On July 18th I spent a fantastic day in Takashima City courtesy of the Biwako Visitor's Bureau! We went to several places that I had never been to before and I was definitely not disappointed.

Takashima City is located north of Otsu on the west side of Lake Biwa. It is a more rural area, made up of an amalgamation of several smaller towns and filled with an abundance of history, culture, and nature.
Shirahige Shrine:
Our first stop was Shirahige shrine. This shrine's most distinctive feature would be its torii gate located in the water of Lake Biwa. This gate is located across a busy road, but looks out onto the beautiful waters of Japan's largest lake, and some people were even taking advantage of the lake warm waters to swim a little bit and do SUP (Stand Up Paddle.)
I got a couple good pictures of the torii gate as well as the rest of the shrine itself.

Nishitomo：
July 20th is Japan's "unagi"aka Eel Day. Eating freshwater eel such as this during the brutally hot summer months in Japan is said to give you more energy and strength to face the heat. Unagi is not something I ever had the chance to eat back in the United States, but I soon learned how delicious it was soon after the first time I came to Japan. At this restaurant called Nishitomo, a well-known restaurant in the area, we were served a delicious unagi meal that included all kinds of side dishes and seasonings, and were encouraged to try eating the unagi in various different ways. I absolutely love unagi and this meal definitely did not disappoint!

Suzuki Sesu :
Takashima is also well known for its Japanese folding fans, so we were given the opportunity to make our own! I am not particularly skilled at anything involving arts and crafts, but I was willing to give it my best shot. There were many pictures that we were able to trace over the fan itself, and then we began to color our various picture creations. Although I am aware that the fan I managed to make is not going to win any awards for outstanding design, I still very much enjoyed the experience.　（http://www.suzukisensu.com/）

Hata-no-tanada: Our final stop was some of the beautiful terraced rice fields located in the countryside. Terraced fields such as these are a Japanese agricultural process made so that rice can still be grown in hilly or mountainous areas. This area was, in my opinion, the absolute epitome of Japanese countryside beauty.

In the middle of this natural beauty was an older shrine off to the side of the road, called Hachiman Shrine. I have seen many shrines during my time in Japan, but the placement of this one right in the middle of all this natural beauty felt like something out of a Ghibli film, and I tried to take as many pictures as I could to capture it.

This was a fantastic day trip, and I very much enjoyed being able to see and go to places that I had never been before. Shiga Prefecture is definitely a very underrated prefecture in my opinion, and I could not encourage people enough to take the time to visit it someday.

(Author : Emily Hammond)

On February 17th, we had the opportunity to go to Otsu city, the capital of Shiga Prefecture, and visit Ogoto Onsen and Miidera temple. We got to try a few different things; at Ogoto Onsen we did a foot bath, and at Miidera temple we participated in Zazen and made our own personal Juzu!

We first went to the Ogoto Onsen, the oldest onsen in Shiga prefecture, to try a hot foot bath. We expected the water would be hot, of course, but it turned out to be so hot that we couldn't even keep our feet in it at first. Although, once we got accustomed to the heat, it really did feel fantastic. It was a very soothing experience.

After the footbath, we ate lunch at the Onsen. We both ordered some Ohmi beef Gyudon, and it was delicious. The beef was juicy and flavorful, and it was a wonderful meal.

After having lunch at Ogoto Onsen, we went to the Miidera Temple, which is one of the four largest temples in Japan.

A monk from the temple took us on a tour of the temple grounds and various temple buildings, while teaching us about the history of it.

From the main gate, which is called the Niomon Gate, we went to the bell pavillion which houses on the Japan's three famous bells.

This bell is known for having a beautiful tone, and Tom and I were both allowed to ring it. We also saw Reisyo-do, another bell that was built in the 8th Century.

We then walked around the main hall where we saw statues of many different Buddhas.

We were also able to see the Issaikyo-zo, which is a library for the temple's scriptures, and To-in, which is the mausoleum of the temple's founder.

At this time we made our way over to a building that was outside of the usual tour route. Here, we learned about Zazen meditation, and were able to try it ourselves. It was a little difficult to maintain the proper sitting posture, but we thought the experience was very interesting.

Here, we learned about Zazen meditation, and were able to try it ourselves. It was a little difficult to maintain the proper sitting posture, but we thought the experience was very interesting.

Next, we walked over to the Bimyo-ji Temple to make our own juzu, which is a bracelet of beads often used as a charm.

The juzu consist of three stone beads and 24 wooden beads. The different kinds of stone and wood represented different things. We ended up picking beads that will help us in times of stress and in our studies.

