#winterblue

Hikone - Nagahama 12th January 2019

Another Japanese holiday equals another chance to explore Japan. This time we hired a car and drove the relatively short distance to Hikone. Hikone is on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa. It is home to one of the oldest constructed castles in Japan. 

After relaxing into our location on our first day the second day included a bike ride to ‘nearby’ Nagahama. So after a quick breakfast we made the most of the beautiful January morning and cycled the 15km to the curious lakeside town.

Rob loves a bit of go pro action on a bike ride...

We eventually arrived at the Nagahama castle - not the most authentic we have seen but another great view from the top.

On our return from our castle tour we found we had initiated a bike park (ours were the only two when we left them.) 

Next we headed to the black square. On route we stopped off at a cute cafe to top up our fuel levels. 

I was completely coveting this whole tea set, particularly the cute bee charm on the coaster. 

Feeling fully refreshed we went off to discover the charming heart of Nagahama; the Black Square. It had plenty of lovely shops ranging from souvenirs to artisan glassware. It had the lovely bustling feel of a section of Kyoto without the tourist madness. 

There was a lovely museum focussed on the Hikiyama festival. Every April floats act as stages for young boys to act out Kabuki plays. 

We stopped from some lunch and had to try one of the local specialities. 

Our final stop before our cycle back was to the annual Plum tree bonsai festival.

The sun began to drop towards the mountains on our way back to Hikone. A beautiful ending to the sunny winter’s day.

The next morning we arrived early to tour the national treasure; Hikone Castle.

Apparently Pokemon cause issues even in places of historical interest.

Below the castle are the Genkyuen gardens. These gardens were used by the local lord to entertain his guests with a beautiful pond, bridge and tea house. We enjoyed a green tea break in the tea house. The beautiful location was evidently popular with newly weds having their wedding photos taken. 

I enjoy using the efficient Japan postal system so was particularly impressed by this post box near Hikone Castle.

During a wander around Hikone we discovered a tanuki shop. We have seen many Tanuki statues outside businesses around Japan as they are thought to bring luck. A tanuki is based on a racoon dog type animal. The Tanuki statue has 8 main features. 

- A hat to protect against bad weather or trouble

-Big eyes, to perceive the environment and help make good decisions

- A sake bottle, representing virtue

- A big tail, providing steadiness and strength

-Oversized testicles, representing financial luck - literally golden balls!

- A promissory note for trust

- A big belly for bold and calm decisiveness 

- Finally a friendly smile. 

Rob had wanted to buy a tanuki for a while so when we discovered that these Tanuki statues originated in Shiga prefecture, about an hour from Hikone, we jumped straight in the car and headed to the Tanuki Village.

We were not disappointed!

So having a great many of Tanuki to choose from Rob decided on the biggest one we could fit in the hire car!