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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Ukimido is located by the beautiful shores of Lake Biwako, just 30 minutes away from the center of Kyoto. Ukimido, is also known as the "floating temple hall" at Mangetsuji, and is famous for being featured as one of the Eight Views of Omi, "wild geese returning home at Katata." [...]
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Often wrongly credited as one of the many beautiful temples of Kyoto, Enryakuji, is actually located on top of Mount Hieizan in Shiga prefecture. It is properly credited however as one of the most important monasteries in Japanese history as well as being the headquarters of the Tendai sect […]
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Not too far from the beautiful torii of Shirahige Shrine, you will find the small village of Harie and its unique feature: free water! Thanks to its several rather easily accessible water springs Harie, also know in Japanese as “Shozu-No-Sato” or The Village of Pure Water” [...]
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Located north of Shiga, 40 minutes from Kyoto is beautiful Biwako lake. Shirahige is far from being your average shrine. It features one of Japan’s most beautiful, iconic views thanks to its gorgeous Torii standing in the lake. If you are looking for that “postcard” photo or to tease [...]
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Kaizu Osaki is the pride and joy of Shiga. This beautiful peninsula that juts into Lake Biwa, Japan's biggest natural lake, features 600 cherry trees on its 4km long coast. Located less than an hour away from the center of Kyoto, Biwako and the cherry trees of Kaizu Osaki […]
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