LAGO Otsu, new cafe hotspot

Omi-Hachiman-based confection maker Taneya has opened a new cafe and shop named LAGO Otsu (LAGO 大津) on Lake Biwa’s lakefront in Otsu. Ever since it opened on March 24, 2025,… Read more

Origin of Shiga prefectural name

SHIGA – Nourished Felicitations 滋賀県 If there are multiple theories for the origin of the prefectural name, it means nobody knows for sure what the origin or the exact meaning… Read more

Enryakuji’s 10-year renovations 2016–2026

Next to Kyoto, Enryakuji Temple (延暦寺) on Mt. Hiei (Hiei-zan 比叡山) in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture is now offering a rare look at its massive, 10-year renovation of its main temple… Read more
mt ibuki

Snow Cruise on Lake Biwa

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

Otsu News

Compilation of recent Otsu news from shiga-ken.com’s Shiga Headlines on Twitter. If the embedded timeline is not displayed below, access it directly at Twitter here: https://twitter.com/ShigaHeadlines/timelines/1357002000718729218 Otsu News – Curated tweets by ShigaHeadlines Read more
Hidesato, centipede slayer

Monster Centipede on Mt. Mikami

Tawara-no-Tota Hidesato Slaying the Giant Centipede俵藤太秀郷ムカデ退治(俵藤太物語) Adapted in English by Philbert Ono based on an old folktale. Updated: July 21, 2023. *Audio version (5 min.) of this story is now… Read more

YUtour, tour guide extraordinaire in Shiga Prefecture

by Philbert Ono, photos courtesy of Seita Mori and selected by Philbert Ono It’s about time I introduce YUtour (悠ツアー), a licensed tour guide service for foreign tourists in Shiga… Read more

Autumn festivals and foliage November 2017 in Shiga Prefecture

Recommended festivals (matsuri), events, exhibitions, and fall leaves in Shiga Prefecture in November–December 2017. (Most official Web sites are in Japanese only.) Compiled by Philbert Ono. Updated: Nov. 8, 2017… Read more