Spots in Shiga Area

  • Kogenji Temple (Doganji Temple Kannondo)
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    4.5
    18 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Nagahamashi Takatsukichoudouganji 50
    A Buddhist temple located in Doganji Takatsuki-cho, Nagahama City. The temple enshrines an eleven faced figure of the Kanzeon Bodhisattva; one of only seven in the country to be designated a National Treasure, this figure is famously considered particularly beautiful among the seven. Numerous other figures of Kanzeon Bodhisattva, housed in other Kannondo temple halls, can be found in the surrounding area, and during the Kannon no Sato Furusato Festival held in October, all of these halls make their figures viewable to the general public at the same time.

    The isthmus between Wakasa Bay and Ise Bay is the narrowest and, accordingly, the lowest part of Honshu Island. The Fukasaka Pass between Wakasa Bay and lake Biwa has only the altitude of 370 meters...

  • Shizugatake Lift
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    4.0
    22 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Nagahama-shi Kinomotocho Oto
    "This scenic lift is located in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture. The single-seater lift takes around six minutes to travel from the Kinomoto side to the vicinity of the top of Mt. Shizugatake. From the top of the mountain, visitors can take in a sweeping view of Lake Biwa, Lake Yogo, Chikubu Island, and Mt. Ibuki. Patches of Japanese irises grow along the lift route, and from late April through mid-May, riders can enjoy a journey through the air while gazing at beautiful iris blossoms. Mt. Shizugatake is also a well-known ancient battle site, and relevant spots worth visiting on the mountain include replicas of the battle flags of the ""Seven Spears,"" seven generals who served under Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Battle of Shizugatake who were later promoted to the status of daimyo lord for their meritorious service; and a statue depicting an exhausted, post-battle Hideyoshi."

    so I walked to top of this Shizugatake on foot. 余呉湖観光館にてリフトについて聞くともともと赤字だったので復旧の予定なし とのこと。 余呉湖側から山道を1.5km歩いて山頂到達しました。

  • William Merrell Vories Library
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    4.0
    17 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Oumihachimanshi Jionjichou Moto 11
    A memorial museum located in Moto Jionji-cho, Omihachiman City. The museum operates out of the former home of Merrell Vories Hitotsuyanagi, the founder of the Omi Brotherhood, Ltd. company and first honorary citizen of Omihachiman City. Hitotsuyanagi also contributed greatly to the development of the area through social work and facility construction, including building churches and founding what is now Vories Gakuen and Vories Memorial Hospital. The museum preserves and displays items which belonged to Hitotsuyanagi and contains exhibits on the man.

    建築家ヴォーリスの住んでいた家を記念館にしたもの。電話で予約をして、入ることが出来た。ヴォーリスを紹介するビデオを見て、建物の設計図などを見ることが出来る。キリスト教の宣教のために日本に来た、その精神に触れることが出来る。

  • Hiratopia
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    3.5
    21 Reviews
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Shiga Pref. Otsushi Kitahira 1039-2
    A hot spring bathhouse located in Kitahira, Otsu City. The bathhouse has an outdoor bath with a view of the natural beauty of the Hira area as well as two large indoor bath areas. There’s also a restaurant which serves renowned ayu soba noodles, set meals, and other noodle dishes; a shop; a mallet golf course; multipurpose plaza; and activity workshop.

    比良とぴあは温泉施設ですが、隣接する広場でマレットゴルフというパターゴルフのようなものが楽しめます。 しかもお値段なんと220円(18ホール)! 綺麗な芝などしっかり整備されているところではありませんが、奥さんと2人1時間半程度楽しめました。 家族でも楽しめそうです。 我々はこの後、温泉旅館に行く予定でしたので温泉は入らなかったですが、温泉は登山客やロードバイカーなど引っ切り無しに人が来て...

  • Umoreginoya
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    3.5
    35 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Hikoneshi Osuechou 1-11
    A historic building located close to Hikone Castle in Osue-cho, Hikone City. Ii Naosuke, chief minister during the closing days of the Tokugawa shogunate, spent here for 15 years from his teens to his 30s, engaging in study and training in martial arts. Naosuke named the building “Umoreginoya,” which translates to “Buried Tree Hut,” and composed a poem about it, as well: “Even though/I live the cold life/of a hermit/like a tree buried in the earth/I am not yet buried.”

    彦根藩第11代藩主井伊直中の嫡子ではなく14男として生まれたがために、藩主の座には程遠く大名家への養子縁組もまとまらない井伊直弼が、17歳から32歳までの不遇時代を過ごした屋敷跡です。 屋敷の名は、輝かしい将来が望めない己の身を、地中に埋没したまま日の目を見ずに生きる樹木「埋もれ木」に喩えて詠んだ和歌に因む直弼自身の命名。 彦根城中堀に面する一角に、直弼のような所謂部屋住み用の控え屋敷として創建さ...

