Qui connaît Shiga, connaît le lac Biwa, le plus important du Japon. Ses eaux mouillent les berges de trois îles : Okishima, Takeshima et Chikubushima. Après avoir visité la deuxième, nous jetons notre dévolu sur la dernière.

Chikibushima est reconnue comme un lieu de puissance spirituelle, où l'on peut recharger sa barre d'énergie en s'entourant de nature. Lieu sacré depuis l'an 420, l'île abrite aujourd'hui le sanctuaire shinto de Tsukubusuma et les temples bouddhistes de Hogonji. Ils
sont consacrés en partie à la déesse Benzaiten, ou Sarasvati, qui est connectée à l'eau et à tout ce qui coule, dont la parole, la musique et le savoir, et est considérée comme la sainte patronne des artistes. Aussi appelée Benten, c'est la seule divinité féminine des sept
dieux japonais du bonheur modernes.

Nous embarquons au port d'Imazu, sur la côte ouest du lac. Les bateaux de la Biwako Kisen partent d'ici et de Nagahama plusieurs fois par jour. Nous passons les 25 minutes du voyage au grand air, et, bientôt, l'île se dévoile peu à peu jusqu'à ce qu'on aperçoive le port
et une partie des escaliers. Une légende dit que Chikubushima serait la tête coupée d'une déesse-montagne qui aurait osé dépasser le mont Ibuki, et il faut être en forme pour gravir les 165 marches qui mènent directement au pavillon réservé à Benzaiten du Hogonji. Plus
d'un chemin y mène, mais préparez-vous à monter, quel que soit votre choix!

Après avoir payé notre entrée, nous montons, donc, nous arrêtant seulement pour prendre quelques photos et pour le lavage rituel des mains. Le pavillon est entouré de verdure et de plus petits bâtiments. On peut faire signer son livre de sceaux et se procurer une clochette en forme d'oiseau--l'une des 6 à collectionner à différents temples de la préfecture--à gauche, ou prier à une divinité protectrice à droite.

Le temple lui-même nous en met plein la vue : une partie de ses murs est couverte d'un nombre impressionnant de daruma, de petites poupées à l'apparence de matriochkas rouges, peintes à l'image de Benzaiten. En échange de 500 yens, vous pouvez faire un
vœu que vous glisserez dans la poupée, et pour lequel ils offriront des prières pendant une année.

Quittant ce lieu charmant, nous montons jusqu'au point accessible le plus élevé de l'île. Ici se tient une pagode vermillon dont l'intérieur coloré contient un Bouddha doré, ainsi qu'un musée rempli de trésors anciens. La salle n'est pas très grande, mais les artefacts sont
assez intéressants pour qu'on y reste un certain temps. Ce jour-là, nous avons aussi la chance de voir une impressionnante mante religieuse près de la pagode!

Après avoir tout exploré, nous descendons vers la dernière section de l'île, où se cachent le pavillon principal du Hogonji, ainsi que le sanctuaire de Tuskubusuma. Au moment de notre visite, la porte principale de Hogonji était en rénovation, mais elle a depuis été
terminée avec de nouvelles couleurs. À l'entrée, on trouve un Bouddha de bois tout usé : si vous avez mal où que ce soit, vous n'avez qu'à frotter la statue au même endroit pour lui transférer votre douleur! Bien entendu, il vaut mieux éviter de le faire en temps de
pandémie.

Nous suivons alors un corridor étroit jusqu'à un petit magasin et à l'alcôve de dévotion.

Vous pouvez acheter des porte-bonheur, des chandelles ou de l'encens, selon vos besoins. Quelques pas de plus et nous nous trouvons dans le Funa Rôka, ou corridor du bateau, qui mène directement au sanctuaire principal. Son nom vient de son toit, qui faisait
originalement partie du bateau de plaisance de Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Des morceaux du château de ce dernier sont aussi intégrés à l'architecture du sanctuaire.

Comme Hogonji, Tsukubusuma est fait de plusieurs sections. En descendant l'escalier du sanctuaire principal, on se retrouve dans une petite cour avec quelques statues et d'autres pavillons.

