The Omi Beef Association (近江肉牛協会) went all out to serve a complimentary Omi beef barbecue lunch for some lucky foreigners in Tokyo on March 7, 2026. I was lucky to… 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
Updated: Aug. 2, 2025(大阪・関西万博で滋賀の発見) Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 (大阪・関西万博) just reached its halfway point on July 13. It’s been three months since it opened on April 13, and now only three… Read more
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
Updated Sept. 8, 2023 Ibuki soba buckwheat noodles (伊吹そば) is a local specialty unique to Maibara, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It has been cultivated for about 900 years near the western… 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
Updated: April 2, 2023 On October 29, 2017, Shiga Prefecture finally opened a full-fledged “antenna shop” in Tokyo named “COCOSHIGA” (ここ滋賀) in the Nihonbashi district. People in Tokyo could now… Read more
Note: As of July 2023, UCC Shiga Factory tours continue to be suspended due to COVID-19. See the Japanese website for any updates. The UCC Shiga Factory (UCC滋賀工場) in Aisho,… Read more