Otsu
Introduction
Ōtsu is the capital of Shiga Prefecture, Japan, and the seat of the prefectural government. The city covers a wide area of roughly 464 square kilometres, and its residents are spread across more than 150,000 households.
Before you go
Before you go, it is worth knowing that the local tourist association maintains a multilingual guide site, which is a useful starting point for planning your trip.
Getting there
Ōtsu is served by two airports in the Osaka area: Kansai Airport and Itami Airport. From Kansai Airport, take the JR Haruka Limited Express to Kyoto, then change to a local train to Ōtsu. From Itami Airport, you can take an airport limousine bus to Shin-Osaka and continue by JR train to Ōtsu, or take a bus to Kyoto and then a JR train to Ōtsu.
By rail, the JR Biwako Line runs from Osaka and Kyoto to Ōtsu station. The Keihan tram lines — the Keishin Line and the Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line — are a convenient alternative for getting around the area, converging at Biwako-Hamaōtsu near Lake Biwa. You can change between the JR and Keihan lines at Yamashina, Zeze and Ishiyama; Yamashina is just one stop from Kyoto Station on the JR. Kyoto's Tōzai Line subway also runs through to the Keihan Keishin Line from central Kyoto, which is convenient if you are connecting from the Keihan Main Line at Sanjō station.
Getting around
< p>Trains are the backbone of getting around Otsu, and two operators serve the city. JR West's Biwako Line links Maibara, Otsu and Kyoto, with stations including Otsu, Zeze, Ishiyama and Seta; Otsu Station is the city's central railroad station, while Ishiyama is the busiest. The JR Kosei Line runs north along the lake through Otsukyo, Karasaki, Hieizan Sakamoto, Ogoto-onsen and Katata. Keihan Electric Railway runs two interurban lines that are especially handy for sightseeing: the Keishin Line from Otsu to Kyoto, and the Ishiyama Sakamoto Line, which runs entirely within Otsu and connects each end of the city, so wherever you are there will likely be a station nearby. The two Keihan lines converge at Biwako-Hamaotsu, close to Lake Biwa, making it a natural transfer point. You can change between JR and Keihan at Yamashina, Zeze or Ishiyama; Yamashina is one stop from Kyoto Station on the JR. Note that the Tōkaidō Shinkansen passes through Otsu but stops at no station in the city. Kyoto's Tōzai Line subway runs through onto the Keihan Keishin Line from central Kyoto, which effectively extends the metro network into Otsu without a change of train. < p>Buses fill in where the rails do not reach and are also the link to the airports. Local bus services are the practical way to reach areas away from the rail corridors, and airport limousine buses connect Itami Airport with both Shin-Osaka and Kyoto, from which you continue by train. For the Mount Hiei side of the city, the Sakamoto Cable is a funicular running from Cable Sakamoto Station to Cable Enryakuji Station, entirely within Otsu, with intermediate stops at Hōraioka and Motateyama. Taxis are available and are most useful for short trips where the rail network does not conveniently reach, or late at night; plan on arranging them locally or asking at your accommodation. Otsu's layout is mixed for walking: the central districts around Otsu Station and along the lakeshore are compact enough to explore on foot, but the city stretches from those lakeside areas into hilly and mountainous country to the west and south, including the Hira Mountains and Mount Hiei. Treat walking as a way to cover a single district and use trains or buses to move between districts. Buy tickets at station machines as you go; the source material does not identify a single city-wide pass, so pay per journey or use an IC card where accepted.Where to stay
For a lakeside stay, the Lake Biwa Otsu Prince Hotel offers views over the water. If you'd rather be near the train, the Apa Hotel Biwako sits close to Seta Station and is described as decent and fairly affordable. You can also base yourself at the Ogoto onsen hot spring, which has English-language information available.Food & drink
Otsu is known for Omi beef, and you can seek it out at local specialists such as Kanekichi and Matsukiya. For something different, Kaneyo is an unagi restaurant. The source lists no bars, cafés or other drinking establishments, so plan your evening drinks around what you find while exploring.What to see and do
Otsu sits on Lake Biwa, and its sights range from major Buddhist temples to Shinto shrines tied to poetry and the imperial court. On Mount Hiei, Enryakuji Temple is the head temple of Tendai Buddhism and a World Heritage Site. Near JR Zeze Station, one stop from Otsu on the JR Tokaido Line, Gichu-ji Temple is the burial place of the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō. Ishiyama-dera, reached on the Keihan Line by walking about fifteen minutes from Ishiyama-dera Station, was founded in 749; its hondō is the oldest building in Shiga Prefecture, and inside is the "Genji Room" where Murasaki Shikibu is believed to have written "Tale of Genji". The precincts are large, with a centuries-old pagoda and Muyū-en Garden, and the approach is lined with cherry trees, making it especially beautiful in spring and autumn. It is also number 13 on the Saigoku 33 Kannon Temple Pilgrimage. Other temples and shrines to visit include Miidera Temple and Hiyoshi Taisha, Takebe Shrine, once the head shrine of Omi Province, and Omi Jingu, an attractive shrine dedicated to Emperor Tenji with strong associations with the origins of the karuta game. For something on the water, take the Michigan Cruise, a cruise of Lake Biwa with on-board entertainment and food. It offers 60 minute, 80 minute and night cruises, and the boat leaves from Otsu Port. The ship's name comes from the American state of Michigan because Otsu has a sister-city relationship with the state's capital, Lansing.When to go
Ōtsu has a humid subtropical climate, so plan around warm summers and cool winters. Summer is the warmest stretch of the year, with temperatures peaking on average in August — expect heat and humidity if you visit then. Winter stays cool rather than severe: January is the coldest month on average, and snow is light to nonexistent, so cold-weather visits rarely hinge on snowfall.
Rain is the bigger variable. September is the wettest month of the year, so a trip then is the most likely to run into wet weather; if you want to minimise your chances of rain, look at months outside that window.
Three days in Otsu
Day one: Arrive at Kansai Airport and take the JR Haruka Limited Express to Kyoto, then change to the JR Biwako Line for Otsu. From Itami Airport, reach Shin-Osaka by JR and continue on the JR Biwako Line. Settle in around Hamaōtsu, on the shore of Lake Biwa, and spend your first afternoon walking the waterfront and getting your bearings.
Day two: Use the Keihan Keishin Line and the Tōzai Line to move between Kyoto and Otsu, or the JR Biwako Line for faster hops. Head to Zeze and Ishiyama, then follow the Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line north along the lake. Return via Otsu Station, where JR West services on the Biwako Line connect toward Maibara and Seta, and the JR Kosei Line runs up the western shore.
Day three: Take the Keihan Main Line toward Sanjō and Yamashina, or the JR Biwako Line back to Kyoto Station for onward trains. If you are leaving from Kansai Airport, allow time for the Haruka Limited Express; from Itami Airport, route through Shin-Osaka. Before you go, spend a last hour by Lake Biwa in Hamaōtsu.