kite. I did it once and they run at full speed. Kind of scary because if you trip and fall, you might get trampled. From 2013, the festival site will be at the Fureai Undo Park in Notogawa. Free shuttle buses will run from Notogawa Station. After (or before) the festival, be sure to check out the Odako Kaikan Giant Kite museum. Shuttle buses run to the museum. My video | Google Map

Kenketo Matsuri in Tsuchiyama, Koka.

6. Kenketo Matsuri, Koka (Tsuchiyama), May 3
Held at Takigi Jinja Shrine (龍樹神社), Kenketo Odori is a dance performed by eight boys aged 7 to 12. First there’s a procession to the shrine, and the boys start dancing at the shrine at around 2 pm. The dance was originally started to ward off calamities. The boys wear tall peacock feathers on their heads. The dance is a National Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The festival has an interesting twist when the crowd rushes to the man (sometimes knocking him down) holding a flower basket to take all the flowers. To get to the shrine, get off Kibukawa Station (JR Kusatsu Line and Ohmi Railways) and catch the Aikuru Bus. Get off at Higashi Maeno. The shrine is a short walk toward the river. My video | Google Map

Shichikawa Matsuri’s yakko-furi procession.

7. Shichikawa Matsuri, Takashima, May 4
The largest festival in western Shiga is held at Oarahiko Shrine. It features a yakko-furi (samurai laborers) procession, yabusame horse runs, and portable shrine procession. The shrine is nearest to Shin-Asahi Station (JR Kosei Line). If it’s too far to walk, you can rent a bicycle at the train station. My video | Google Map

Ayame girls at Hyozu Matsuri.

8. Hyozu Matsuri, Hyozu Taisha Shrine, Yasu, May 5
I call this Shiga’s best portable shrine festival. Over 35 portable srhines (mikoshi) are carried around Hyozu Taisha Shrine in a very lively and gregarious style. Two of the mikoshi are carried by all women called “Ayame,” meaning iris flowers. They wear colorful happi coats to carry the mikoshi. The only thing is that the gravel path can kick up dust. Best to watch the festival from upwind. A few foreigners also participate. It starts in the morning and ends in mid-afternoon.  My video | Google Map

9. Hachiman Matsuri, Himure Hachimangu Shrine, Omi-Hachiman, April 14
Shiga’s biggest fire festival featuring several tall straw torches (as high as 10 meters) that are lit from 8 pm. If you have time during the day, you should come and look at the torches which are great works of art. The festival is prayer for an abundant harvest. They light the torches one by one. This festival is usually billed together with the Sagicho Matsuri another fire festival held in March. Sagicho Matsuri is still my favorite festival in Omi-Hachiman. My video | Google Map

10. Taga Matsuri, Taga Taisha Shrine, Taga, April 22
If you like horses and traditional costumes, see this festival. They have a long procession featuring Shinto priests, children in costume, women warriors, and more people on 40 horses. A total of 500 people are in the procession. There is a morning procession leaving Taga Taisha at 10:30 am for Totonomiya Shrine deep in Taga’s countryside, and an afternoon (main) procession leaving Taga Taisha at 2 pm for the Otabisho, a short distance away from Taga Taisha. My video | Google Map

For other spring festivals in Shiga, see my previous posts: April 2012 | May 2011 | May 2010 | 2009 Chawan Matsuri

UCC Shiga Factory in Aisho, Shiga. (UCC photo)

The new UCC Shiga Factory (UCC滋賀工場) in Aisho, Shiga Prefecture has started free factory tours from April 2, 2013. UCC is a famous coffee brand in Japan synonymous with canned coffee. The Shiga factory started full-scale operation in March 2013 and makes coffee in plastic bottles (930 ml) and cans (300 ml and 400 ml) with screw-on caps.

The free factory tours are conducted twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They offer two tours on both days starting at 10 am and 1 pm. The tour is about 80 min. and up to 18 people can join the tour. Make reservations (in Japanese) at the UCC Web site.

The tour includes a coffee-tasting session to compare regular coffee with coffee made with a concentrate, a video showing UCC’s coffee fields in Hawaii and Jamaica, an explanation of how coffee is made, a tour of a manufacturing line capable of filling up to 800 cans of coffee per minute, and live observation of quality control managers at work via a monitor. Everything is probably in Japanese only.

Note that photography (including video) is not permitted during the tour. Pets, baby strollers (can be stored), and wheelchairs are also not allowed due to the numerous stairs. See photos of the Shiga factory here.

The factory is a 15-min. walk from Echigawa Station on the Ohmi Railways. Or 15 min. by taxi from JR Notogawa Station. Google Map

Hiko-nyan performing at Hikone Castle Museum.

Good news for Hiko-nyan (or Hikonyan) fans. Hikone’s nationally famous official mascot, Hiko-nyan (ひこにゃん), now appears every day at Hikone Castle from April 1, 2013. Previously, Hiko-nyan appeared only four days a week, frustrating a good number of visitors who couldn’t see this super popular mascot.

By popular demand, you can now see Hiko-nyan performing three 30-min. shows daily. As of April 2013, Hiko-nyan’s daily show times are 10:30 am in front of the main castle tower (tenshu) and and 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm outside Hikone Castle Museum. (If it rains, Hiko-nyan will appear at the Museum.) (Show times in Japanese.)

Hiko-nyan basically just struts around and strikes cute poses for camera-toting fans. The show is free at the Hikone Castle Museum. If you want to see him in front of the main castle tower, you have to pay the castle admission. I feel sorry for whoever is in the Hiko-nyan suit during the summer. His/Her movements are noticeably slower in summer. One thing about Hiko-nyan is that it doesn’t speak. Not even a “meow” or “nyan-nyan.”

