MORNING SUP IN KATATA Paddle to Ukimido by SUPon the tranquil morning lake. Head toward Ukimido, which stands as if floating on the lake, on a leisurely morning water stroll by SUP. Enjoy scenery unique to the port town of Katata, including views of Ukimido from the water and Lake Biwa bathed in morning light. After the SUP experience, explore Izu Shrine and the town of Katata with your guide. This morning tour lets you experience the “lakeside heritage town of Katata” from two perspectives: water and land. MORNING EXPERIENCE Approach Ukimido from the water, then walk through the port town of Katata.Paddle across the calm morning waters of Lake […]

• #Experience

MORNING SUP AT MANOHAMA BEACH Paddle out to Lake Biwa at dawnand head beneath Biwako Bridge. As the sky gradually brightens and the lake surface begins to glow with morning light, you’ll paddle out from Manohama Beach onto the quiet waters of Lake Biwa by SUP, heading toward the grand arch of Biwako Bridge with views of Mount Hira. After enjoying SUP, savor an “Omi Dakker” breakfast on the lakeside beach. This morning tour welcomes beginners and participants with pets. SUNRISE LAKE EXPERIENCE To the lake at dawn. Under the bridge, breakfast on the beach.Glide across the quiet waters of Lake Biwa in the early morning by SUP, pass beneath […]

• #Experience

THREE HEAD TEMPLES OF TENDAI Tour three head temples and meet monks—an exceptional autumn experience. This is a special one-day journey visiting the three head temples in Otsu City that bear the name “Tendai”: “Japan’s Three Head Temples of Tendai”—Enryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Hiei, Mii-dera Temple, and Saikyo-ji Temple. At each temple, monks from each head temple will guide you in person through the highlights of the special autumn openings. Enjoy limited-time visits available only now, along with Saikyo-ji’s specialty “Kikugozan.” SPECIAL AUTUMN JOURNEY Experience each head temple’s “only now,” together with monks. At Enryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Hiei, monks will guide you through the National Treasure Konpon Chudo Hall […]

BIWAKO CANAL & MII-DERA AUTUMN JOURNEY Journey by boat along the National Treasure canal to the inner sanctuary of Mii-dera’s National Treasure Kondo. Board the Biwako Canal Cruise from Keage in Kyoto toward Lake Biwa. Travel through the First, Second, and Third Tunnels of the Lake Biwa Canal, designated as National Treasures in 2025, aboard a boat with a capacity of only 9 passengers. After disembarking, visit Mii-dera amid autumn foliage. Enjoy shojin ryori at the temple gate, then tour the Evening Bell of Mii-dera, the National Treasure Kondo, and Kannondo. During the autumn special exhibition, view sacred images normally closed to the public in the inner sanctuary of the […]

HIEIZAN ENRYAKUJI THREE AREAS TOUR Todo, Saito, Yokawa.Experience all three areas of Hieizan Enryakuji in one day. The vast World Heritage site of Hieizan Enryakuji comprises three distinct areas—Todo, Saito, and Yokawa—each with its own unique history and spiritual landscape. This tour takes you through all three areas in a single day. In Todo, visit the central temple complex; in Saito, explore Jodoin, Ninai-do, and Shakado; and in Yokawa, discover Yokawa Chudo and Ganzan Daishi-do. Local guides will meet you in each area to introduce the distinct character of all three sacred precincts. THREE SACRED AREAS Experience the unique history and atmosphere of each area. Todo, home to the central […]

HIEIZAN ENRYAKUJI TODO GUIDED TOUR Walk the heart of Mt. Hiei Enryakuji,the Todo area, with a guide. The Todo area is the center of the World Heritage Site “Mt. Hiei Enryakuji Temple” and the birthplace of Enryakuji itself. On this tour, you will walk through the major halls and pagodas of the Todo area with detailed commentary from a local guide. Visit Daikodo, Monjuro, the National Treasure Konpon Chudo, as well as Kaidanin, Hokke Sojiin Toto, and Amidado. Uncover the history of faith and training passed down for over 1,200 years as you visit each hall and pagoda. DISCOVER TODO Explore the birthplace of Enryakuji, the Todo area, in depth. […]