  • Shakudoji Temple
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    4.5
    27 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Nagahamashi Kinomotochouishimichi 419
    A Buddhist temple located in Ishimichi Kinomoto-cho, Nagahama City. The temple’s principal object of worship, an 11 headed Kanzeon Bodhisattva, is recorded to have been made in the distant Heian period and has been designated a National Important Cultural Property. In October each year, the Kannon no Sato Furusato Festival is held, during which time area temples, including this one, all unveil their normally hidden statues of Kannon to the general public.

    間近に鑑賞することが出来ます。 カイトフック等に 唇の朱が残っていることの記述が多くありますが、それ以上に 衣等にも 彩色が残り 更に 右側の親指がわずかに上がり 一歩 今にも 踏み出す様子を見逃さないことお薦めします(堂内は 写真撮影禁止なので 写真にて 紹介出来ず)。 なお 近くにある[己高閣・世代閣]は 7月19日参拝時 新型コロナ感染予防の影響で 仏像の拝観不可となっておりました。

  • Mikami-jinja Shrine
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    4.0
    16 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Yasushi Mikami 838
    A Shinto shrine situated along National Route 8 in Mikami, Yasu City. The shrine is dedicated to Ame-no-Mikage-no-Kami, who is said to have descended to Mt. Mikami during the reign of Emperor Korei, the seventh emperor of Japan. The shrine’s main shrine building, estimated to have been built in the late Kamakura period, has been designated a National Treasure.

    御上神社は、平安時代に編さんされた神名帳「延喜式」に掲載されている神社で、いわゆる式内社(名神大社)です。国道8号線沿い、近江富士の別名で知られる三上山の麓に鎮座しています。第七代...

  • Shiga Prefecture Samegai Trout Farm
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    3.5
    15 Reviews
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Shiga Pref. Maibarashi Kaminyu 1570
    A trout farm located in Kaminyu, Maibara City. The farm raises over one million fish, including rainbow trout, Biwa trout, and char. The farm has feeding and lure fishing areas for visitors; several restaurants, including a trout cuisine specialty restaurant; shop; and a facility called the Sakana Gakushukan, which boasts a small aquarium; experiment observation room, and training classroom.

    醒ヶ井へ梅花藻見に行く途中に寄りました。入口入るやいなや鱒がたくさん泳いでいました。園内は広く鱒釣りができるようです。川には梅花藻が咲いていて綺麗でした。食事をするお店はなかったです。20分ほど、泳いでる鱒と川に咲いてる梅花藻を見て、養鱒場を後にしました。車で行きましたが、駐車料金と入場料はちょっと高かったなと思います。

  • Hotel Lake Villa
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    4.5
    14 Reviews
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Shiga Koka-shi Shigarakicho Tarao 1
    30 minutes from the Ouchi Interchange on the Meihan Expressway via Prefectural Route 138. This highland resort hotel's vast, water and greenery-encircled grounds are replete with golf courses and tennis courts. The hotel's onsite natural hot spring bathhouse, the Tarao no Yu, is also open to non-guests. The bathhouse consists of the Nishiyu bathing area with a hinoki cypress bath and salt sauna, and the Higashiyu bathing area with a jacuzzi and kamaburo steam bath; which area is the men's and which the women's alternates on a daily basis. The bathhouse also offers a wide variety of other baths, including an outdoor bath, Shigaraki ware tsuboyu round single person baths, and a lie-down bath. The waters of the bathhouse' mildly alkaline simple spring are said to promote health and aid recovery from fatigue.

    昨年末から今年2月にかけ、コロナの旅行支援を受けられることもあって、4回の宿泊を楽しみました。そのうち2回は、真っ白な雪景色の中、温泉やレストランでの食事を楽しみました。とくに12月の旅では、金婚式を記念して家族で宿泊、昨年から愛犬と泊まれるコテージも利用させていただきました。 ホテルの好意で、金婚式を祝うオリジナルケーキをいただき、とても心に残る旅になりました。 悪天候の積雪の日は、隣接するゴル...

  • Spa Resort Ogoto Agaryanse
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    3.0
    1 Reviews
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Shiga Pref. Otsushi Nouka 3-9-5
    A hot spring resort facility located in 3 Chome Noka, Otsu City. The resort has a variety of baths supplied by two different privately-owned source springs, including outdoor baths and an excursion bath. Other facilities include a sauna with loyly. The adjoining World Performance Castle is a bedrock bath with a variety of spas. There are also four restaurants, including a French dining bar and Japanese-style yakiniku barbecue joint; plus a salon offering massages and other beauty treatments.

