Culture Enryaku-ji Temple Enryaku-ji Temple, located on Mount Hiei in Otsu, overlooks all of Kyoto from its serene mountaintop. The temple was founded in 788 in the early Heian..
Festivals Mii-dera Cherry Blossom Awa Odori 2026 Early Apr Shiga's Mii-dera Temple is set to host a lively new event this spring—the Mii-dera Cherry Blossom Awa Odori— bringing the ..
Culture Miho Museum Nestled in the dense, green hills of Shigaraki about an hour’s drive from Kyoto is one of Japan’s least-known architectural gems. In the 1970’s,..
Festivals NAKED Hikone Castle Cherry Blossom Festival 2024 Mar 22nd - 31st 2024 Past Event Digital art collective NAKED are combining the best of real blossoms and faux ones at the NAKED Hikone Castle Cherry Blossom Festival..
Culture Kongorin-ji Temple Kongorin-ji Temple is a peaceful place to relax, off the beaten path. If you want to venture outside the popular tourist spots of Kyoto and get away from..
Festivals Otsu Festival 2025 Mid Oct Otsu Matsuri takes place in early October and features thirteen ornate floats with ingenious mechanical puppets.
Museums Okishima Chris Glenn Okishima is unique as the only inhabited lake in Japan and it’s long history is even more unique. The 450 residents descended ..
Museums Hikone Castle Bryan Baier One of the 12 remaining pre Edo-era castles in Japan just outside of Kyoto