Le plus gros de ces derniers, le Ryujin Haisho, est le plus intéressant : dédié au dieu dragon qui habite dans le lac, c'est là qu'on peut participer au kawarake-nage, ou lancer de poteries. Nous achetons d'abord les petits disques en poterie; nous écrivons notre nom sur
le premier, et un souhait sur le deuxième. Il faut alors lancer les disques au travers du torii qui se dresse devant le lac; si vous parvenez à y lancer les deux, votre souhait sera exaucé par le dieu dragon. C'est plus difficile que ça en a l'air et nous ne réussissons qu'à
moitié ce jour-là.

Nos disques lancés, nous retournons vers le port afin de ne pas manquer notre bateau.
Nous descendons le reste des escaliers pour nous retrouver au port avant de relaxer en voguant vers Imazu.

Nagahama Bonbai Exhibition

Japan's largest history and scale, as well as a much beloved annual springtime tradition in Kansai. From among the 300 trees approximately 90 on are on display at any one time, in accordance with their flowering and lined up in a pure Japanese style tatami-mat room.

The Nagahama Plum Tree Bonsai Exhibition is characterized by having both big and very old trees, with larger specimens exceeding 3m while older ones reach ages of 400 years.

More details : https://en.biwako-visitors.jp/event/detail/3

When given the opportunity to take a trip to Nagahama for a day while studying abroad in Hikone, I knew immediately I had to go. Now, remembering the trip, I will make sure I visit Nagahama again in the future, as there are so much more things to see and do in the area than can fit in one day.

Many, if not all, regions in Japan have special meals or types of food that are considered special to the area. The first stop on our trip was to the restaurant Yokarou. There, we enjoyed somen noodles with mackerel. I was very impressed by the mild, savory flavor of the dish. The environment of the restaurant felt like a very significant cultural experience. From the screens dividing the rooms, to the traditional way we removed our shoes when we entered and sat on pillows on the floor, I felt like I was learning something new every second I spent at Yokarou.

Next, we visited the Kaiyodo Figure Museum. This was the part of the trip I was most excited for. As someone who loves miniatures and figures, as well as pop culture, this was a great place to explore. We saw many characters from cartoons, video games, and anime, as well as detailed animals and vehicles. My favorite item there was the many dinosaur figures on display. Another great thing about this museum is the huge collection of gachapon, or vending machines for capsule toys. We got to take home some complementary capsule toys, as well as some souvenirs I bought from the gift shop.

Lastly, we were lucky enough to view the 68th Nagahama Bonsai Exhibition of Ume Trees with Blossoms. The displays of numerous bonsai trees of all shapes and color made it impossible to not be amazed. I took dozens of pictures there. My favorite part about this location is the amazing smell that the trees create within the building. We were very lucky to participate in this event, as the trees only blossom within a very short time span around February.

Overall, the city of Nagahama was a great place to walk around for the day. The shops are very open and welcoming to customers, and there are many souvenirs to choose from. I indulged and bought some strawberry daifuku. I shared them with my roommate, and they were an amazing way to remember my trip.

Author : Talia Pulliam

Upon arriving in Nagahama after a scenic drive along the lake, we went to a restaurant called Yokarou that serves local Nagahama food. The inside was set up like a traditional Japanese building, so we took our shoes off and walked around in our socks. Our table was upstairs in a room lined with screens of Japanese art. We were served mackerel on top of somen noodles, a local specialty, along with some sides and green tea. It tasted really good.

Next, we made our way to the Kaiyodo Figure Museum. This was the highlight of the trip for me. The museum has figures for almost everything--anime, video games, manga, movies, and miscellaneous things, like animals and artistic works not connected to media. I was surprised and very happy to find a figure of the xenomorph from the Alien movie series, as it was something I was looking for in the museum but not expecting to actually find. This museum is especially good for people who enjoy Japanese anime and manga, as a large portion of the museum is filled with those. There's a lot of Evangelion figures, like a life-sized Ayanami Rei that I got a picture with. I wholeheartedly feel that everyone interested in Japanese media can find something that speaks to them in this museum, as there were so many varieties of things. Godzilla, Black Jack, Hatsune Miku, Snake from the Metal Gear series, Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, and many, many more. They have a gift store, too, with figures available to buy, ranging in prices depending on the size. I know I saw some Yu-Gi-Oh figures and even some Marvel and DC ones. My friend bought a Shiga souvenir with Kirby on it. Surprisingly, there were also Hikonyan souvenirs there.