We all had trouble tying the elastic string together at the end, but all our bracelets turned out very nicely!

Lastly, we walked up to Kannon-do where we said a prayer at the temple and took a picture with our guide.

The tour of Miidera Temple was fascinating and we both enjoyed it very much. The trip to Otsu has left us excited and eager to visit more places in Shiga and to learn more about Japanese history.

(Author : Charles Hill)

Trip report in Portuguese is here

I have been to Sunai no Sato a few times and every time has always been surprisingly different. The place is located next to the mountains, which is definitely a selling point to me, and gets especially beautiful during autumn, but even more when it snows. After living in Japan for a few years I came to abhor the ever so popular "you can enjoy the four seasons" type of ads, but believe me, it really deserves a visit at least once per season and not only because of the nature.

One of interesting aspects there is the traditional houses turned into restaurants, classrooms for handcrafts and traditional sweets, stores and a tea ceremony room, proving that it is indeed possible to maintain this kind of buildings, keep its atmosphere and still make them convenient enough to use today.

To get there we went first to Ishiyama station, where we hoped into a free shuttle bus to Sunai no Sato. The trip takes about 20 minutes. Getting off the bus at the parking lot, we met our guides and went to the first stop of our trip, a place called Irori Chabo.

Specially on this day they would do mochitsuki, a traditional way of making mochi (pound rice cakes) using a japanese stomp mill and pestle that looks a lot like a wooden mallet. As incredible as it sounds, in 5 years of Japan I have never tried mochitsuki, and could finally try my hand at it. Although I was a bit worried, doing my best not to hit the person folding the rice inside the mill, everything went fine and I really enjoyed the whole thing! (Nothing like hitting something with a mallet to relieve your stress.)

After it, we ate the freshly pounded mochi with kinako (toasted soybeans sweet flour), tsuboan (sweet azuki beans) and oroshi (grated radish).

The warm, freshly pounded mochi had an exquisite texture, soft and chewy, that goes along perfectly with the toppings. Although I liked all of it, I must admit the oroshi version, which I never had with mochi before and was delicious, pleasantly surprised me.

After getting our bellies stuffed, we walked to Santokuen, where the stores, classrooms for crafts / sweets, and tea ceremony room are located.

Our guides then gently helped us during our next activity: making mochibana, an ornament made traditionally during New Year's to pray for good harvest and happiness. Each of us received a branch of yanagi (willow) and some white and pink hot mochi. The process is rather simple, and you just need to cut small pieces of mochi and use it to decorate the branches.

When finished, they look l covered in flower buds, turning it into a beautiful ornament you can bring home. Since we were talking to the staff while we made, time really flew by and we had a lot of fun.

Last, we also participated on a tea ceremony. Their main idea is that you can enjoy tea in a very relaxed atmosphere, without being worried with all the etiquette inherent to the traditional ceremony. The tea, delicious and velvety, is perfectly served and the tearoom itself is charming, with a view to the garden. The person in charge of the ceremony also explained to us their choices on apparel, sweets and the tokonoma decoration, which they choose according to the seasons.

We then said our goodbyes to the staff and took the free bus back to Ishiyama. On the short trip back, I felt I must come back, if not for the snow, at least in March, when the Ume flowers are in bloom.

(By Rodrigo Brinca)

English version is here

Já visitei o Sunai no Sato algumas vezes e todas foram, surpreendentemente, bem diferentes. O lugar fica próximo às montanhas, o que realmente é um dos atrativos para mim, e é especialmente bonito durante o outono, mas ainda mais quando neva. Depois de viver alguns anos aqui no Japão, passei a detestar aqueles tipos de propaganda, muito comuns, que dizem que "você pode apreciar as quatro estações", mas acredite quando digo que o lugar merece mesmo uma visita por estação, e não só por causa da natureza.

Um dos aspectos interessantes lá são as casas tradicionais transformadas em restaurante, salas de aula de confecção de doces e enfeites, lojas e uma sala de cerimônia do chá, provando que é mesmo possível manter este tipo de construção, preservar a atmosfera do lugar, e ainda torná-las convenientes o suficiente para o uso hoje.

Para chegar lá, primeiro fomos até a estação de Ishiyama de onde pegamos um ônibus gratuito para o Sunai no Sato. A viagem dura uns 20 minutos. Descendo no estacionamento, encontramos nossos guias e fomos até o primeiro lugar do passeio, chamado de Irori Chabô. Especialmente neste dia seria feito o mochitsuki, jeito tradicional de fazer mochi (bolinhos de arroz batido) usando um pilão e martelo de madeira. Por incrível que pareça, com 5 anos de Japão eu nunca tinha feito mochitsuki e finalmente pude me arriscar. Apesar de ficar um pouco preocupado, tomando cuidado para não acertar a pessoa que estava virando o arroz no pilão, tudo deu certo e eu adorei a coisa toda! (Nada como bater em alguma coisa com uma marreta para aliviar o stress.)