Hiko-nyan is a white cat wearing a red samurai helmet with horns. “Hiko” refers to Hikone, and “nyan” is a baby word for cat. The red helmet is modeled after the one worn by Lord Ii Naomasa, the first lord of Hikone Castle. Hiko-nyan was originally the official mascot for Hikone Castle’s 400th anniversary in 2007. He proved to be so popular that he was retained as the city’s official mascot indefinitely.

Hiko-nyan’s official birthday is April 13, 2006 when the name “Hiko-nyan” was decided. He’s 7 years old this month.

In the beginning, the city allowed businesses to sell Hiko-nyan merchandise royalty-free to help spread word about the castle’s annniversary. But not anymore. The city now takes a cut on sales of authorized Hiko-nyan goods. Hiko-nyan’s unexpected and explosive popularity prompted the artist who created Hiko-nyan for Hikone to file suit against the city over Hiko-nyan’s copyright and trademark rights (details here) after the castle’s year-long anniversary celebration ended. What the artist was paid to create the character suddenly seemed paltry compared to the enormous merchandising sales the mascot was generating. The dispute has recently been resolved, finally.

Hiko-nyan has traveled widely around Japan and even ventured overseas like to Hawaii (photos here) to promote Hikone. In July 2013, Hiko-nyan will travel to Paris, France to attend the Japan Expo. Apparently there are at least two Hiko-nyan suits since he can be at two places at the same time. While Hiko-nyan is in Paris in July, Hiko-nyan is still scheduled to appear at Hikone Castle.

Hiko-nyan, wearing a lei, parading in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Hiko-nyan sparked the boom in mascot characters in Japan. Cities, towns, companies, and organizations right and left in Japan have developed their own mascots, but very few have gained national prominence like Hiko-nyan. Hiko-nyan received over 10,000 New Year’s postcards this past New Year’s Day. (City hall employees vowed to answer each one.) Not to mention a big pile of chocolates on Valentine’s Day.

Hiko-nyan is based on a real or perhaps legendary cat. According to one legend, one day, Ii Naotaka, the third lord of Hikone Castle, was practicing falconry in Tokyo and was near Gotokuji temple when he saw this cat raising its paw. The cat beckoned him to enter the temple where he was able to rest inside. A major thunderstorm ensued, and the cat saved him from getting wet. Another legend says that as soon as the cat beckoned Naotaka into the temple, lightning struck the tree where he was standing. Thus, the cat saved his life.

This legendary cat connection gave birth to the idea behind Hiko-nyan. This same legend is also one theory as to how the ubiquitous beckoning cat (maneki-neko) you see at shops and restaurants in Japan originated. The beckoning cat can be called Hiko-nyan’s cousin.

Soon I hope to finally photograph Hiko-nyan in front of the main castle tower (National Treasure). Most people are spelling the name in English as, “Hikonyan” which I think is a mistake since people might mispronounce it as “Hikon-yan” (ひこんやん). Google Map for Hikone Castle

This measure aims to reduce waste, obviously. The money collected from shopping bag sales will be used for environmental preservation. Currently, about 50 percent of shoppers bring their own bags for groceries. The prefecture wants to raise this to 80 percent in three years.

So whenever you go grocery shopping in Shiga, the checkout clerk will ask if you want a bag or not. Just bring your own bag and say, “iranai” (no need).

I’m surprised at how late Shiga has implemented this measure. It should’ve been in place at least 20 years ago when you think of the lake where I sometimes see plastic bags polluting it. In Tokyo, they started charging for shopping bags many years ago. It also has an excellent weekly recycling system for old newspapers, magazines, corrugated cardboard boxes, recyclable plastic, Styrofoam trays, glass bottles, PET (plastic) bottles, and tin cans. And most supermarkets accept empty milk cartons.

The only hole in the plan is the convenience stores. They still give out plastic bags for whatever you buy. Of course, I always bring my rucksack or a used bag. Been doing so for most of my time in Japan. I also don’t accept chopsticks when I buy a bento.

Speaking of Heiwado, the AL Plaza mall right next to Otsu Station will close in December 2013 after almost 40 years in business (opened in 1974). It will be replaced by a condominium with a supermarket on the first two floors. The Heart In convenience store at Otsu Station will also close in May 2013. Most of Otsu Station’s 34,000 daily users are only commuters and the area around the station has languished in comparison to the area around Hama-Otsu Station.

Hikone Castle, Shiga’s No. 1 cherry blossom spot.

Cherry blossoms are blooming earlier than usual this year. We’ve been having warm days during the first half of March. According to the cherry blossom forecast, the flowers should be in full bloom in Shiga during the second week of April. Note that they bloom later in northern Shiga (Takashima and Nagahama) than in southern Shiga (Otsu). This year I’ve decided to rank Shiga’s top cherry blossom spots. Here are my Top 5 favorite sakura spots in Shiga (click on the links or image to see more photos):

1. Hikone Castle – Coming at No. 1 is Hikone Castle. Although Hikone Castle is not one of the 100 Famous Cherry Blossom Spots of Japan (according to the Japan Cherry Blossom Association, I think it’s Shiga’s prettiest and most photogenic. It has an awful lot of cherry blossom trees almost everywhere amid the dramatic backdrop of the castle, white walls, and moats. I found so many varied views and great camera angles for shooting cherry blossoms here. You can see cherries on the big stone walls, along the moats, and next to the main castle tower. Culturally and historically, cherry blossoms best match a castle (especially one that is a National Treasure, another reason why I rank it No. 1), a symbol of the samurai whose life was as fleeting as the sakura. Hikone Castle is easily accessible from Hikone Station. Google map.