After leaving the museum, we went to an exhibition of a variety of bonsai trees, which takes place every year in February. The exhibition was held in a traditional Japanese building that we first had to walk through a beautiful garden to reach. The hallways filled with a very sweet smell from the bonsai trees, making the experience all the more pleasant. They had small trees, the blossoms of those seeming too big for trees of that size, but lovely all the same. They had big trees, too, one of which had a whole pond in its display. Watching the blossoms from the wide-reaching branches drift down and land in the water below was very soothing. I fell in love with that tree. I also adored the twisting and seemingly hollowed bark of many of the other trees.

My roommate and I immediately knew we had to come back to Nagahama and explore more of it.

Author : Colleen O'Keefe

Day 3 - 70km - Makino to Maibara via Lake Yogo

I woke early once again on my final day and went down to the beach for a morning swim. The freshwater was incredibly refreshing andset me in a good mood to start the last leg of the journey.

I set off after a hearty breakfast towards the hills of Northern Shiga. The first section was spectacular; skirting around the dramatic hills jutting out into the lake. When I reached the upper Eastern corner of the lake, I had the option to head a little further North to explore the secluded lake Yogo. This turned out to be a very pleasant part of the journey as it is tucked away from busy roads and residential areas and I highly recommended this peaceful spot to anyone who visits the area.

I then followed the coastline South through Nagahama city and then on to Maibara. The Nagahama castle, located a few minutes walk from Nagahama station, is well worth a visit and was my final stop before returning to Maibara at the end of my journey.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of cycling a loop around lake Biwa. I feel that it offered great variety from the cultural sites in the East to the rolling rice fields in the West and the dynamic landscape of the North. I'd love to try it again in the future especially during the cherry blossom or Autumn colours seasons as I think seeing it at a different time of year would really enhance the journey!

（Author : Simon Richards, Audley Travel)

Apreciar a beleza das águas calmas ou violentas, perceber as diferentes tonalidades ao longo do ano e as montanhas que se escondem na neblina ao longe. Tudo isso faz parte de olhar para o Lago Biwa. No entanto, ver o lago de uma das ilhas é uma experiência rara e diferente, que eu finalmente pude experimentar visitando Takeshima.

Nesse dia, começamos a viagem encontrando nosso guia na estação de Hikone. Lá vocês podem visitar o Centro de Informações Turísticas da cidade na própria estação e, dali, é uma caminhada de dois minutos para o ponto do ônibus gratuito (14:40) até o porto de Hikone, de onde você poderá embarcar para a ilha (saída às 15:10).

"Takeshima" significava literalmente "bambu" (take) e "ilha" (shima), nome bem fácil de entender, já que no passado havia muitos bambus por lá. Como a ilha é fina e alongada, ficou famosa por ter diversas vistas dependendo da direção da qual se olha. Manteve-se então o nome Takeshima, mas escrito com os caracteres "muitas" (ta), "paisagens" (ke) e "ilha" (shima). A "ilha das muitas paisagens", portanto.

O trajeto leva apenas 20 min, mas é o suficiente para ver a paisagem do lago. Antes de aportar o barco dá uma volta na ilha e você poderá conferir por conta própria as muitas vistas e entender a razão do nome.

Enquanto está dando a volta, preste atenção na enorme rocha retangular. Conta a lenda que Nissei, um monge do templo Myôhôji em Nagahama, teve um sonho e soube de boatos de uma ilha deserta no Lago Biwa de onde se ouvia o Sutra da Lótus sendo entoado. Ao chegar em Takeshima, Nissei percebeu que era o lugar com o que tinha sonhado e ergueu um templo, Kentôji, passando os três anos seguintes entalhando o mantra Namu Myôhô Renge Kyô na pedra. A ilha toda é considerada sagrada.

Além da Daimokuiwa, há ainda na ilha o templo Kentôji, criado por Nissei, uma pagoda de pedra, uma estátua de bronze de Nichiren, um monumento à Carta de Juramento e vários lugares com vistas incríveis para o lago. Tudo isso trazido ao longo dos anos para a pequena ilha

Como a ilha é bem pequena, o barco fica apenas por 30 minutos e só há um horário por dia, então cuidado para não se atrasar. Há outros horários, mas só neste você pode descer na ilha.

Ohmi Marine (Cruise ship to Takeshima island) : http://www.ohmitetudo.co.jp/marine/info-takeshima.html/

(Article by Rodrigo Brinca de Jesus Limeira)

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.