Otsu Things to Do

You must take the cable car & go to the top of Mt. Hiei & see the beautiful view of Lake Biwa. Lake Biwa occupies 1/6th of the area of Shiga Prefecture. It is one of the world's oldest lakes & the largest lake in Japan!
The cable car takes 10 mins each way & runs every 1/2 an hr.

Fares for the cable car:
Adults 840yen one-way, 1570yen roundtrip.
Children 420yen one-way, 790yen roundtrip.

If you are in the area & are really interested in the lake, there is the Lake Biwa Museum that you can visit. Go to www.lbm.go.jp/english for more information on the museum.

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Hiyoshi Shrine dates back to the 16th century, although the original was mentioned in the Kojiki. It was designated as one of the twenty-two top shrines in the Heian Period, so the imperial court made offerings here. It is located just below Mount Hiei. The shrine parts are divided into an "east" and "west" section. The shrine grounds are not that large, but it is a peaceful little enclave amidst the forest and it is free to roam the grounds, like most shrines.

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Miidera Temple is the fourteenth temple of the Saigoku 33 Temple Pilgrimage Route. The temple grounds are said to be one of the largest in Japan, although many of the buildings are located quite close to one another. The main hall dates back to 1599, and many of the other structures are even older. Miidera once had ties to Enryakuji Temple but later became an independent temple. The temple offers an excellent view of Lake Biwa.

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Ishiyamadera has gained famed as the thirteenth temple in the Saigoku 33 Temple Pilgrimage Route. One of the rooms in the Hondo is believed to be where Murasaki Shikibu wrote the famous Tale of Genji, considered to be the world's first novel.

The temple was built in 749. The temple grounds contain a variety of flowering plants, including cherry blossoms, so from spring to fall, it's a great place to visit! The temple has a cute little mascot that can sometimes be found near the entrance dressed in traditional Japanese court garbs.

Entrance is 500 yen.

This temple is one of the oldest temple in Japan. Located on the bank of Seta River in the south end of Otsu City. This temple was founded 1250 years ago, in AD749. This beautiful garden is one of the many gardens inside the temple.

This is the biggest lake in Japan. Otsu is not the only one city at the shore of this lake. There are many other cities such as Kusatsu, Ritto, Maibara, etc. However if you want to enjoy Lake Biwa you can start from Otsu, because this city is nearest to Kyoto and Osaka.

(Enryaku-ji temple) On top of this mountain you will find an impressive temple complex. It’s divided in 3 different areas: Todo, Saito and Yokawa. Some examples to visit: the Konpochu-do(primary central hall), the daiko-do(great lecture hall), Hokke-do(Lotus Hall) and much more. Not everything can be accessed though. Ow, don’t forget the bell... :-)

Syoro is the name of the bell on mount Hiei. If you hit it, the sound goes over the valley. Amazing....
You can hit it only one time, so be aware for the kick-back. Ow, by the way, this is a sacred thing to do, so my advice,... no funny stuff with this bell. ;-)