• #World Heritage Site

Mt. Hiei Enryakuji Todo Saito Walk Walking the Path of Training,from Todo to Saito. The World Heritage site “Mt. Hiei Enryakuji” has preserved its tradition as a mountain of ascetic training for over 1,200 years. On this tour, you will explore the Todo area, where the central temple complex is located, before walking the mountain paths to the Saito area. From the halls of Todo, including the National Treasure Konpon Chudo, follow the path associated with the Kaihyogyo training to Saito. Visiting sites such as Jodoin (the mausoleum of Dengyo Daishi Saicho), Ninai-do, and Shakado, this course allows you to experience the vastness of Mt. Hiei and the enduring culture […]

• #World Heritage Site

LOCAL CULTURE WALK Walk with a local guide through Otsu-Hyakucho, a Tokaido post town. Otsu-juku flourished as a post town on the Tokaido road, where travelers and goods passed through. The downtown area once known as “Otsu-Hyakucho” still preserves traces of the old Tokaido, traditional townhouses, long-established shops, and festival culture. On this tour, you’ll walk the old Tokaido and shopping streets with a local guide who knows Otsu well. Visiting long-established shops along the way, you’ll experience the history of Otsu as a thriving post town and the town life and culture that continue today. LOCAL STORY Trace the memory of the post town still alive in the streets. […]

• #Japanese Sweets
• #Walking Tour

LOCAL CULTURE WALK Walk with a local guide from the Seta River to Ishiyama-dera, associated with Murasaki Shikibu. Seta no Karahashi Bridge has long been a key transportation hub where many people traveled between east and west. From there, enjoy the scenery of the Seta River—the only river flowing out of Lake Biwa—as you make your way to Ishiyama-dera, an ancient temple associated with Murasaki Shikibu. On this tour, you will walk from the Seta River area to Ishiyama-dera with a local guide who knows the region’s history and culture well. At Ishiyama-dera, the guide will introduce stories of history and literature preserved on the grounds, including the “Genji Room” […]

• #Japanese Sweets
• #Walking Tour

LOCAL CULTURE WALK Walk Sakamoto, the gateway town to Mount Hiei, with a local guide. Sakamoto has flourished as the gateway town to Mount Hiei’s Enryaku-ji Temple. Throughout the town remain satobō where Enryaku-ji monks lived and stone walls built by the stonemason guild known as the Anotshū, still shaping the historic townscape today. On this tour, you will walk through the gateway town with a local guide well-versed in Sakamoto’s history and culture. Visit Shōgen-ji Temple, Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Kyū-Chikurin-in, and other sites while experiencing the history and culture of Sakamoto, which has walked alongside Mount Hiei. LOCAL STORY Read the gateway town’s stories preserved in stone walls and […]

• #Walking Tour

LOCAL CULTURE WALK Walk with a local guide to see the Phantom Water Castle, Otsu Castle. Otsu Castle was built around 1586 near the current Hamaotsu area by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Just before the Battle of Sekigahara, it became the stage for the “Battle of Otsu Castle,” where Kyogoku Takatsugu of the Eastern Army held the castle and stalled the Western Army. Today, the castle structures themselves no longer exist. However, traces such as the inner bailey site, moat ruins, and stone walls are still scattered throughout the city center. On this tour, you will walk approximately 4.5 km with a local guide who knows Otsu’s history well, deciphering […]

• #Japanese Sweets
• #Walking Tour

LOCAL CULTURE WALK Walk with a local guide through “Kozoku no Sato Katata.” Located at the boundary between the North and South basins of Lake Biwa, Katata has long prospered as a key hub for lake transport. In the medieval era, the Katata-shu gained power backed by rights to water transport and fishing, and the town developed with its own self-governance. On this tour, you’ll walk the town with a local guide who knows Katata’s history and daily life inside out. Visit the museum that preserves the lake people’s history, Izu Shrine, Shorui-ji Temple connected to Ikkyu Sojun and Matsuo Basho, and Ukimido, which seems to float on Lake Biwa. […]

• #Walking Tour