Depois disso, comemos os mochi recém-feitos com coberturas de kinako (farinha doce de soja tostada), tsuboan (doce de feijão azuki em grãos) e oroshi (nabo ralado). Gostei de todos, mas fiquei surpreso com o oroshi, que nunca tinha visto com mochi e combina muito bem!

Depois de encher a barriga andamos até o Santokuen, que é onde estão as lojas de doces, salas das aulas de artesanato/confecção de doces e a sala de cerimônia do chá. Nossos guias então gentilmente nos ajudaram na nossa próxima tarefa: fazer o mochibana, enfeite feito tradicionalmente no ano novo para pedir uma boa colheita e felicidade.

Cada um ganhou um galho de yanagi (chorão) e mochi quente branco e rosa. O processo é bem simples, a você só precisa cortar pedacinhos de mochi e usá-lo para enfeitar os galhos. Quando terminado, parece que o galho está coberto de botões de flor, virando um lindo ornamento que você pode levar para casa. Como ficamos conversando com o pessoal enquanto fazíamos o enfeite, o tempo passou voando e nos divertirmos bastante.

Por fim, também participamos de uma cerimônia do chá. Aqui a idéia deles é que você possa apreciar o chá em um ambiente mais tranquilo, sem preocupação com toda a etiqueta envolvida na cerimônia tradicional. O chá, delicioso e aveludado, é servido com perfeição e a sala de chá também é encantadora, com vista para o jardim.

A responsável pela cerimônia também nos explicou sobre as escolhas do utensílios, doces servidos e decoração do tokonoma, escolhidos de acordo com as estações.

Então nos despedimos da equipe pegamos o ônibus gratuito de volta para Ishiyama. Na curta viagem de volta, senti que preciso voltar, se não para ver a neve, pelo menos em março, quando florescem as árvores de ume.

On March 25, We got up bright and early for a day of sightseeing along the Ohmi Railway!

The experience was very different from that of the JR lines we're used to taking, but it gave me the feeling of going back in time.

The sites were also really pretty along the way with spring just beginning.

We got off at our first stop in Minakuchi, and headed to the Kafuka Ichigo Orchard for all-you-can-eat strawberry picking.

For 45 minutes, Michaela and I were allowed to eat as many strawberries as we could,and we definitely tried to make the most out of it!

The strawberries were really juicy; it was sometimes hard to pick the best ones to eat because they all looked so good!

I think that strawberry picking at Rokushin would especially be a great activity for families; it was so fun.

Got to explore Nagahama with Molly DeDona! We found some real gems on our day out!

First, we went to make our own blown glass cups.

It was a little scary at first, but they were so nice and guided us through every step.

They were professionals and made me feel like I was in good hands.

Next, at the same shop, we made our own designs on cups to be sandblasted.

Sandblasting basically adds a cool, frosted effect to your class.

We both decided to do it the difficult way so it took some time, but the result was worth it!

After all of our hard work, we got some food that is a specialty of Nagahama.

It's a kind of udon soup. It was deli0cious! The broth was thicker than most and it had a giant mushroom in it! :)

Next, we walked around Nagahama. We looked at a few shops, including the shop of the figure museum in Nagahama.

It seemed like a cool museum and I wouldn't mind checking it out next time I go!

We visited also visited a temple as we walked around. While they didn't have an English brochure, just looking at the temple's structure and beautiful shrine inside was worth the visit.

There were also shops nearby that looked like they sold Yukata. I'll have to stop by and check them out some time!

Also, the animal that represents that temple or the area is a fox. So, there were lots of cute pictures of foxes on our way to the temple.

We eventually made our way over to the Plum Blossom exhibit on the other side of the tracks to make our Plum Sake! It was a once in a lifetime experience and I enjoyed every minute! We had visited the Plum Blossom exhibit before, however we had no idea that there was such an event held there.

Japanese people can make sake in their own house so they had this class.

There was a taste test before where we tried 11 different kinds of sake.

Then, they explained why each sake was different and showed us how to make it.

There was even a company sponsoring the event, so we got a free can of plum juice and sake that we could drink right away.

I have to shake the plum sake glass jar everyday, but I'm excited to try my own homemade sake when it's ready! :)

Still, we saw some goodies back in the shopping area that we had to buy so we stepped out for a minute.

However, when we got back, they lit up the garden out back and it was beautiful.

