Updated: Click here for the 2018 Nagahama Hikiyama Matsuri Festival Schedule. The Nagahama Hikiyama Matsuri is a major float festival held in mid-April in Nagahama in northern…
Updated: May 7, 2017 Shiga Prefecture has three handicrafts officially designated as a “Traditional Craft” by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (経済産業大臣指定伝統的工芸品). “Traditional crafts” as…
Ever since the new Nagahama Station building was completed in Oct. 2006, the station and immediate area have undergone a remarkable redevelopment that…
“Minpaku” (民泊) has become a buzzword in Japan since 2013. Minpaku are budget accommodations in private homes and condos, similar to bed and…
Chronology of Shiga Prefecture’s most important and interesting news headlines for Oct.–Dec. 2015 (according to the year, month, day, and time posted at…
Anyone who visits Otsu will sooner or later see an Otsu-e painting (大津絵). It can be a picture of an ogre (oni), wisteria…
Last month in September 2015, I got a sneak peek and taste of a new Japanese dining experience that will start later this month…
Recommended festivals, events, exhibitions, and fall leaves in Shiga Prefecture in November 2015. (Most official Web sites are in Japanese only.) Compiled by…