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..
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,..
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.
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 Otsu: Oddly Overshadowed Arlene Bastion Otsu has its own merits including Lake Biwa and shrines significant to Buddhist-Shinto origins. It need not be overshadowed as a..
Culture Corn Festival 2025 Late Jul - Mid Aug Corn is a vital crop with immense importance as a food, feed, and fuel source. The Yatsugatake corn variant grows well in Japan..
Culture Enryaku-ji Ian VanDuzer It may not attract the huge crowds of other Kyoto temples, but Enryaku-ji is one temple complex you don't want to miss.