After drinking some tea and enjoying some mochi, we took some pictures and said farewell.

In the end, I honestly never would have thought there would be such gems in Nagahama. I loved exploring and getting to learn more about the opportunities in Shiga. I can't wait to choose another city and explore again!

This is a little overdue, but here is an overview of my super fun Saturday in Nagahama!

Me and Kate had the chance to go to Nagahama, a bit North of Hikone and try out some of the activities and specialties of the region.

So, the first place we went to in Nagahama was Kurokabe Glass House.

While we were there, Kate and I had the chance to make our own glass cups.

While the glass artists did most of the work, we did get the chance to shape the hot glass a little bit. It was difficult to do, the glass was molten hot!

It was really fun though, we got to choose what colors were added to the glass, but we did not get to take it home right away, since it has to cool.

However, the cup arrived in the mail today, and it looks great! I am excited to get to use it!!

At the same business, you can decorate a cup or plate, and have it sandblasted permanently with a design.

I made mine represent Lake Biwa, and I marked out Hikone and Ootsu in relation to it.

It was really fun, and it is not very expensive (about 15 dollars). I would totally go again; and I would really like to sometime this semester, I highly recommend it.

We got to eat Noppei udon, which features a huge Shitake mushroom in with the noodles.

The broth is really thick, almost like thick cornstarch gravy. It was delicious though!

We ordered a lunch that also came with a rice bowl, which had salmon and soy sauce drenched rice, which was also delicious.

Lunch was really close to Kurokabe Square, a great shopping center with a wide variety of stores in the arcade style mall, as well as many places to buy souvenirs, mostly of glass figures and tableware.

There were at least three really nice stores to buy a wide variety of glass cups, plates, hina masturi (For the national Girls day holiday, displays of Heian era court figures are popular to display) figures, and jewelry.

You can also buy Shiga-prefecture specific food specialties.

We also made plum sake, which was really fun.

I didn't understand everything that was being said because it was all in Japanese, and since I was tired and it was warm in the room, I almost fell asleep for a minute!

We got to try various umeboshi sake, they were all a lot sweeter than I expected, but I definitely want to try to buy some and bring it home to share.

I had been to the bonbai exhibit once already, (like bonsai trees, but blooming plum trees instead)

but this time we went closer to sundown, and we got to see all the special lights on both inside and outside the exhibit, it was really pretty at night.

so,when we went to the bonbai exhibit, it was nearing dusk, and we excited to se the light-up of the exterior garden that wold happen after dark.

Even through I had been there once before, it was during the day, so we missed the light-up part of the exhibit. The plum trees themselves were rather amazing,some are nearly 400 years old!

They are given constant attention and pruning from their caretakers, and only the best are selected to be displayed in the exhibit.

One of the great parts of the exhibit is the interaction you can have with the flower blooms, you can lean over and smellthe blooms, and they sure do smell good!

There are two floors of the exhibit, and the upstairs has a little place where you can sit down and have tea and light snacks. I had matcha tea, and a small sweet, and as we were drinking and eating, we could look out the window as the lights were turned on out in the garden. There is also a really nice gift store on the way to exit the exhibit, you can get a variety of sweets, teas, and other local food products.

It was a really fun exhibition, it would recommend it to anyone.

Yesterday, Chelsee and I had the opportunity to tour around Biwako and visit many wonderful locations.

Our first stop was at a pottery store called Karahashiyaki. Almost everything inside had an owl theme.

We learned that, in Japan, owls symbolize wisdom and scholastic achievements. Their name can be taken to mean many things, such as "no hardship" and "luck kept in a cage for you".

Later on in our trip, we noticed these owls in other locations!

We then headed to the owner's workshop to learn how to make some pottery of our own.

I made a mug for my dad, Joe. We had to leave them there to dry, but I am excited to see the finished product!

Next, it was time for lunch. We stopped at a restaurant called "That Calendar" that had a fun, relaxed feel to it.

Our guide told us that the restaurant had a capsule hotel attached to it, and that occasionally a DJ would come and play music for everyone.

On our way back from lunch, Chelsee, our guide, and I stopped in Otsu station, which was also attached to the restaurant.

It was a large information center with many pamphlets full of different events and attractions that were available in the area.

There were even information booklets written in different languages, for foreigners.

Outside, bicycles were available for rent, which I have only ever seen before in large American college towns. The bicycles looked to be very good quality, which made us a little jealous.

After that, it was time to go visit Omi Jingu, a beautiful Shinto shrine built in 1940.

We were told it is customary for people to wash their hands before entering in order to purify their bodies.

