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 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..
Festivals Otsu Festival 2025 Mid Oct Otsu Matsuri takes place in early October and features thirteen ornate floats with ingenious mechanical puppets.
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 Hiking Around Azuchi Castle Ruins rachel teo The relentless heat of the Japanese summer has finally waned, and it's the best time of the year to go on a hike! Join me in..
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 ..