Video link: http://youtu.be/N_B3H6Ym9kw 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… Read more
Updated: April 25, 2024 Hikone Castle Museum exhibits the Hikone Byobu folding screen (彦根屏風), a National Treasure, every spring usually for a month from mid-April to mid-May. In 2023, the screen… Read more
Updated: Aug. 2, 2025 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… Read more
This post has been updated in Oct. 2017 here: UCC Shiga Factory tours in Echigawa, Aisho The new UCC Shiga Factory (UCC滋賀工場) in Aisho, Shiga Prefecture has started free factory tours… Read more
Updated: July 14, 2023 Hikone’s nationally famous official mascot, Hiko-nyan (ひこにゃん) (also spelled Hikonyan ひこんやん), is a white beckoning cat (maneki-neko) wearing a red samurai helmet with golden horns. “Hiko”… Read more
Starting on April 1, 2013, over 70 percent of supermarkets in Shiga Prefecture will charge 5 yen for a plastic shopping bag. Some 150 supermarkets in Shiga, including 71 Heiwado… Read more
Updated: March 27, 2023 Here are my favorite cherry blossoms (called sakura in Japanese) in Shiga. They bloom in April, starting with southern Shiga (Otsu, etc.) and followed by northern Shiga… Read more
I’ve finally created an annotated Google Map of Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture in English. The major places of interest have been marked on the map. The sidebar lists them in alphabetical… Read more