Otsu Travel Guide

  Ishiyama-dera's Mascot
by Rabbityama
 
  • Ishiyama-dera's Mascot
      Ishiyama-dera's Mascot
    by Rabbityama
  • Garden in Ishiyamadera
      Garden in Ishiyamadera
    by Rabbityama
  • Pathway to Ishiyamadera
      Pathway to Ishiyamadera
    by Rabbityama
  • Inside Ishiyamadera Temple
      Inside Ishiyamadera Temple
    by Rabbityama
  • Room where Tale of Genji was written
      Room where Tale of Genji was written
    by Rabbityama
 

Explore Otsu

Things to Do  

Enryakuji Temple

Enryakuji Temple, Otsu

 Rabbityama Says:  Located atop Mount Hiei, Enryakuji Temple is the head temple of the Tendai Buddhist sect, a World Heritage Site, and one of the top three holy grounds in Japan (the others being Mount Osore and Mount Koya). Although it is considered to be a single temple, Enryakuji is... 

Go to the top!!

Go to the top!!, Otsu

 heywinks Says:  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... 

Hiyoshi Shrine

Hiyoshi Shrine, Otsu

 Rabbityama Says:  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... 

Miidera Temple

Miidera Temple, Otsu

 Rabbityama Says:  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... 

Ishiyamadera Temple

Ishiyamadera Temple, Otsu

 Rabbityama Says:  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... 

Ishiyamadera Temple

Ishiyamadera Temple, Otsu

 widhiartha Says:  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. 

Ishiyamadera Main Pagoda

Ishiyamadera Main Pagoda, Otsu

 widhiartha Says:

Ishiyamadera Gate

Ishiyamadera Gate, Otsu

 widhiartha Says:  This is the gate of Ishiyamadera Temple 

Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa, Otsu

 widhiartha Says:  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. 

Mount Hiei

Mount Hiei, Otsu

 woef Says:  (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... 

Syoro (bell)

Syoro (bell), Otsu

 woef Says:  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. ;-) 

World class art museum

World class art museum, Otsu

 susumu Says:  If you're into art, the Miho Museum will blow your mind.The building is away from the city of Otsu, tucked into the mountains. It was designed by I.M. Pei, the guy who did the Bank of China in Hong Kong, and the Pyramid in the Louvre Museum in Paris. It is in itself, a work... 

Enryaku-ji Temple Complex

Enryaku-ji Temple Complex, Otsu

 heywinks Says:  There is no one temple named Enryaku-ji, but a temple complex. In Dec 1994, Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei was registered by UNESCO as a World Cultural Asset. It was originally a monastery, built by Saicho Dengyo Daishi in the 8th century.There are temple complexes scattered on... 

Hotels  

Auberge Meson

 1 Opinions

Otsu Prince Hotel

 16 Opinions

See all 55 Hotels in Otsu

Transportation  

Getting to and Around Otsu

Getting to and Around Otsu, Otsu

 Rabbityama Says:  Otsu is right next to Kyoto, so for most travelers it is very convenient and easy to reach. From Kyoto you can take the Subway Tozai Line to Hamotsu Station or the JR Biwako Line to Otsu Station.From the East, you can take the Shinkansen to Maibara Station and then JR... 

Ohmi Ohashi Bridge

Ohmi Ohashi Bridge, Otsu

 widhiartha Says:  This 1 km long bridge above Lake Biwa connects western and eastern part of Otsu. 

Cable car

Cable car, Otsu

 woef Says:  The easiest way to get to the top of mount Hiei is by cable car.It will cost you 1570 Yen for a roundtrip. They go every half hour. 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Otsu: Not really a dangerous place

Otsu:  Not really a dangerous place, Otsu

 susumu Says:  I used to live in Otsu for a couple of years, and it was always very safe. There're a couple of things though that I'd describe more as annoyances.First, those ultra-nationalist guys. It's easy to recognize them because they always travel in black vans with flags and many... 

Tourist Traps  

Michigan

Michigan, Otsu

 A2002 Says:  I think that it is a tourist trap to go on this cruise cos it is expensive (JPY5000 per person) with low quality food. It was a "buffet" dinner. Inverted commas because if you do not rush to the food table before everyone else does, you will end up with cheap food nobody... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Favourite place for fisher

Favourite place for fisher, Otsu

 widhiartha Says:  Lake Biwa, especially at Otsu part, is the favourite place for fishing for Kansai people. You can easily get many big and fresh fish in this lake. You can do fishing from the shore or rent small boat to go fishing at the middle of the Lake. You also can do picnic with your... 

Favorites  

Just a nice walk

Just a nice walk, Otsu

 susumu Says:  Otsu itself is not a great tourist destination. However, it's very close to Kyoto (about 20 minutes by train), which has hundreds of places of interest.If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed by the Kyoto temples and museums, you might want to hop into the train and head for... 

The Place

Plan a Otsu vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Otsu locals

Experience Otsu
  •   23 Tips and Reviews
  •  36 Photos
  Share your Travels  
Map of Otsu
 

The People

2 Members Live Here
 
Our Members Say
 profile photo

 The easiest way to get to the top of mount Hiei is by cable car.It will cost you 1570 Yen for a roundtrip. They go every half hour. 

2 members live in Otsu

 

Question about Otsu?

Our members can help!

postQuestion_button

Top Otsu Writers

1

A BEAUTIFUL VIEW & EXQUISITE TEMPLE COMPLEX

heywinks profile photo

 I spent my 28th birthday here! It was my first time to Shiga prefecture & I came here to see Mt. Hiei & Enryaku-ji Temple. It took a long time for me to get here from where I lived in Japan (Himeji)... 

2

Lakeside City Otsu

Rabbityama profile photo

 Otsu is a historical city bordering Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. The city extends around the lake along with the railways, so it's quite easy to see the sites in Otsu. It also helps that it... 

3

The capital of Shiga perfecture

widhiartha profile photo

 Otsu is the capital and largest city in the Shiga prefecture. This prefecture is famous for Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. It quiet place, if you expect a metropolitan place you will not find... 

4

Otsu

woef profile photo

 I've got some interesting experiences in Otsu. I'd love to share with you the 3 tips I've written, the 4 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created. 

5

Otsu (pronounced as Otz).

A2002 profile photo

 Otsu is just beside Lake Biwako, the biggest lake in Japan. One of the attraction in Otsu seems to be only the "Michigan". A leisure cruise with buffet meal. The tour guide told us that there used to... 

View all rated pages

View newest pages

Build your own Otsu page