Shiga

Mt.Hachiman(Altitude: approx. 270m) is the site of Hachimanyama Castle. Only the stone walls of the castle remain.You can reach the summit by ropeway.Once you reach the summit, you will be greeted by a panoramic view of Lake Biwa and the city of Omi-Hachiman.

Omi-Hachiman developed as a commercial city during the Edo period(1603-1868) based on the castle town built by Toyotomi Hidetsugu.The traditional townscape still retains its old-world charm, offering views of Mt. Hachiman, which stands at an elevation of 270 meters.

This fishing village has a series of stone walls along the lakeshore and a distant view of the Hira mountains over the lake.Kaizu is one of the fishing villages in Takashima City, a picturesque place located on the west side of Lake Biwa.

If you walk a little from the Gokasyo Kondo area, you will come to the Miyasho district, where you will find the grand residence of Fujii Hikoshiro.Hikoshiro was one of the Omi merchants from Gokasyo who achieved success with hand-knitted wool and artificial twisted yarn.

The Tonomura Shigeru Residence is the birthplace and childhood home of Tonomura Shigeru.The Japanese-style architecture, with its beautiful garden visible from every room, is a sight to behold.

The Minakai Department Store chain was extremely prosperous in the Korean Peninsula and mainland China before the war.The four Nakae brothers established the Minakai Shoten store, which later developed into the large department store, Minakai Department Store.This is the main residence of the youngest of the four brothers, Nakae Jungoro, who was one of the Omi Merchants.

A walk in the Gokasho Kondo district of Higashiomi, one of the birthplaces of the Omi merchants.Omi merchants of the time would peddle their goods from this area.Their business area was all over the country.The vitality of these merchants was amazing, but even before that, their stamina to travel to distant places was also amazing.