A scenic drive from Kyoto to Hikone castle.
July 14, 2023
“Kyōto, city, seat of Kyōto fu (urban prefecture), west-central Honshu island, Japan. It is located some 30 miles (50 km) northeast of the industrial city of Ōsaka and about the same distance from Nara, another ancient centre of Japanese culture. Gently sloping downward from north to south, the city averages 180 feet (55 metres) above sea level. Kyōto fu is at the centre of Kinki chihō (region). The city is one of the centres (with nearby Ōsaka and Kōbe) of the Keihanshin Industrial Zone, the second largest urban and industrial agglomeration in Japan.
Kyōto
Kyōto
The capital of Japan for more than 1,000 years (from 794 to 1868), Kyōto (literally, “Capital City”) has been called a variety of names through the centuries—Heian-kyō (“Capital of Peace and Tranquillity”), Miyako (“The Capital”), and Saikyō (“Western Capital”), its name after the Meiji Restoration (1868) when the imperial household moved to Tokyo. The contemporary phrase sekai no Kyōto (“the world’s Kyōto”) reflects the reception of Japanese culture abroad and Kyōto’s own attempt to keep up with the times. Nevertheless, Kyōto is the centre of traditional Japanese culture and of Buddhism, as well as of fine textiles and other Japanese products. The deep feeling of the Japanese people for their culture and heritage is represented in their special relationship with Kyōto—all Japanese try to go there at least once in their lives, with almost a third of the country’s population visiting the city annually. Several of the historic temples and gardens of Kyōto were collectively added as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. Area 320 square miles (828 square km).
Kyōto is one of the largest cities in Japan. Its population—which includes a sizable foreign community comprising mainly Koreans (many brought there forcibly during World War II), Chinese, and Americans—has remained relatively stable for a number of years. Most of the city’s residents live in the central districts, but increasingly people are moving to outlying and suburban areas.
A major item remaining on the municipal agenda has been how to assimilate the thousands of burakumin, the historical outcaste group, who live in segregated communities in the city. This has been a continuing social problem largely in the older urban areas of western Japan, particularly Kyōto, Ōsaka, and Kōbe. Despite the fact that the last discriminatory legal bars were removed in 1969, social and occupational progress has lagged.
During the millennium that Kyōto served as the nation’s capital and residence of the imperial family, it became the preserver of the Japanese “spirit.” This is exemplified in its varied and unique cultural institutions: the schools of tea ceremony (cha-no-yu) and flower arranging (ikebana); the theatrical arts of Noh, Kabuki, and traditional dance; or the masterpieces of calligraphy, painting, sculpture, and architecture that can be found everywhere in the city. Kyōto is the repository of hundreds of designated “national treasures” and “important cultural objects,” representing a significant proportion of the national total. Included among these are individuals who have been named “living national treasures” (ningen kokuhō) in recognition of their superior skills in the traditional arts and crafts.”
–https://www.britannica.com/place/Kyoto-Japan
“Located between Kyoto and Nagoya, Hikone (pronounced he-ko-neh) is a quiet town in Shiga Prefecture. On the eastern shore of Biwa Lake, Hikone was originally a market town that developed around a Buddhist temple. In the height of the Edo period, the famous Nakasendo trading route passed through Hikone, which is home to two post stations, Toriimoto-juku and Takamiya-juku.
The primary attraction is Hikone Jyo or Hikone Castle, built in the early 1600s during the Edo period and one of only five castles officially listed as a national treasure. With few exceptions, Hikone Castle is visible anywhere in town and is photo-worthy year round.
Learn more about Hikone Castle here.
Hikone’s location next to Lake Biwa makes it an ideal place for cycling and running, as well as leisurely walks. Renting a bike or joining a cycling tour is an effective way to travel around town and stop by popular sports.
Indulge in fresh seafood as well as some of the best wagyu in the country including Ohmigyu and Kobe beef. Step away from the tourist bustle of the big cities and we guarantee you’ll enjoy the most quaint and uniquely local aspects of Hikone.”
–https://www.samuraisports.org/explore/hikone/