Mar 8, 2014 - 1 min read

Takashima in Shiga Prefecture

Exploring a country town with a huge Gulliver statue

By Cathy Cawood

Community writer

Pretty red bridge under a pine tree near the lake

Large statue of Gulliver towing Lilliputian ships outside Omi-Takashima Station.

Red spider lilies contrast with green fields and blue hills

Red spider lilies beside a rural road

Takashima's manhole covers feature Gulliver

Omi-Takashima JR Station

A picturesque sign - if only I could read it!

Very old building, possibly a stable (it wasn't a house)

Rusted corrugated iron siding on a country house. It reminds me of New Zealand!

Cosmos flowering beside a river

Stone lantern belonging to a small shrine

Young koi in a canal, protected from birds by string

Bridge over a lake near the station

Fisherman and friend

Located on the North-Western side of Shiga Prefecture, Takashima has beautiful rural and lake-side scenery. Right across from the JR Station is a huge statue of Gulliver. Apparently there is a Gulliver theme park for children somewhere near the hills. Whatever the reason, a Gulliver statue in the middle of a Japanese country town seems delightfully eccentric to me. I explored the town and surrounding area by bicycle early in autumn, and there was plenty to see. I love the countryside in Japan!

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Cathy Cawood

By Cathy Cawood

Community writer

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