Yomei-en Chinese Garden Cathy Cawood A Chinese style garden with a pretty red pagoda, a pond and a dragon-topped wall can be found in Takashima's Adogawa-cho in S...
Manhole Art in Shiga Prefecture Cathy Cawood The intricate and beautiful manhole cover art of Shiga Prefecture features flowers and birds as well as other attractions of ...
Culture Hikone Buddhist Altar Festival Kenny King Hin Choi The Hikone Buddhist Altar Festival showcases each step of the process of creating the handicraft that has made this city famous.
Activities Sakura Season at Kaizu Osaki Kim Bergström During early April each year, approximately 800 Yoshino cherry trees bloom in the Kaizu Osaki area for around 4 kilometers. T...
Autumn leaves at Saimyo-ji Cathy Cawood This temple in Shiga Prefecture with a three tier pagoda and an enclosed garden with a pond is especially beautiful in Autumn...
Spider Lily: Irresistible Seduction Takako Sakamoto Mysterious flower, spider lily: Like a drop of aphrodisiac. I miss her sensuous beauty this time of year and nothing can stop...
Culture Prefectural Calligraphy Exhibition Cathy Cawood Huge annual exhibition of calligraphy from all over Shiga Prefecture, held in Otsu Museum of History in February.
Activities Cycle Trip from Kyoto to Shigaraki Cathy Cawood Cycling from Kyoto through the countryside of Shiga Prefecture to Shigaraki, the tanuki statue town.
Tea Plantations in Shiga Prefecture Cathy Cawood Tea Plantations and rice fields at Asamiya in Shiga Prefecture create a very beautiful and very Japanese rural scene.
Culture Ishiyama-dera Ash Ishiyama-dera is a beautiful, peaceful temple Shiga Prefecture.It is said that Murasaki Shikibu, author of The Tale of Genji,...
Culture Muddled in Miidera Arlene Bastion Getting to and around Miidera is a bit puzzling. But persevere. The temples are embedded in verdant forests, and emanate a s...
Activities Minakuchi Seiyu Mall Playland Bonson Lam Fun for kids of all ages in this all weather play center in this suburban mall between Nagoya and Kyoto. They have ride on tr...
Beauty & Spa Three Days in Kyoto & Shiga (day 1) Joe Peters This article describes day one of three spent in Kyoto and includes some sites and lodging information, such as the Biwako Ha...
Culture 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...
Culture Hiking to Enryaku-ji Temple Ryoji Aramaki Hike to Enryakuji is a great way to see a world heritage site for free.
