【滋賀旅vlog】近江八幡、水郷の城下町を子どもと観光、ラコリーナ、八幡山、屋形船で八幡堀巡り

【滋賀旅vlog】近江八幡、水郷の城下町を子どもと観光、ラコリーナ、八幡山、屋形船で八幡堀巡り

Please enable subtitles. Hello from the Shinkansen. Today, we are embarking on a short trip in early autumn. The rice harvest is over, and the weather is gradually cooling. We transfer to the JR Biwako Line and head to our destination. The blue sky is beautiful, making it a perfect day for travel. We are in Omihachiman, Shiga Prefecture. Omihachiman City is located northeast of Osaka and Kyoto, adjacent to the east of Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake. With easy access from major cities, it’s the perfect place for a short trip. Omihachiman originated as a castle town around Hachimanyama Castle, built in 1585. Even after the castle was demolished, it developed as a merchant town. Along the canal, beautiful old townscapes remain, Tourist attractions include Himure Hachiman Shrine and Hakuunkan. La Collina , run by Shiga Prefecture-based confectionery manufacturer Taneya, is also a popular tourist spot. Taking the bus from Bus Stop No. 6 in front of the station, our first stop was a blue sky and a rural landscape. La Collina is a facility operated by the confectionery manufacturer Taneya. Taneya was founded in Omihachiman in 1872. This flagship store, opened in 2015, is named “La Collina” (meaning “hill”) in Italian. Pebbles were scattered like stars beneath the grassland-like roof . The roof appears to have an automatic watering system, with dripping water resembling raindrops. La Collina’s concept is “learning from nature.” My children were fascinated by the insects and frogs that lived there, saying, “The frogs were the most fun thing of the trip.” Club Harie’s Baumkuchen is the Taneya Group’s signature product. Baumkuchen grows gradually as each ring is added. It was fascinating to learn how Baumkuchen is made. This whole Baumkuchen is a luxury item, costing over 30,000 yen. La Collina also has a cafe and food court, so We look for a place to have a snack. The impressive space includes a double-decker bus had a bakery and a confectionery shop, but there was nothing we wanted to eat. In the end, we bought soft-serve ice cream at the food court. It came with Club Harie sables, which I was happy about. It was not too sweet and was refreshing and delicious, but Kids seem to prefer sweeter soft-serve ice cream. This manufacturer’s products are intended for gifts, the flavor is geared toward adults. A cute bus stop. Next, we headed to Mt. Hachiman. To get to Mt. Hachiman, we passed through this torii gate. We took the ropeway to the summit. The round-trip ticket cost 950 yen for adults (480 yen for children). The blue of the sky and the shape of the clouds gave off a hint of autumn, different from summer. We headed to the observation deck to see Lake Biwa. After passing through the lush mountain path, a spectacular view unfolded before us. It was a beautiful sunny day. We could see all the way to the opposite shore of Lake Biwa. There was also a cat on the observation deck. Its ears were clipped, suggesting it was a “chiiki neko (community cat)”. It wasn’t a pet, but it was cared for by the local community . When it was neutered, a clip was made on the tip of its ear as a mark. There were three other cats in total, and they were being fed by local person. We decided to circle the summit and return to the ropeway station. Hachimanyama Castle was built in 1585. Formerly, Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s nephew, Toyotomi Hidetsugu, ruled the castle. However, with the birth of Hideyoshi’s son, Toyotomi Hideyori, in 1593, Hidetsugu’s position within the Toyotomi clan gradually deteriorated. After falling from political power, he committed suicide in 1595 at the young age of 28. Hidetsugu’s family was subsequently executed, and Hachimanyama Castle was demolished. Currently, Zuiryuji Temple, Hidetsugu’s family temple, stands on the castle site. Trees growing between the stone walls exude the strength of nature. The colorful lanterns are adorable. I also got a commemorative stamp. Hakuunkan was built as an elementary school in 1877 (Meiji 10). Its construction costs were covered by donations from Omihachiman merchants. Omi merchants were not only wealthy but also dedicated to charitable activities. It’s a lovely building with a unique blend of Japanese and Western styles. True to its name, “White Cloud House,” its white walls stand out against the blue sky. It now serves as a tourist information center, and is open to the public. Inside, there’s a souvenir shop and pamphlets for tourists, as well as a rest area, restrooms, and coin lockers. Today, we checked into our hotel. I requested an extra bed be added to our twin room. The room appears to have been renovated, and the facilities are new and clean. For dinner, I ordered a takeout Omi beef yakiniku bento from a teppanyaki restaurant on the top floor of the hotel. It’s difficult to plan a night out with kids, so I chose this hotel for its excellent restaurant options. (The hotel had three restaurants.) It also included red konjac, a specialty of Shiga Prefecture. On our second day, we visited Hachimanbori canal. Hachimanbori is the canal connecting Lake Biwa. Thanks to this canal, Omihachiman flourished as a merchant town. While I thought the road had a lovely atmosphere, it turned out to be quite difficult… Let’s cross slowly. Finally , I caught up with my kids. The houseboat has a low ceiling, so if you’re not careful, you might hit your head. The boat fare is 1,500 yen for adults (1,000 yen for children), and payment is cash only. In the past, the water level of Lake Biwa was higher than it is now, and water apparently reached the top of this stone wall. Maybe because they were kids, they managed to get a special seat right at the front. A rowboat came into view. It seemed like the rowboat was operated by a different company than the houseboat. The autumn flowers blooming along the river created a lovely atmosphere. It was cloudy today, so I’m glad I took the ropeway yesterday. After passing under the bridge and the temple, we made a U-turn and headed back toward the old town. Whether you sit on the left or right side, you can enjoy the scenery on both sides of the river on the way there and back. When I planned this autumn trip, I initially thought I’d go to Kyoto. However, I thought Kyoto is currently overcrowded and it would be difficult to travel with children, so I decided to go to Shiga Prefecture instead. It turned out to be a good choice. I enjoyed a relaxing trip with our kids. We also visited Himure Hachimangu Shrine, the origin of the town’s name, Omihachiman. This shrine has a history of over 1,000 years, and the grounds were quiet. I spotted several children celebrating their Shichi-Go-San ceremonies, which was adorable. This was the main store of Nishikawa Futon (founded in 1566) and the residence of a representative Omi merchant. Next to the Nishikawa residence is the “Statue of William Merrell Vories and a Young Girl.” He came to Japan from the United States as an English teacher in 1905 and contributed greatly to the development of Omihachiman as an architect and businessman. With children, there’s no time to leisurely stroll around and sample local delicacies, but I was determined to try the Omi beef skewers. As I strolled through the quiet, old townscape, I cherished the memories of my trip.