Kaizu-Osaki is nice but watch out for the cars.

2. Kaizu-Osaki, Takashima - Kaizu-Osaki has cherry trees lining the northern shore of Lake Biwa for a few kilometers. The blue lake water and Chikubushima island provide a very Shiga-esque backdrop for the cherries. It’s one of Japan’s 100 Famous Cherry Blossom Spots, and I would rank it as Shiga’s No. 1 sakura spot if it weren’t for the hazardous viewing conditions. Kaizu-Osaki has a narrow and hazardous lakeshore road (with no sidewalk) right next to the shoreline trees. During the peak period, there are just too many cars passing by, squeezing out pedestrians and polluting the air. There is a short pedestrian path and small park at the beginning if you go from Makino Station, but it doesn’t go to the main part of the trees. Since there is no sidewalk and you are walking on the road, you always have to be on guard for cars. Not recommended for families with young kids, especially on weekends. Also, the tunnels are dark and very narrow (no sidewalks). Bring a flashlight so the cars can see you walking or riding your bicycle inside the tunnel. If you have a car, note that there is very little parking. Shuttle buses run infrequently from train stations (most people walk from Makino Station). I recommend renting a bicycle at Makino Station (at the tourist info office) and cycling to Kaizu-Osaki. If you have the time and energy, bicycling from Makino Station to Nagahara Station (or vice versa) along the lake would be very scenic. You can return the bicycle at either station. And oh, beware of wild monkeys. Best not to carry a plastic bag, etc., that the monkeys may think contains food. Google Map

View from top of Nagahama Castle.

3. Nagahama Castle and Hokoen Park
Another photogenic backdrop with a huge cluster of cherry blossoms. Be sure to go up to the castle tower’s lookout deck (admission charged to enter the castle museum) to see the cherry blossoms surrounding the castle. Breathtaking. One of Japan’s 100 Famous Cherry Blossom Spots (there’s a monument saying so) and a major spot for hanami flower-viewing picnics. They have areas for picnicking as well as areas to just stroll under the cherries. Nagahama Castle is in the lakeside Hokoen Park near Nagahama Station. Google Map

Miidera’s Kondo main hall (National Treasure) and sakura.

4. Miidera temple and Biwako Canal, Otsu
There’s a great synergy between Biwako (Lake Biwa) Canal and Miidera temple during cherry blossom season. Biwako Canal supplies water from Lake Biwa to Kyoto. From Miidera Station (Keihan Line), you can’t miss it. It’s lined with many cherry trees, but it’s fenced off so it’s see but don’t touch. You’d think that they should allow rowboating in the canal when the flowers are in bloom. But if you look closely, you will notice a pretty fast current which would be dangerous for rowers. In the old days about a century ago after the canal was built, they had boats going all the way through canal to Kyoto. After walking along the canal, turn right and walk to the sprawling Miidera temple. They have cherry trees here and there providing a great accent to the old temple buildings (including a few National Treasures). There’s also a great lookout point on a hill giving great views of Otsu (concrete jungle) and the lake. They also light up the trees at night as they do at Biwako Canal. Beautiful and serene. Google Map

Hachiman-bori canal.

5. Hachiman-bori, Omi-Hachiman – Hachiman-bori canal has a long canopy of sakura trees along this scenic moat. The moat and white-walled traditional buildings make it photogenic, fit for shooting a samurai movie. It’s not so crowded either so you can enjoy a laid-back atmosphere while walking on a nice sidewalk or path along the moat. There are also moat boat rides starting near the Kawara Tile Museum. After seeing the flowers, you have the option to see numerous other nearby sights such as Hachiman-yama (via ropeway), Himure Hachimangu Shrine, Kawara Roof Tile Museum, Hakuunkan, Omi-shonin merchant homes on Shinmachi-dori, and buildings by William Merrell Vories. There is much more than just cherry blossoms which is my reason to include Hachiman-bori among the Top Five. Google Map

So, the places above are where I would show a first-time visitor wanting to see cherry blossoms in Shiga. I selected them based on Shiga’s unique beauty or scenery, easy accessibility, and sightseeing value.

To see the current blooming condition, see the Weather News Sakura page for Shiga. Starting with brown that indicates buds, the markers show warmer colors until red (full bloom) indicating how far the flowers have bloomed right now.

This is off-topic, but if you really love cherry blossoms, I highly recommend visiting the Tohoku region (Fukushima, Yamagata, Miyagi, Iwate, etc.). The cherry trees there are huge and look very distinguished, like giant bonsai. The tree trunks are really thick and they make the skinny cherry trees in Tokyo, Shiga, Kyoto, etc., look like baby trees.

Enjoy the spring.

