by Philbert Ono The 79th Japan Games (第79回国民スポーツ大会) were held successfully in Shiga Prefecture for the first time in 44 years from September 28 to October 8, 2025. They were… Read more
by Philbert Ono I recently successfully found long-lost relatives for a Japanese Canadian family whose ancestors immigrated from Shiga to the Vancouver area in the early 20th century. They are… Read more
がんばれ！ニッポン！ The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics are being held on July 26 to August 11 and Paralympics on August 28 to Sept. 8, 2024. Out of 409 athletes from Japan… Read more
Finally had the great pleasure to taste the well-publicized Ukrainian food in Hikone cooked by Ukrainian evacuees. Iryna Yavorska (52) and her mother Galyna Ivanova (81) evacuated Ukraine and moved… Read more
Koto Sanzan (湖東三山) is Shiga Prefecture’s famous trio of autumn foliage spots. The fall leaves are spectacular, contrasting with distinctive National Treasure Tendai Buddhist temple buildings and Japanese gardens. Koto… Read more
Japan’s aerobatic team called Blue Impulse performed today over the city of Hikone to celebrate Hikone Castle’s 410th anniversary. Based at Matsushima Air Base in Miyagi Prefecture, Blue Impulse performs… Read more
Updated: July 16, 2017 Ten years after the grand 400th anniversary of Hikone Castle in 2007, Hikone is at it again, albeit on a smaller scale. This time, it’s for… Read more
I finally visited the University of Shiga Prefecture (USP or Shiga Kenritsu Daigaku 滋賀県立大学) for the first time in Jan. 2016. It’s a 15-min. bus ride from JR Minami-Hikone Station. The… Read more