Spots – Otsu Festival

Omi-Maiko Beach

admin_otsufestival — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:53:52 +0000

Here you’ll find well-preserved old-fashioned scenery and pine woods on the shores of Lake Biwa. It’s a popular destination among international visitors to Japan. In winter, the beach is the only place to see the twilight snow on Mt. Hira, one of the eight great sights of Omi.
In addition to marine sports, many beachgoers here like to have a barbeque or do some camping.

Biwako Valley / Biwako Terrace (Skiing)

admin_otsufestival — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:59:01 +0000

Special seating provides an outlook over Lake Biwa, from its northern end to its southern tip. The amazing location is a popular site on social media. The ropeway car to the mountaintop has windows on all sides for a stunning view. Biwako Terrace is also an officially recognized dating hot spot.

Besides skiing in winter, this popular spot 1,100 meters up offers fun activities in all seasons, including the Zipline and Skywalk with their amazing views and scream-inducing thrills.

All the equipment you need is available to rent, so just bring yourself to have full-on fun with winter sports. The beautiful contrast between the white ski trails and the blue waters of Lake Biwa are another reason why more international travelers are making the journey here these days.

See here for details.

Ukimido (Mangetsu-ji Temple)

admin_otsufestival — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:56:03 +0000

Ukimi-do at Mangetsu-ji Temple is one of the eight great sights of Omi, known for the sight of geese descending in the Katata area. The temple itself is a venerable institution that dates back 1,000 years. This Otsu landmark is one place to get a dramatic view of the sunrise.
The fantastic scenery encompassing this hall floating upon the water is a must-see. It’s no surprise so many people over the ages, including the renowned haiku poet Matsuo Basho, have adored this site.
See here for details.

Terraced Rice Fields of Ogi

admin_otsufestival — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:52:57 +0000

The scenic landscape of Ogi stretches out from the foot of Mt. Hiei to Lake Biwa. Tours are available for you to dine or make rice cakes at a farmhouse amid the area’s terraced rice fields.
It’s a heart-soothing experience to look out upon that beautiful farmland fashioned from the terraced paddies climbing stair-like up the slopes of the mountains and hills. Among them, the horseshoe-shaped terraced rice fields are famed as a precious piece of Japan’s landscape.

Ogoto Hot Spring

admin_otsufestival — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:51:05 +0000

Located on Lake Biwa’s shore, Ogoto Hot Spring has served as a place of therapeutic bathing for the past 1,200 years. The waters’ high alkaline content can both soothe your weary body and have a beautifying effect. Among the area’s nine distinctive inns, you’ll find establishments where you can watch the sun rise over Lake Biwa from the baths.
See here for details.

Sakamoto Area

admin_otsufestival — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:51:30 +0000

Traditional structures remain on the many streets in Sakamoto’s historic district, which has been designated an important preservation district for historic buildings. The biggest draws are the stone-lined walls and the Buddhist monk residences. Anoshu, a stonemason society that built the stone walls of Japan’s famous castles, based itself here in Sakamoto.
The Sakamoto area draws visitors who wish to enjoy unique scenery amid classic history and copious natural surroundings.
See here for details.

Saikyo-ji Temple

admin_otsufestival — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:50:05 +0000

Here you’ll find the grave of Akechi Mitsuhide, the warlord who killed his master Oda Nobunaga at Honno-ji Temple. The path to the main hall passes through a tunnel of cherry blossoms in spring and colorful leaves in the fall. The grounds also contain a great spot for viewing Lake Biwa.
The temple is also renowned as a dojo where every day since the Muromachi Period (1336-1573), Buddhist precepts and chants have unfailingly rung out.
See here for details.

Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine

admin_otsufestival — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:49:52 +0000

This head shrine presiding over a nationwide network of over 3,800 sub-shrines by the name of Hiyoshi, Hie, and Sanno has a long and distinguished history that reaches back more than 2,100 years. Masaru the monkey, who wards off evil, is a symbol of the shrine you’ll find gracing the shrine’s ornamentation, the good luck charms on sale and elsewhere. The shrine is also one of the Kansai region’s most celebrated places for autumn leaves, thanks to the 3,000 trees planted across the expansive grounds to produce brilliant colors in the fall. In recent years, Hiyoshi Grand Shrine has attracted attention for its appearances in films.
See here for details.

Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple

admin_otsufestival — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:48:38 +0000

Inscribed by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage, Enryaku-ji Temple is called the mother temple of Japanese Buddhism because the founders of many of today’s Buddhist sects studied there. The Konpon Chudo, the main hall, is a rarity in that it is constructed entirely out of zelkova wood.
The inner sanctuary containing the image of Buddha is built at a lower level than the middle and outer sanctuaries where worshippers stand. This design originating from Tendai Buddhism allows visitors to stand at the same eye level as Buddha. The temple is well known for strict ascetic training. Visitors can copy sutras, practice Zen meditation, or try out one day of the Thousand-Day Circumambulation, in which monks in training walk a distance equivalent to the Earth’s circumference in seven years.
Enryaku-ji is a precious place where you can escape from your daily grind and know yourself amid beautiful natural surroundings.
See here for details.

Yumemi-ga-Oka

admin_otsufestival — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 15:47:48 +0000

This hill along the Mt. Hiei Drive Way has one of the best outlooks in Otsu, offering a sweeping view of the city. The scenery at night is especially gorgeous, while visitors can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring and colorful leaves in fall.