滋賀県の近江八幡へ、一泊で旅行へ行ってきました。
すごく良いところでした。
I went on tow days trip to Omihachiman in Shiga Prefecture.
It was a really nice place.

Time Stamps / 目次;
0:00 – Intro / イントロ
0:26 – About Omi-hachiman / 近江八幡へ
2:06 – La Collina / ラコリーナ
5:55 – Mt, Hachiman Castle Luins / 八幡山展望台
9:38 – White Cloud House ~ Hotel New Omi/ 白雲館～ホテルニューオウミ
12:09 – Hachimanbori Canal / 八幡堀巡り
15:48 – Himure Hachimangu ~ Old Town / 日牟禮八幡宮～新町通り

Google maps;
・La Collina / ラ コリーナ近江八幡
https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E3%83%A9+%E3%82%B3%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8A%E8%BF%91%E6%B1%9F%E5%85%AB%E5%B9%A1/@35.1458481,136.0920053,16z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x6001799c015a68f7:0xee6919e95d42bbd2!8m2!3d35.1488952!4d136.0913848!16s%2Fg%2F11b6wlw8yv?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
・Mt. Hachiman Castle Ruins / 近江八幡山城跡
https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E8%BF%91%E6%B1%9F%E5%85%AB%E5%B9%A1%E5%B1%B1%E5%9F%8E%E8%B7%A1/@35.1490354,136.0783644,14.75z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x6001795c8679ef79:0xf6b784f8e86cc4e7!8m2!3d35.1439245!4d136.0829194!16s%2Fg%2F11s9tnh5zg?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
・White Cloud Hause / 白雲館
https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E7%99%BD%E9%9B%B2%E9%A4%A8/@35.1378557,136.0842741,16z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x600179833f300001:0x27a90f8f1027ff88!8m2!3d35.1393943!4d136.0909022!16s%2Fg%2F11ckxwwdvg?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
・Hotel New Omi / ホテルニューオウミ
https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E3%83%9B%E3%83%86%E3%83%AB%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AA%E3%82%A6%E3%83%9F/@35.1370832,136.0855608,14z/data=!3m1!5s0x60017bcf406110a3:0xfdd20a45b91e8467!4m9!3m8!1s0x60017bcf407de11d:0x9360c6158384a502!5m2!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d35.1243437!4d136.1029113!16s%2Fg%2F1tmpkf46?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
・Hachimanbori Canal Boat Tour / 八幡堀めぐり屋形船
https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E5%85%AB%E5%B9%A1%E5%A0%80%E3%82%81%E3%81%90%E3%82%8A/@35.141727,136.0806125,15.75z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x60017982d2545b51:0x5b481604f1f064ba!8m2!3d35.1402649!4d136.0915186!16s%2Fg%2F1vcl3p36?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
・Himure Hachimangu Shrine / 日牟禮八幡宮
https://www.google.com/maps/place/%E6%97%A5%E7%89%9F%E7%A6%AE%E5%85%AB%E5%B9%A1%E5%AE%AE/@35.1431229,136.0762894,15.25z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x6001799b618b7c17:0xfe4b586ca4f865e2!8m2!3d35.141045!4d136.089633!16s%2Fg%2F120kyyfv?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAxNC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D