A funny guy will lead you
on a great adventure!
What kind of adventures are they? FRIENDSHIPADVENTURES! By conquering the rapids together, newbonds of friendship will be built and they will be deeper thanpast friendships. Rafting and water tubing down the river are
MHU[HZ[PJ;OLHPYPZHS^H`ZÄSSLK^P[OM\UU`QVRLZHUKSH\NO[LY
Now you’re keen to join one of these adventures, right?

Mt. Ibuki Paraglider School

Jump from 4500 feetdown into Biwako
Mt. Ibuki is the highest mountain in Shiga Prefecture. Close
your eyes and take a deep breath at the top. The wind there
will push you into the air and gently catch you. A breathtaking
360° view of Biwako and its surroundings will unveil itself infront of your eyes. How does it feel to be one with the wind?
18

ADDRESS: 1488-2 Ueno, Maibara CityACCESS: From JR Omi-Nagaoka Sta.,pick-up bus available
PHONE: 0749-58-1382
URL: http://www.za.ztv.ne.jp/dwi4w4zc/

Friendship Adventures
ADDRESS: 6-1215-6 Nango, Otsu CityACCESS: From JR Ishiyama Sta., 15min by bus(get off at "Kaeruiwa")
PHONE: 077-533-5112
URL: http://www.friendship-adventures.com/index_eng.html

19Biwako Valley
ADDRESS: 1547-1 Kido, Otsu CityACCESS: From JR Shiga Sta., 10min by bus(get off at "Biwako Valley")
PHONE: 077-592-1155
URL: http://www.biwako-valley.com/

Not only in the summer,
but in winter too!
The best season in Shiga Prefecture isn't just summer. Let’sgo skiing with a fantastic view of Biwako in front of us. What anice idea! Or, how about trekking the mountain covered withsnow and enjoying it at your own pace? Why would you hideinside your house during this beautiful white season? Have amemorable winter near scenic Biwako.

Takashima Trail
ACCESS: (Changes following the course.
For more detail, please ask)
URL: http://www.takashima-trail.jp/

20

21Omihachiman

An exquisite balance between
Omi merchants and Mr. Vories
22

Omihachiman is a town of Omi
merchants. The retro air is created by thesite of the Omi merchant’s residencesthat line the streets. However, when
you walk around, you will catch sights
of some unexpected western-stylebuildings. These buildings were madeby the architect, William Merrell Vories,
who lived in Omihachiman. The uniquestreets come from these two different

types of buildings. Moreover, cafes,
miscellaneous shops and art museums
can be found in renovated buildings.
After you have walked around, why
don’t you take a canal tour down the“Hachimanbori”, Hachiman moat toenjoy the city from a different point ofview? In summer, the “HachimanboriFestival” is held and the moat isilluminated for two days during thisfestival every year.
Then, grab your “Tourism Passport(¥1000-)*” and enjoy a bit ofOmihachiman. Spend plenty of time andenjoy yourself. If you like, there are rental
cycles and tours available.
*Tourism Passport – a passport that allows
you to go into some tourist spots and offers
THU`ZWLJPHSILULÄ[Z23

HikoneNagahama

A casual walk in a simple calm town

Historical, but Modern

Hikone gives you a sigh of relief.
Forget your cares and have a relaxing
time. You can’t forget Hikone Castle,a magnificent white hilltop castle andnational treasure. You can have a greatview of Hikone from the top of the hill.
Its keeper “Hikonyan”, whose one of themost loved popular mascot characters
in Japan, is indispensable for Hikone.
After viewing the castle, stop at
Genkyuen, a beautiful strolling

K u ro k a b e S q u a re i s a c h a r m i n gnostalgic area in Nagahama. TheKurokabe Glass Shop, which used tobe the Kurokabe Bank, was establishedduring the Meiji Period in Japan. Due tothe black plaster used on its walls, thebank was nicknamed Kurokabe Bank(“Kurokabe” means black wall). In 1989,
it was renovated and turned into theKurokabe Glass Shop. It displays andsells glass products from Japan and24

Japanese garden with a pond in thecenter. In every season, you can feel adreamy atmosphere around the cherry
blossoms, green leaves, fall colors andsnow. The area around Hikone Castle
is also a designated special historic site
and there’s a “jinrikisha”, rickshaw, youcan ride. The rickshaw driver will guide
you around.
After you enjoy Hikone Castle, try taking
a walk down to Yume-Kyobashi Castle

Road, which has characteristics of thetown houses from the historic, EdoJapan. Here is the perfect place to restor do some shopping at the end of thetrip.

overseas. Moreover, you can take partin a workshop making glassware, whichis nearby.
This is located at the crossing of
Hokkoku-kaido Road and Otemon-doriStreet. At Hokkoku-kaido Road, there’s
a row of traditional merchant family
houses and you can see a vestige of oldNagahama. Nagahama has a famous
festival, Nagahama Hikiyama Matsuri
Festival, which has a history of over

400 years. You can learn more about it
when you go to Nagahamashi Hikiyama
Museum.
In these historical streets, you canfind some miscellaneous shops, guest
houses and you can enjoy shopping,too. When you’re hungry, there’s “YakiSaba Somen” which is a feature ofNagahama. Nagahama is a beautiful
town where the past and present agecoexist.
25

SakamotoSight of “Satobou”
stables your heart
Sakamoto is a town closely related to the Hieizan Enryakuji
Temple. Many priests of the Hieizan Enryakuji Temple live therein houses called “Satobou”. When you walk down the street`V\^PSSJH[JOZPNO[VMTHNUPÄJLU[Z[VUL^HSSZ^OPJOTHYR[OLboundaries of the Satobous.
You are allowed to go in to some of the Satobous. Many ofSatobous have beautiful traditional Japanese gardens. You canrelax in a teashop that was once a Satobou and has a greatview of a garden. Just a simple stroll through this quiet stone
town relaxes you and allows you to communicate with nature.

Shigaraki

A school loved
by the local people and enthusiasts
Toyosato has an old elementary school building which
was built in 1937. It was designed by the architect, WilliamMerrell Vories in Omihachiman. This old elementary school
was protected from demolition by the local people and wasrenovated for them to use.
Suddenly, because of a rumor that the old school building

The dotted individuality

Take a time slip
into a merchant world

Shigaraki is a town famous for its pottery and being
surrounded by beautiful nature. Shigaraki Pottery is one of thesix old kilns in Japan and features a rustic texture with a touchof the simple and quiet. The pottery on the street is a sure-tellsign that there are many craftsmen in this town.
You can take a walk down the Kamamoto Promenade Trail toA tasteful atmosphere runs through the silent town ofGokasho. Warehouses and merchant residences line the street
and watercourse, which you can see along Gokasho’s streets.
When public transportation came to Gokasho, this town
became an important part of Japan’s commerce. Some major
companies are said to have started here. The appearance is26

see the scenes or galleries of Shigaraki Pottery. When you gofrom one shop to another, you can enjoy the different creative
charm for each shop. You can enjoy the traditional and the newand innovative modern pottery. The pottery itself expresses
one’s originality. Seeing the many different types of Shigaraki
pottery is what makes Shigaraki an interesting place to visit.

Toyosato

might have been a model for the anime series “K-On!”, manyfans began to visit the site. The old school and the areas
accept those fans and together they love the Toyosato Old
Elementary School. Toyosato is a beautiful town made by thelove of “K-On!” fans and the local people.

Gokashojust as it used to look, and remains unchanged today.
You can go into some merchant residences and still feelthe old Japan. Why don’t you look back upon Japanesemerchant’s past?

27