Video link: http://youtu.be/U6vSoyvD2Sw This is my video of the Yokaichi Shotoku Matsuri (八日市聖徳まつり) festival in Higashi-Omi, Shiga Prefecture on the evening of July 27, 2013. It’s an annual bon dance held… Read more
Video link: http://youtu.be/X2uMzVDwe5I Another video hosted by English-speaking kids. Since two of them were from Hikone, I decided to make a video of Hikone Castle, which I call one of Shiga’s… Read more
Video link: http://youtu.be/Y6DMpluPV9k Here’s my video of the Higashi-Omi Giant Kite Festival (東近江大凧まつり Higashi-Omi Odako Matsuri) held on Sunday, May 26, 2013 in Higashi-Omi. Another one of my ongoing video… 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
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
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
Kongorinji temple (金剛輪寺), one of the Koto Sanzan temple trio of Tendai Buddhist temples (National Treasures) in Aisho, eastern Shiga, lost its precious Mandala about 140 years ago during the… Read more