Essential Vocabulary

• sakura さくら or 桜 - Cherry blossom and Japan’s national symbol and flower. By far, it is the most celebrated flower in Japan.
• tsubomi つぼみ – Flower buds.
• shichibu-zaki 七分咲き – Cherry blossoms in 70% bloom which is right before they reach full bloom. News reports consider 80% bloom to be full bloom (mankai).
• sakura zensen 桜前線 – Cherry blossom front as they bloom across Japan from Okinawa to Hokkaido.
• kaika 開花 – Flowers started blooming. This is about a week before the tree reaches full bloom.
• mankai 満開 – Full bloom. You will hear this on the news often.
• hayasaki 早咲き – Early-blooming flowers. A few varieties of cherry blossoms bloom earlier than usual.
• hanami or ohanami 花見 – Flower-viewing picnic (often with alcohol) under the cherry blossoms at a park. The most common way to celebrate spring under the flowers and commonly seen in the news. Hanami picnics are usually not allowed in shrines and temples.
• sakura matsuri さくらまつり or 桜祭り- Cherry blossom festival. Not a religious festival, but can take the form of various events and stage entertainment.
• Somei Yoshino 染井吉野 - The most common and coveted species of cherry blossoms whose light pink (almost white) flowers bloom in fluffy bunches on the tree.
• yo-zakura 夜桜 – Cherry blossoms lit up at night. Some temples and parks light up the flowers at night.
• shidare-zakura しだれ桜 or 枝垂桜 - Weeping cherry blossoms with long, hanging branches of flowers.
• Sakura Meisho さくら名所 – Famous cherry blossom spot. It is most often a castle, public park, garden, shrine/temple, or riverside.
• Sakura, Sakura さくら さくら- Famous folk song about cherry blossoms.
• chiru, chitta 散る、散った – Flowers fell off the tree. Happens a few days after full bloom when the petals fall like pink snow.
• sakura fubuki さくら吹雪 – Swirling cherry blossom petals. Occurs when the wind blows off the flower petals, creating a pink snow.

Google Map for Kusatsu: http://goo.gl/maps/zFVsQ

My apologies to people and visitors in Kusatsu for the delay in making this map. When I first started making Google Maps years ago, the Japan maps still didn’t have English place names. We also couldn’t rearrange the order of the annotated places in the sidebar. The map URLs were also very long. Due to such limitations, my initial attempts to create Google Maps were rudimentary and less motivated. I knew that improvements had to come sooner or later, so I waited. Now that these problems have been resolved, I will be adding more places to the maps to make them more useful. I know that there is a demand when I see thousands of views for each map I have created. The annotations are also linked to my Web site with thumbnail images and links to my photo albums.

Video link: http://youtu.be/bfGs7GSdrXE

My friend in Niigata recently posted this video of a choir singing Hitsuji-gusa or Water Lilies. What’s significant about this obscure song from 1915 is that its melody was used in the much more famous song, Biwako Shuko no Uta (Lake Biwa Rowing Song), Shiga’s most famous and beloved song (read about it here).

The university rowing club boys in Kyoto who wrote Biwako Shuko no Uta in 1917 found that Hitsuji-gusa’s melody matched their lyrics well, and the rest is history.

When you watch this video, you will notice that the melody sounds very similar to Biwako Shuko no Uta. (Or should I say that Biwako Shuko no Uta sounds very similar to Hitsuji-gusa.) Hitsuji-gusa was composed by a very talented young man named Yoshida Chiaki (吉田 千秋 1895-1919) from Niigata Prefecture. The lyrics are his Japanese translation of an old British children’s song called Water Lilies. He then composed a melody to match his Japanese lyrics. The song is about holding firm in times of adversity, just like the water lilies can even in a rainstorm. Chiaki composed the song while he was battling tuberculosis. He later died of the disease at age 24 in 1919.

For many years, no one knew who composed the melody for Biwako Shuko no Uta. When Kato Tokiko scored a national hit with Biwako Shuko no Uta in 1971, people started to wonder who composed the melody. It was known that the lyrics were written in 1917 by Oguchi Taro and his fellow university rowing club buddies in Kyoto. Many people assumed that Oguchi also composed the melody. Every 5 or 10 years or so after 1971, researchers found out a little more about the composer of the music. First they found out which song the melody came from. A few years later around 1980, they found the name of the composer, but didn’t know who he was.

Finally in 1993, after over 20 years of digging, the composer’s identity was brought to light. Chiaki turned out to be the second son of a famous geographer (Yoshida Togo). Chiaki was also found to be a brilliant young man who took interest in many things like astronomy, zoology, botany, and foreign languages. He had a good command of English and several other languages. If he hadn’t died so young, he likely would have become one of Japan’s leading scientists or professors. (Read my article about Chiaki here.)

The video above was taken at a memorial gathering on the anniversary of Chiaki’s death in Feb. 2013 at Chiaki’s birth home in Niigata city. A choir called Koai Gassho no Kai (小合合唱の会) sang a few songs including Hitsuji-gusa and Biwako Shuko no Uta. Chiaki’s home is now occupied by his niece, the daughter of Chiaki’s younger brother. I visited the house in 2007 and the niece showed me the room where Chiaki spent his final days. (Photos here.)

In 2001, an organization named Chiaki no Kai (「ちあき」の会) was formed to perpetuate, preserve, and honor Yoshida Chiaki’s numerous works and legacy.

Here are the lyrics of the original British children’s song followed by Chiaki’s song. There are three verses.

Water Lilies, by E.R.B. (Education & Resettlement Bureau)

Misty moonlight, faintly falling
O’er the lake at eventide,
Shows a thousand gleaming lilies
On the rippling waters wide.

White as snow, the circling petals
Cluster round each golden star,
Rising, falling with the waters,
Moving, yet at rest they are.

Winds may blow, and skies may darken,
Rain may pour, and waves may swell;
Deep beneath the changeful eddies
Lily roots fastened well.

Hitsuji-gusa (ひつじぐさ), by Yoshida Chiaki

The video below is the same choir singing Biwako Shuko no Uta (Lake Biwa Rowing Song). Listen and compare.

One proposal for Doshusei prefectural mergers (9 states). Image from Wikipedia.

NHK TV news in Otsu reported an interesting bit of news on Feb. 26, 2013 about the governor of Kyoto stating that he was in favor of merging Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures. And that Shiga Governor Yukiko Kada rejected such a merger saying that she did not see how Shiga could benefit.

