Difference between revisions of "Otsu"

Revision as of 04:16, 22 June 2009

Ōtsu (大津) [1] is the capital of Shiga prefecture.

Get in

By plane

By train

By bus

Get around

See

• Gichu-ji Temple (義仲寺). The burial place of famed haiku poet Matsuo Basho, of Narrow Road to the Deep North fame. The temple is 300m away from JR Zeze Station (膳所駅), one stop from Otsu on the JR Tokaido Line.
• Enryakuji Temple, ☎ 077-578-0001. The head temple of Tendai Buddhism and a World Heritage Site located atop Mount Hiei.
• Ishiyama-dera, (On the Keihan Line, go to Ishiyama-dera Station. Upon exiting, go right for about 15 minutes), [2]. This temple was founded in 749 and the hondo (main hall) is the oldest building in Shiga Prefecture built 850 years ago. Inside the hondo, in the room on the right, is the "Genji Room" where it is believed Murasaki Shikibu wrote her famous book "Tale of Genji", considered to be the world's first novel. The temple precints are quite large, with a 750 year old pagoda and Muyu-en Garden among other things. The pathway leading to the temple is lined with cherry trees, making it especially beautiful in the spring and autumn. For those travelling on the Saigoku 33 Kannon Temple Pilgrimage, Ishiyama-dera is number 13. Entrance is ¥500.
• Miidera Temple, [3].
• Hiyoshi Taisha.

Do

Buy

Eat

• Kanekichi, [4]. Local Omi beef specialist.

• Matsukiya, [5]. Local Omi beef specialist.

Drink

Sleep

Get out

• Takashima
• Kyoto
• Omihachiman
• Hikone

Routes through Otsu

Osaka ← Kyoto ←

W  E

→ Omihachiman → Nagoya