    日帰り温泉施設のあがりゃんせの本館二階の階段を上がったところにあるイタリアレストランです。昼のランチをいただきましたが、ピザが選択でき、割とお得感がありました。

  • Aburahi-jinja Shrine
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    4.5
    16 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Koukashi Koukachouaburahi 1042
    A Shinto shrine located at the foot of Mt. Aburahidake in Aburahi Koka-cho, Koka City. Just when the shrine was founded is not clear, but descriptions of the shrine can be found in documents dating all the way back to the Heian period. In ancient times, Mt. Aburahidake was viewed as a sacred mountain, and even today a rear shrine can be found at its peak. In medieval times, this shrine was considered the protective shrine of Koka and was frequented by the samurai of Koka. The shrine is also known as the patron shrine of oils.

    車で油日神社(あぶらひじんじゃ)に向かう。 油日神社は、滋賀県甲賀市甲賀町油日(しがけんこうかしこうかちょうあぶらひ)にある神社だ。 祭神は、油日大神(あぶらひのおおかみ) 「甲賀の総社」として、また勝軍神として武士の崇敬を受け、社名から油の火の神としても信仰された。 駐車場はわりと広い。 奴振りは県選択無形民俗文化財になっている。 由緒書きは消えてしまっている。 新しい由緒書き。 877年に...

  • Hyakusaiji Temple
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    4.5
    7 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Higashioumishi Hyakusaijichou 323
    A Buddhist temple located in Hyakusaiji-cho, Higashiomi City. Founded by Prince Shotoku in 606, it is the oldest temple in Omi and has been designated a National Historic Site. The temple’s principal object of worship is an eleven headed figure of the Kanzeon Bodhisattva which is also known as the “Garden Tree Kannon.” Together with the Saimyoji Temple and KONGOURINJI-Temple, it is counted as one of the Three Temples of Koto.

    ツアーで訪問しました。お参りの後見学しました。百済寺本坊の喜見院の横に広がる庭園で、山を借景に池と大岩を配した池泉回遊式庭園です。「天下遠望の名園」で、本坊から見る庭園は紅葉が大変美しかったです。庭園内の道を通り、少し上った所にある遠望台から見る庭園も美しく、また遠望台からは遠く琵琶湖や比叡山まで展望できます。

  • Gokurakuyu Hikone Branch
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    3.5
    11 Reviews
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Shiga Hikone-shi Nishinonamicho 175-1
    A nine-minute walk from Hikoneserikawa Station on the Ohmi Railway. This deluxe bathhouse has unusual and novel baths, such as a bath filled with water from an artificial high concentration carbonated spring recreating the natural carbonated springs which are only found in a few places in Japan; and an electric bath which uses low frequency electrical stimulation to ease fatigue, stiff shoulders, and lower back pain. The bathhouse also has two different outdoor baths and three varieties of saunas. In addition, the bathhouse provides a full array of options for resting and relaxing outside of bathing, including a restaurant open until 1 a.m., beauty treatment and chiropractic services, a comic book space filled with comic books that you can read as much as you like just by paying the small bathhouse entry fee, a lounge with some 30 reclining chairs, and a tatami mat space where customers can lie down.

    各地にある極楽湯の彦根店。 こじんまりしつつも最小限の設備は整っていて名神の 彦根インターからも近いので彦根や長浜観光の帰りに ひとっ風呂浴びて汗を流すのにも便利。

  • Kusatsu Yumoto Suisyun
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    3.5
    11 Reviews
    Accommodations / Hot Spring
    Shiga Pref. Kusatsushi Shinhamachou 300 ion mall in Kusatsu
    A hot spring bathhouse located in Aeon Mall Kusatsu situated along Prefectural Route 18 in Shinhama-cho, Kusatsu City. The bathhouse has several varieties of baths, including a natural hot spring outdoor bath, a “Milky Bath” created by the minute bubbles of a carbonated spring, “tsuboyu” round single person baths, a seated bench bath, and a bath in which bathers lie down in. There’s also a sauna with loyly service. Additional facilities include a restaurant, bedrock bath, and hot yoga studio.