This is what Kyoto Governor Keiji Yamada stated in front of the Kyoto Prefectural Assembly on On Feb. 25, 2013:

“Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures share a lot within our living and working spheres, so merging is a practical option. If this happens, we could also think about moving Kyoto’s prefectural capital to Otsu.”

In Japanese: 「滋賀県とは生活区域や働く場所など共通点が非常に多いので合併というのも１つの現実的な対応ではないか。そうした場合、政治論からすれば、大津に府庁を持って行くことも考えられる」

Reacting to this, Governor Kada told reporters:

“Shiga has a history of 1,300 years. Since we are bound/unified by a natural lake, we are called ‘Lake country’ and ‘Omi Province.’ We’re older than Kyoto (grin)…Shiga is also governed by a tightly-knit government and people in Shiga love their hometown and retain a strong identity. I don’t really see any benefits right now in erasing Shiga or merging with Kyoto.”

In Japanese: 「滋賀県は湖でつながり、一体的に行政運営もなされ、県民の皆さんも地元を愛しているので、京都と一緒になるメリットは今のところ見えない」

This talk is in reference to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and other parties’ push for the Doshusei (道州制) system of consolidating Japan’s prefectures (except Hokkaido and Okinawa) into larger regional states. The Kyoto governor’s statement was made amid this national discussion so it’s not totally out of the blue.

If you live in Japan, you should learn and remember the word Doshusei. It literally means, “Hokkaido+states system.” It’s been kicked around for quite some time, but it has become more prominent in the past 10 years and you can be sure to hear it more often from now on, especially with the Liberal Democratic Party in power.

The Doshusei system is a major reform and realignment of Japan’s governmental jurisdictions. The word “prefecture” would disappear, replaced by “state.” It would be similar to when prefectures consolidated and replaced the old samurai domains called han (藩) in 1871. That was called haihan-chiken (廃藩置県). There are Doshusei proposals to consolidate Japan’s 47 prefectures into 9, 11, or 13 states. Hokkaido and Okinawa would remain as separate states, while the remaining 45 prefectures would be merged into regional states.

The image at the top gives you an idea of what the new united states of Japan might look like in the case of having nine states. Shiga Prefecture (white dot) would basically merge with Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, and Wakayama Prefectures (all in light green in the middle). (There is also a proposal to include Fukui Prefecture.) It combines the Kansai and Kinki regions.

The goals and benefits of the Doshusei system supposed to be the decentralization of the national government in favor of more local autonomy. Another benefit supposed to be improved fiscal and administrative efficiency which I hope means a smaller and less costly government. I guess the six governors of six merging prefectures would be replaced by only one governor right?

Kyoto Governor Yamada’s statement favoring a merger with Shiga is premature since ultimately it’s not a matter of only Kyoto and Shiga merging, but the merger of at least six prefectures. Wouldn’t it be more efficient and less costly to merge all at once instead of only Kyoto and Shiga at first, then add Osaka, etc., later? I can only dismiss Governor Yamada’s statement as just “feelers” for a reaction from Shiga which has been “no” so far (at least from Gov. Kada). I’m sure Kyoto would love to claim Shiga as its own. Lake Biwa is their (and Osaka’s) water supply and would be the most prized possession. For us in Shiga, we could say that we live in Kyoto instead of always saying, “Next to Kyoto.”

One big sticking point for the Doshusei system would be what to name the new state and how the old prefectures would be able to retain their local names, identity, and flavor. Prefectures like Kyoto and Osaka with capital cities having the same name will be able to retain their names on the map. But not Shiga, unless they figure something out. What would people call the area once known as Shiga Prefecture? Omi? Biwako area? Eastern Kinki (if the new state will be called Kinki)?

Any prefectural merger would render the name “Shiga” obsolete unless they name the new state “Shiga” (fat chance). There are many things named “Shiga,” universities, public facilities, etc. And of course, Web sites like mine. Hence, my interest in this news.

Also, sister-state relations between Shiga and Michigan will likely encompass the entire super state. Michigan will be a sister state with Kyoto, Osaka, etc., as well. Imagine that.

But a prefectural merger and/or the implementation of the Doshusei system is inevitable. The question is when and how. Will it be a super merger of all prefectures at one time or piece meal? Will it occur all over Japan at the same time or at different times? Governor Kada has set up a research group (道州制研究チーム) to study the pros and cons of the Doshusei system. It’s basically a money matter though. If there are enough financial incentives, the prefectures will merge as the cities, towns, and villages have done in recent years.

I saw these two runners near the finish line at Tokyo Big Sight today, Feb. 24, 2013. The man on the left has a T-shirt printed with “Arc-Shiga.” About 96% of the 36,000 marathoners completed the run.

Congratulations to Miki Ito who won the World Cup dual moguls event today (Feb. 24, 2013) in Inawashiro, Fukushima. She is from Hino, Shiga Prefecture. It is her first freestyle moguls World Cup victory.

Dual moguls has two skiers compete against each other on each run. Ito, along with Aiko Uemura and Junko Hoshino, advanced to the final round of 16 competitors. For her final run, she beat an American to win the World Cup. She is gunning to appear in the Winter Olympics.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/bradley-wilson-of-the-us-japans-miki-ito-win-world-cup-mogul-events-in-japan/2013/02/24/5a436cfe-7e58-11e2-9073-e9dda4ac6a66_story.html

Hina dolls in Gokasho. Click image to see more photos.

Hina-matsuri dolls (雛祭りの雛人形) are being displayed at various locations in Shiga to celebrate Girl’s Day on March 3.

