This web page gives basic info about the Nagahama Hikiyama Festival, the April 2026 festival schedule (illustrated), and a synopsis of the four kabuki plays performed by the four Hikiyama… Read more
Initial screening at K’s Cinema in Shinjuku, Tokyo has ended on March 27, 2026. After eight years in the making, an indie film titled “Nagahama” (長浜) filmed entirely in Nagahama,… Read more
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
Umi no Schole (湖のスコーレ) is a large, multipurpose shopping facility with a spacious store, cafe, outdoor courtyard, bookstore, event space, gallery, workshop for hands-on activities, and sandwich and ice cream… Read more
From mid to late June, serene Lake Yogo in northern Nagahama becomes a major attraction for numerous hydrangea. Finally went to see it for the first time. There was a… Read more
I’ve been experimenting with AI chatbots ChatGPT and Google Bard and AI image generators such as Bing Image Creator for creating text and image content related to Japan and Shiga… Read more
Every April, cherry blossoms around Lake Yogo bloom quietly with little fanfare. No crowds and no noise except the breeze and rippling water. Yogo never fails to relax you. Most… Read more
Besides skiing, what else can we do in Shiga in winter? Let me suggest a snow cruise on Lake Biwa. After a snowfall, the snowy mountains around Lake Biwa are… Read more