It is said that the Nagahama Hikiyama Matsuri (festival) started over 400 years ago in order to celebrate the birth of the son of Hideyoshi Toyotomi a local warlord. Ever since locals in Nagahama city have worked hard to maintain this massive gorgeous Hikiyama floats as a matter […]
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There are hundreds of types of traditional dances in Japan, and Awa Odori is one of the best-known ones. Originated in Tokushima, it is now enjoyed and danced hundreds of thousands of performers across Japan. [...]
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On the beautiful Lake Biwa, Japan's biggest natural lake, you will find the small island of Chikubu (Chikubu-Shima). There you will find more remote temples with Tsukubusuma-Jinja Shrine and the famous Hogon-Ji Temple (Hogonji) which was founded on the island by the priest Gyoki(668-749) [...]
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Located in the suburbs of Otsu, Shiga prefecture capital city, Kanou Shoujuan Sunai no Sato is a longstanding Japanese style confectioner famous all across Japan. While people visiting Kanou Shoujuan Sunai no Sato can shop for some of the best Japanese sweet, it is also possible there to participate […]
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Bon Odori is a Japanese traditional folkloric dance. Bon Odori, which has a history of approximately 1,000 years. Actually, this Folkloric dance is for worshiping ancestors in the “Bon season” (July-August) derived from Buddhism, and there are more than 1,000 different types of dance nationwide in Japan [...]
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Just on the opposite side of the Tonomura Shigeru house, you will find another beautiful Japanese traditional house turned museum which also belonged to a member of the Tonomura family, Uhee Tonomura. Here you will be able to enjoy every room that the house has to offer and enjoy […]
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Tonomura Shigeru is a famous Japanese writer. The Tonomura Shigeru House, or in Japanese Tonomura Shigerutei, is a beautiful traditional Japanese house with a little garden located in the heart of Gokasho Kondo. The house has been turned into a museum. [...]
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The Traditional Townscape of Gokasho, also known as Gokasho Kondo, is a set of former merchant residences located in Higashi-Omi, Shiga Prefecture and is comprised of 3 temples and 3 houses with a garden turned museum. Gokasho Kondo is designated as a national traditional building conservation district […]
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Genkyu-en Garden is a Daimyo ("feudal lord") garden located to the northeast of Hikone Castle. It was created in 1677 to resemble the Eight Views of Omi originating from the Chinese Eight Views of Xiaoxiang and from the Eight Views of Lake Biwa. [...]
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Completed in 1622 after more than 20 years of intense labor, Hikone Castle, a hilltop castle, survived many wars and calamities is one of Japan’s very few original castles entirely build in wood, unlike Osaka and Aichi Castle for example. [...]
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Hachiman-bori Canal is the pride and joy of Omihachiman City. The canal is five-kilometers long and was used in the past to not only transport people and merchandise but also used to divide the city by class and caste. [...]
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Located at the foot of Mount Hachiman in Shiga prefecture, and a few meters away from the Hachiman Bori canal, Himure Hachimangu Shrine is the largest shrine in Omihachiman. It was first established in 131 by Takenouchi no Sukune. In 275 Emperor Ojin visited the shrine and had a […]
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