On the weekend of Feb. 23-24, 2013, Gokasho in Higashi-Omi is having a unique event of live hina dolls called Ningen Hina-matsuri (にんげん雛まつり). Yes, they are real girls, ten of them, dressed as Hina dolls. They will appear twice on both the 23rd and 24th at 10:00 am to 11:30 am and at 1:30 pm to 3 pm at the Omi-shonin merchant home of Tonomura Shigeru (外村繁邸).

Gokasho, Higashi-Omi: Normal hina ningyo dolls are also displayed in the Omi-shonin merchant homes and museums. They are on display until March 20 (9 am to 4:30 pm) in the former residences of Tonomura Uhee (外村 宇兵衛), Tonomura Shigeru (外村 繁), Nakae Jungoro (中江 準五郎), and Fujii Hikoshiro (藤井 彦四郎邸). The homes are large, stately Japanese-style mansions. Must-see for architecture buffs. Buy a single 600 yen ticket and you can enter all the homes. Closest train station is Ohmi Railways Gokasho Station. Google Map

Omi-Hachiman: Former Ban family residence (旧伴家住宅) until March 17, 2013 (closed Mon.). Omi merchant home which also served as a girls school and public library until 1997. Spacious room with a large display of Hina dolls. The former Nishikawa Residence (Kyu-Nishikawa-ke Jutaku 旧西川家住) also has doll display. This is a large Omi merchant home designated as an Important Cultural Property. The Kawara Roof Tile Museum and some shops in central Omi-Hachiman will also have hina doll displays. Google Map

Hino: Omi Hino Merchant House (近江日野商人館) until March 10, 2013. The former home of Hino merchant Yamanaka Hyouemon was donated to the town in 1981. Now a museum exhibiting the history and artifacts of the Hino merchants. Admission 300 yen. Another place is Hino Machikado Kan-okan (日野まちかど感応館) which is a former home along Hino’s main road. It is also a tourist information office. Free admission. Some shops and homes in central Hino will also have hina doll displays. Google Map

Enjoy Girl’s Day!

Japanese hina-matsuri map: http://www.omi-syonin.com/htm03/index.html#page=1

Nagahama Hokoen Park plum blossoms.

Plum blossoms, called ume (梅) in Japanese, have absolutely the sweetest and most pacifying fragrance of all the flowers in Japan. Whenever you see plum blossoms, put your nose right next to the flower and smell. It will sooth your soul. There are many varieties of plum blossoms, but they basically white, pink, or red and each color smells differently. The white ones have the most dainty smell, while the red ones have a stronger and more concentrated sweet smell.

Plum blossoms have been an intricate part of Japanese culture, art, and aesthetics for centuries. The term shochikubai (松竹梅), meaning pine, bamboo, and plum blossoms, is an auspicious and favorite aesthetic concept in Japan that you can find on folding screens, sliding fusuma doors, and Japanese paintings. In my bedroom in Shiga, I have hand-painted fusuma on two sides of the room with beautiful paintings of shochikubai. My dad had excellent taste when he bought them in Hikone before I was born. I have treasured them ever since I became old enough to appreciate them. Sadly, they don’t make them like that anymore, at least at affordable prices.

In most parts of Japan, plum blossoms bloom in Feb. and March. In Hokkaido, they bloom in May, at the same time as cherry blossoms. When they reach full bloom depends on how cold/warm the winter is. The colder it is, the later they bloom.

Although Shiga does not have huge plum blossom groves like in Minabe, Wakayama; Kairakuen Garden in Mito (Ibaraki Prefecture); or Ome in Tokyo, Shiga has a few good plum groves called bairin (梅林) or plum gardens (baien 梅園) and plum blossom bonsai displays called bonbaiten (盆梅展).

Nagahama Hokoen Park 豊公園
Although Hokoen Park is most famous for cherry blossoms, it also has a decent number of plum trees. Great place to photograph them with Nagahama Castle in the background (photo above). They bloom in March. Near JR Nahagama Station. Google Map

Nagahama Bonbaiten in Keiunkan.

Nagahama Bonbaiten 長浜盆梅展
This is perhaps Shiga’s most famous plum blossom bonsai exhibition, held annually for 62 years since 1952. The venue is the stately Keiunkan (慶雲館), a Japanese-style former guesthouse originally built in 1887 to accommodate Emperor Meiji when he visited Nagahama. It’s near JR Nagahama Station. They have 90 bonsai trees on display, including one that is almost 3 meters tall or 400 years old. Don’t touch and try to smell these prized trees. Nagahama also has another bonbaiten in Azai. Until March 10, 2013. Hours: 9 am – 5 pm, Admission: 500 yen (200 yen for high school and younger) Google Map

Kamo-no-sato Bonbaiten, Maibara 鴨の里盆梅展
Held in Green Park Santo (グリーンパーク山東), a large recreational park in Maibara. Inside the Spark Santo hall (すぱーく山東) are about 120 bonsai plum trees raised by over 30 devoted growers. They also have an orchid show at the same time. Near JR Omi-Nagaoka Station. Until March 10, 2013. Hours: 9:30 am – 5 pm (enter by 4:30 pm), Admission: 400 yen (200 yen for high school and younger, free for elementary schoolers) Google Map

Omi-Fuji Karyoku Koen Park (Omi-Fuji Green Acres), Yasu 近江富士花緑公園
Sandwiched between the foot of Mt. Mikami and Kibogaoka Bunka Park, Omi-Fuji Karyoku Koen Park (also called Omi-Fuji Green Acres) is about flowers and greenery, including plum and cherry blossoms. They have a blog showing the progress of their plum blossoms blooming. Buses from JR Yasu Station go to Kibogaoka Bunka Koen Park’s Kibogaoka Nishi Gate from which you can walk to the park. Hours: 9 am – 5 pm. Google Map

Statue of Saint Shinran in front of the plum tree he planted at Homanji temple in Echigawa, Aisho.