It was my first time visiting a Shinto shrine, and I found myself wanting to see more in the future.

Chelsee and I were led to a room where we could pick out our favorite kimonos and try them on.

Even though it was freezing outside, I will admit that this was my favorite part. The kimonos were beautiful and surprisingly comfortable!

Finally, it was time for our last stop: the Biwako Otsu-Kan.

Former hotel turned (primarily) wedding venue, the Biwako Otsu-Kan had once hosted many famous visitors such as Emperor Showa, Hellen Keller, John Wayne, and various other celebrities.

It was also home to a large light garden, which we were able to go explore.

All in all, touring around Biwako was an amazing and I feel so lucky to have had the experience. Chelsee and I are already making plans to go back!

Carly and I previously had the opportunity to take the Biwako tour, with Hashizume-San as our guide.

This tour allowed us to see some of the old and the new parts of Biwako.

★First Stop:Karahashiyaki

Karashiyaki is a small pottery shop in Otsu-shi. It's main theme in pottery is the owl, or Fukurou, which is a symbol of scholastic achievement.

The designs of the pottery reminded me of something you'd see in a whimsical-like movie.

During our visit, Carly and I were invited to take a pottery class and make our own cups.

Our instructor was a nice man, who we'll call Mr. PPAP, and was also really funny -- he made a PPAP cup in reference to Piko Taro's song and cracked lots of jokes.

We ended up having to leave our cups to dry, for them to be mailed to us when complete. Before leaving I made a purchase of my own, and hope to return to Karahashiyaki someday before I leave Japan.Next Stop: The Calendar!

★Second stop : The Calender

Next, we stopped for lunch at The Calendar. The Calendar is a restaurant that's connected to Otsu Station.

The restaurant had a modern contemporary setting, with a relaxing vibe. On the inside you could find two different seating areas -- one Japanese style and the other side Western style. A bookstore was also included inside the restaurant, but one would think that the books are for show upon first glance.There was also a beautiful outdoor terrace, in which BBQs are held during the warmer seasons.

For the food it seems that the menu may be weekly or maybe even seasonal, with only a few select entrees that come with a small cup of soup and a tiny salad.

I found it interesting that there was a capsule hotel attached to this restaurant. Next stop: Omi Jingu!

★Third stop: Omi jingu

Omi Jingu, constructed in 1940, is a shrine dedicated to Emperor Tenji. This point of the trip will be one of my most cherished memories.

Carly and I had the opportunity to pick out our own Yukata and walk around the temple.

The process allowed us to see how to properly wear a Yukata. Although cold, the experience was amazing. Final stop: Illumination Show!

★ Last stop: Illumination Show

Our last stop for the evening was an Illumination show held at Biwako Ostu-Kan.

Biwako Ostu-Kan used to be a hotel, but has since shut down the rooms for booking. Instead, people can now book the hotel venue for weddings, class reunions, and art seminars.

The illumination show was beautiful, but cut a little short due to the incoming snow storm -- which was even more beautiful in that it started to look like a winter wonderland.

All in all, with the guidance of Hashizume-San, this trip was amazing. Carly and I hope to return when the weather is warm.

On November 26th, I had the opportunity to visit Hyakusaiji temple, as well as a sake brewery to taste sake and see how it was made.

First, we went to Hyakusaiji temple. Hyakusaiji is one of the oldest temples in Japan.

We saw the garden first, and it was beautiful! Because it was fall, there were beautiful maple leaves with vibrant colors. So we sat and enjoyed the peacefulness of the garden and the beauty of nature.

The main temple is on top of a mountain, so after climbing for about ten minutes, we reached the main temple.

There, we went inside, and then outside of the temple, where a large bell was, we each rang the bell and then prayed for something.

After our temple visit, it was lunchtime. So, we ate Omi Chanpon near Hikone station.

It was my first time eating chanpon, and it was delicious! I also found out that it was a special food to Shiga, which was also interesting.

After our lunch, we headed to Inae station, and after a train ride, took a short bus ride to a sake brewery, where we learned how sake was made.

Before that, we played a game where we tasted different kinds of sake and had to match them to their bottles.

Needless to say, I couldn't tell which sake was which.

After the sake-making tour and the sake tasting game, we had a chance to look around the market area that was inside of the main building.

We tried many local Shiga foods, and drank amazake as well as plum sake. Amazake is not only good for your health, but it is also delicious and great for a cold day!

I don't like alcohol very much, but the plum sake was pretty tasty!

After a long, fun-filled day, we headed home. I learned a lot about Shiga and its' local foods and culture during this trip, and I am grateful for the chance I had to explore Shiga. It was a great day!