    スーパー銭湯の中にあるしゃぶしゃぶのお店です。友達と一緒に行きました。お肉が柔らかくてとろけるようでした。お肉も野菜も食べ放題なのでお腹いっぱい。ほっこりできました。

  • Shiga Agricultural Park Blumen Hügel
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Shiga Gamo-gun Hino Cho Nishioji 843
    About 20 minutes from the Youkaichi Interchange off the Meishin Expressway, this park, designed to look like a medieval German farming village spreads across the Kitayama hill region. The extensive flower fields are filled with rape seed blossoms in the spring, sunflowers in the summer, and cosmos blooms in the autumn. They are bursting with wonderful blooms in each season. The hot houses have small rose and herb gardens. The park has a petting zoo with sheep, horses, and cows, a grass tobogganing area, and an air jumper. The alpine gym is also popular, along with the gigantic athletic course which includes 72 different kinds of climbing attractions. Sausage making workshops are also offered.
  • Harie Shozu no Sato Committee
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    4.5
    21 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Takashima-shi Shinasahicho Harie 372
    A community located in Harie Shinasahi-Cho, Takashima City. The community makes use of “kabata,” interconnected water stations used for daily needs such as washing vegetables through which the abundant spring waters of the area are circulated via canals. The kabata themselves are located on the grounds of private homes and accordingly visitors may not tour them without permission; instead, a guided tour is required to see this unique and beautiful local cultural aspect.

    We are from Singapore, booking a tour from email ryannguyenhcm@gmail.com ( an local tourguide). We love this place with amazing culture, the fresh water so sweet and the fishs, tofu and sake so...

  • Hachiman-bori Canal
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    4.0
    10 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Oumihachimanshi Tagachou 743
    The Hachimanbori Boat Tour takes visitors on a tour of the Hachimanbori Canal, well known from samurai movies, in an old-style covered boat. The tour is enjoyable in any season: passengers can see cherry blossoms in the spring, willows in the summer, autumn leaves in the fall, and snowy scenery in the winter. The tour, which runs from Hakuun Bridge to Shinmachihama to the ruins of the brick factory and back, takes about 35 minutes. Whether visitors go in the crowded cherry blossom season or at less popular times, they say that they sense a different mood each time. Gliding down the canal, lined with white-walled storehouses, is a peaceful way to spend some time.

    水郷巡りもあるが、こちらの堀巡りは30分程度とお手軽。ガイドはテープで船はエンジン付きで。 乗り場あたりの街並みがなかなかの雰囲気。船だと目線が低く気持ちよい。皆さん動画撮影。 残念なのはまわりの雑草とゴミ、鉄の橋。仕方のないことだけれど住んでいる人の生活感。もう少し長ければ。 志ある方たちの尽力で残せていることが奇跡のような堀。 のんびり手漕ぎの船もありそちらの方が風情がある。

  • Ritto Performing Arts Center Sakira
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    3.5
    5 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Rittoushi Heso 2-1-28
    This performing arts center in Ritto City, Shiga Prefecture hosts a variety of performances, lectures, exhibitions, and other events. Some of its facilities include large, medium, and small concert halls as well as an exhibition room, a rehearsal room, and a music studio. In addition to hosting various special exhibits, the exhibition room serves as a place for the creative activities of local residents.

    JR栗東駅から歩いて5分ほどの場所にある会館です。ホールに入るまでの外のエントランスも開放的で広く、綺麗です。

  • Zuiryuji Temple (Honzan Murakumo Imperial Palace)
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    3.5
    25 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Oumihachimanshi Miyauchichou 19-9
    A Buddhist temple located at the summit of Mt. Hachiman in Miyauchi-cho, Omihachiman City. The temple was built by mighty samurai lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, older sister of the mighty samurai lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to serve as a burial site for her son, the samurai lord Toyotomi Hidetsugu, after he was ordered to commit suicide by Hideyoshi. The temple was later moved to its current location. Each year in June the temple holds the Hachimanyama Jizo Festival.

    This temple is on the top of Mt. Hachiman at the remain of Hachiman castle. Feature of this temple is it’s composition, when moved from Kyoto 60 years ago, it’s necessary to reduce one third but not...

  • Tachiki-jinja Shrine
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    3.5
    24 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Shiga Pref. Kusatsushi Kusatsu 4-1-3
    A Shinto shrine situated along Prefectural Route 141 in Kusatsu, Kusatsu City. Founded in 767, the shrine is dedicated to Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto. After the shogun general Sakanoue no Tamuramaro prayed here for protection from misfortune during his subjugation of the northeast and gifted a figure of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra to the shrine, the shrine came to be seen as providing worshippers with protection from evil and traffic safety.

    草津にある歴史ある神社。旧東海道ぞいにあり、草津駅前から旧東海道を歩いて20分ほど。1250年以上の歴史があるとのことで、境内も広く、社殿も立派です。参勤交代の際、諸大名がこの神社で道中安全の祈願をされたそうです。

Shiga Areas

around-area-map

Visitors to Shiga prefecture are almost always hopping east across the prefectural border from Kyoto, and they are almost certainly Lake Biwa-bound. Covering an area of 670 square kilometers, Lake Biwa makes up the bulk of Shiga prefecture, with beautiful lakeside paths that offer myriad walking and cycling opportunities, connecting a string of museums, shrines, and picturesque views that finally lead you to Hikone Castle on the eastern side of the lake.

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