Homanji temple, Aisho 宝満寺
This temple in Echigawa has a historically significant plum tree in front of the Hondo main hall. While traveling, Saint Shinran, founder of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Sect, was unable to cross the Echigawa River due to flooding. So he stayed at this temple temporarily. During that time, he planted a plum tree which bloom red plum blossoms. Near Ohmi Railways Echigawa Station. Google Map

Plum blossoms at Ishiyama-dera temple. Smell the different varieties.

Ishiyama-dera, Otsu 石山寺
Ishiyama temple has an impressive 400 plum trees in three hillside plum groves. Since there is a variety of plums, there’s a good chance of seeing at least a few in full bloom in Feb. or March. They have a blog showing how much the plums are blooming. Ishiyama-dera also has an indoor plum tree ikebana (Mishogoryu School 未生御流) exhibition called Ume Tsukushi-ten (梅つくし展) until March 18, 2013 in one of their temple buildings called Myoo-in (明王院). This indoor exhibition is free if you have paid the temple admission fee. Near JR Ishiyama Station and Keihan Ishiyama-dera Station. Hours: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (enter by 4 pm), Temple admission: 500 yen Google Map

Sakamoto Bonbaiten, Otsu 坂本盆梅展
I’ve never seen this, but it looks worthwhile. About 50 small and medium-size plum blossom bonsai trees are exhibited in the noted garden of Kyu-Chikurin-in (旧竹林院) in the temple town of Sakamoto. Near Sakamoto Station on the Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line. Peak period is from mid- to late Feb. Until March 3, 2013. Hours: 9 am – 5 pm (enter by 4:30 pm), Admission: 310 yen (150 yen for kids) Google Map

Here are my reasons:

• Not everyone is on Facebook. In fact, many of my friends are still not on Facebook or they are just too busy for FB. People not on FB cannot see any content there. Also, you have to be at least 13 years old to register on FB. I know there are kids younger than age 13 reading my blog to study English. But everyone can see my Shiga News blog.
• Facebook is geared for short, fleeting posts and content. Whereas my content are usually longer than a paragraph, more in-depth, and can be useful as practical information/reference for a much longer time.
• We cannot organize or categorize Facebook posts according to theme or key words. Facebook posts can be archived only by timeline (month and year). Look at my Shiga News blog. All my posts can be archived in categories (city, town, festivals, etc.) as well as by year/month. This is not possible with Facebook.
• Facebook posts do not have individual URLs. If there is an FB post I like, I cannot send the URL to anyone nor bookmark it for later reference.
• We cannot conduct key word searches of FB posts. FB posts also do not show up in Google search results as blog posts do. All that content you create on FB gets lost in the shuffle as time passes.
• The quality of the content on FB is inherently low. Lots of noise and superficial posts. It’s simply not a source of quality information. FB can never replace a high-quality Web site or blog. It’s just not conductive to accumulate and host quality content. Why post quality content when it will disappear into obscurity within days?
• Expending a lot of time and effort to create content that someone else will profit from does not bode well with me. There should be revenue-sharing like Google Ads.
• Who knows how long Facebook will last? Similar services like Myspace and the once enormously-popular mixi in Japan reached a peak and then went downhill. Sooner or later, people will get tired of all that noise and frivolous chatter and useless automated messages of “so-and-so is now friends with so-and-so” on FB. The novelty will wear off or something better might come along. Although I use FB, I’m not investing heavily into it. I avoid making lots of FB friends, divulging a lot of personal information including likes, and creating a lot of quality content.
• The content I create on Facebook cannot be downloaded and saved as a backup file. I can always save my Web site and blog content as a backup database file and copy it to another site or host. Not possible with FB which is like a black hole that sucks everything in and gives nothing back except comments, likes, and ads. Someday when you quit FB or if FB implodes like Myspace, all that content you created will not be recoverable in any efficient way. Therefore, I reserve FB for only disposable content that can be written off in the end.

The main attraction of Facebook is the quick feedback and interactivity you can get from posts. Eliciting comments and likes from friends can be addictive. It’s also extremely easy to post on FB. Much easier than posting on a blog. But in the long run, a blog is better than FB because I can have complete control, ownership, and archival capability of my content. Content that anyone on the Internet can see or subscribe to. I’m not at the mercy of Facebook which can change its terms and conditions or system at any time. Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with my best friends, especially in times of emergency. That’s about it.

It’s been two years since Nionoumi (pronounced Nio-no-umi) first made it to the Juryo Division. He has since been going down and up in the ranks. At this month’s New Year’s tournament in Tokyo, he ended with a decent 8 wins and 7 losses. Since he was already ranked at the bottom of the Juryo Division, it looks like he will retain his rank or be slightly promoted in Juryo for the next tourney in March in Osaka.

This is good news. The difference between Juryo and the lower Makushita Division is huge. There used to always be a Shiga sumo wrestler in the top Makunouchi Division, but not anymore. At least we got one in Juryo who will hopefully get back up to Makunouchi.

Born in 1986 as Shinji Tanaka (田中 真二), Nionoumi is from Otsu and a graduate of Ojiyama Junior High School. He practiced judo as a child and became quite formidable, becoming one of the top 16 junior high school finalists in a national judo tournament. After graduating from junior high school, he entered Kitanoumi Stable run by former Yokozuna Kitanoumi (one of the greatest yokozuna ever) and current chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. Nionoumi made his sumo debut in March 2002. At 175 cm and 148 kg, he’s kind of small for a sumo wrestler and looks somewhat stocky.

