This is a stone monument built at the site of the 1891 “Otsu Incident,” when the then Russian crown prince, Nicolai, was attacked by Tsuda Sanzo, an escorting policeman, during his visit to Otsu. Additionally, the Otsu Incident is famous…

Central

Tenson Shrine is also sometimes known as Shinomiya Shrine (“Shrine of the Fourth”) because the important deities Hikohohodemi no Mikoto, Kuninotokotachi no Mikoto, Onamuchi no Mikoto, and Emperor Chuai are enshrined here in Tenson Shrine, and according to the legend…

Central

Gesshin-ji was formerly the villa of Taisho and Showa era painter Kansetsu Hashimoto (1883-1945). During the Edo period, it was a tea house that travelers of the Tokaido road would frequent, and possessed a water well referred to as the…

Central

Nagara Shrine’s beginnings can be traced back to Emperor Tenji, who enshrined the ancient Shinto god Susanoo no Mikoto in a tomb cave on Mt. Nagara in order to protect the city of Otsu-Kyo. In 860, it is said that…

Central

In 1928, an excavation of the former Minamishiga Temple discovered both an east and west tower existed, as well as a corridor that led to a sanctuary, auditorium, and dining hall. It can be speculated that with the discovery of…

Central

Mio Shrine is located along the Lake Biwa Canal near the entry point of Mount Nagara. Its main building is said to have been restored in 1426 by Shogun Ashikaga, and was moved to its current location in 1876. The…

Central

Enman-in Monzeki Temple was founded in the latter half of the Heian period. Its Shoin-zukuri style imperial hall from the Momoyama period is an important cultural property, and the south side of the garden is a national historic site and scenic…

Central

This garden museum was installed by a French designer, who used the works of French Impressionist painters as inspiration. Over the park’s 1.7 hectares, you’ll find gardens based on the hilly lands of Southern France, curved bridges over lily ponds,…

Northern

Otsu Festival, one of the lake country’s three great festivals, is the theme of this exhibition space. Full-sized replicas of festival floats, as well as videos explaining unsual mechanics and theatrics are on display. Visitors can experience the liveliness and…

Central

This is supposedly where the great Buddhist monk Saicho was born, and where the water well used for his “ubuyu” (first bath as a newborn) is located. The main object of worship is the eleven-faced Avalokitesvara statue that is said…

Northern / North central

This was one residence of th e so-called “kunin” (“public characters”), monks of Enryaku-ji Temple who were permitted to marry, bear surnames, and carry swords while carrying on their religious duties during the Edo Period (1603-1868). Though lifestyle changes have…

Northern

It is said that Emperor Tenji had this temple constructed at the northwestern part of the imperial palace following the transfer of the capital to Otsu in 668. An archeological survey in 1928 detected traces of the building from three…

Central