His ring name “Nionoumi” means, “Lake of Little Grebes.” This is Lake Biwa’s nickname which stems from the lake’s numerous water fowl including the Little Grebe which is Shiga’s official bird. I think it’s a great ring name. It also retains part of his stablemaster’s ring name of Kitanoumi (Lake of the North 北の湖) which refers to scenic  Lake Toya in Hokkaido where Kitanoumi grew up and has his Yokozuna Kitanoumi Memorial Hall museum.

Nionoumi (right) is pushed out by Oiwato on Jan. 25, 2013, the tournament’s 13th day. Video of this bout: http://youtu.be/VPxD8mbxgDk

Nionoumi was first promoted to Juryo in Jan. 2011. But his Juryo debut ended disastrously with 5 wins and 10 losses and he was demoted back to Makushita. After two tourneys in Makushita, he climbed back up to Juryo in Sept. 2011. In Jan. 2012, he even made it to the top Makunouchi/Makuuchi Division as Maegashira No. 16. Unfortunately, his Makunouchi debut ended terribly with 5 wins and 10 losses which demoted him back to Juryo. He has since been struggling in Juryo. Let’s hope that he will keep winning in 2013.

Meanwhile, we have three other sumo wrestlers from Shiga in the lower sumo divisions. In Sandanme, there’s Koryuyama (b. 1979 甲龍山) from Koka and Naniwaryu (b. 1982 浪花竜) from Otsu. And in Jonidan, Tomonofuji (b. 1977 智ノ富士) from Ritto. Although they are already in their 30s (which is quite old for a sumo wrestler), good luck to them as well.

Links: Nionoumi Bio | Koryuyama Bio | Naniwaryu Bio | Tomonofuji Bio

Koryuyama (right) is quickly defeated by Tamanotaka (left) on Jan. 25, 2013, the tournament’s 13th day.

Naniwaryu (right) is pushed out by Nishiyama on Jan. 25, 2013, the tournament’s 13th day.

Video link: http://youtu.be/n-SfD9DFxOg

This is my cutest video of Shiga so far. I have three Japanese kids from Shiga who appear as my English reporters in this video of Katsube Shrine Fire Festival held on Jan. 12, 2013. The youngest one is age 4.

All three kids are studying English and were eager to speak English as they witnessed the festival. Although I coached their English on the spot, it’s mostly unrehearsed and they were free to say anything in English. I want the kids (and parents) to discover/rediscover and experience their hometowns and become proud and proficient enough to tell other people about it. As you will see, it’s a lot more interesting (and cute) to have ordinary local folks introduce their towns rather than foreigners (including myself) or professional reporters.

Until now, I’ve never had any narrators or reporters in my video clips of Japan. I don’t ever appear or narrate my videos either since I don’t want to divert any attention to me. The kids enjoyed it and want to do it again along with a bunch of their friends (and other parents). If you know of any kids who are studying English and willing to appear in my videos, let me know. This is a totally voluntary and non-profit project.

More photos of Katsube Shrine Fire Festival: http://photoguide.jp/pix/thumbnails.php?album=190

Google Map for Katsube Shrine

Click on image to see more photos of this island.

This is an island in the Seto Inland Sea in Yamaguchi Prefecture. When seeing this kanji name (大津島), those of us in Shiga cannot help but to call this island “Otsushima.” However, it is actually called, “Ozushima” (おおづしま). Not only that, on the map’s upper left, you can see a place called 近江. Again, we in Shiga would call it “Omi.” But it is actually “Chikae.” Wow, very interesting. I thought that this island must have some connection with Shiga Prefecture, but I was told that there was no connection.

Ozushima is a short boat ride from Tokuyama Port near JR Tokuyama Station. I visited in fall 2012 and the main attraction is the Kaiten human torpedo museum and the training facility that still exists. The kaiten went on suicide missions with manned torpedos hitting ships. It’s sad story of 105 men who died driving a kaiten. More photos of Ozushima here.

Most of us can recognize that Governor Kada had good intentions for Shiga from the start, and that she was only victimized by a expert political manipulator and an overwhelming political machine. Her opponents view her as neglecting her gubernatorial duties and seeking national attention.

On Jan. 4, 2013, the first work day, Shiga Governor Yukiko Kada announced that she was resigning from her Tomorrow Party of Japan (Mirai no To) political party that she and Ichiro Ozawa formed a little over a month ago.

Ozawa has enhanced his reputation as a political party “destroyer.” This goes to show that politicians mainly care about themselves and the huge government subsidies (over 800 million yen to Ozawa’s party) given to political parties rather than the people and the country. They spend much time and thought on how to get ahead politically, how to increase their numbers, and then if they have time, they might think about us.

Tomorrow Party of Japan’s Diet numbers shrank from 61 seats to only 9. When the party was formed, Ozawa told Gov. Kada that they would secure 100 seats. He lied, and Kada now reflects that she shouldn’t have believed him. One thing for sure, Ozawa’s political influence is on the decline even though he got re-elected.

Basically, the Ozawa camp were unable to manipulate Kada as the party head. They thought she could be their puppet. But when they found that she had her righteous ideals and could not be molded, they cut her off. They say that they split the party between Ozawa and Kada or that Ozawa left the party. Not really so. Ozawa ousted Governor Kada, took over the party (offices and infrastructure), changed the name, took almost all the Diet seat winners (thereby receiving a huge subsidy for political parties having at least 5 members) and left Kada with only the party’s old name and one Diet seat.

Related news articles:
Nippon Mirai breaks up as Ozawa, allies veer off
Ozawa, Diet cohorts keep party, subsidy, leave Shiga Gov. Kada with Nippon Mirai name only
Kada rues falling for Ozawa’s 100-seat victory overture