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Shiga · Capital · Core city

Otsu

大津市おおつしŌtsu-shi

Temples and lake shore at Kyoto's back door

Otsu is the capital of Shiga Prefecture, a long city on the south-western shore of Lake Biwa directly east of Kyoto, whose territory includes Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei and the historic temples of Ishiyama-dera and Mii-dera.

Overview

Otsu follows the lake shore for more than 40 kilometres, from the Seta River in the south to the foot of the Hira mountains in the north, squeezed between the water and the ridges that separate it from Kyoto. Only a single hill – crossed by the historic Ōsaka Pass – divides it from the Yamashina district of Kyoto, and many residents commute to Kyoto and Osaka.

Its cultural weight comes from its temples. Enryaku-ji, the Tendai headquarters on Mount Hiei, lies largely within Otsu, as does Hiyoshi Taisha in Sakamoto; Mii-dera, Ishiyama-dera and the lakeside Ukimi-dō are all within the city. Enryaku-ji is part of the World Heritage site Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, which is why UNESCO names Otsu alongside Kyoto and Uji.

Otsu was briefly an imperial capital in the 7th century and later the busiest post town on the Tōkaidō, where travellers and freight transferred between lake boats and the road to Kyoto.

Landmarks

  • Enryaku-ji

    延暦寺Enryaku-ji

    Tendai headquarters spread over the Tōdō, Saitō and Yokawa areas of Mount Hiei; the Konpon Chūdō keeps a lamp said to have burned since Saichō's time.

  • Ishiyama-dera

    石山寺Ishiyama-dera

    Temple on wollastonite outcrops above the Seta River, with a National Treasure main hall and tahōtō pagoda; linked by tradition to Murasaki Shikibu.

  • Mii-dera (Onjō-ji)

    三井寺（園城寺）Mii-dera (Onjō-ji)

    Head temple of the Tendai Jimon school, with the Evening Bell of Mii – one of the Eight Views of Ōmi – and a National Treasure Kondō.

  • Hiyoshi Taisha

    日吉大社Hiyoshi Taisha

    Head of some 3,800 Hie and Sannō shrines across Japan, guardian shrine of Mount Hiei, with a distinctive torii topped by a triangular gable.

  • Ukimi-dō (Mangetsu-ji)

    浮御堂（満月寺）Ukimi-dō (Mangetsu-ji)

    Small hall built out over the lake at Katata, subject of the Eight Views scene "Descending Geese at Katata".

  • Seta no Karahashi

    瀬田の唐橋Seta no Karahashi

    Historic bridge over the Seta River, a strategic crossing in countless wars; "he who controls Seta controls the realm".

  • Lake Biwa Canal intake

    琵琶湖疏水Biwako Sosui

    Start of the Meiji-period canal that carries lake water to Kyoto, with a tunnel portal inscribed by Itō Hirobumi.

Districts

  • Sakamoto

    坂本Sakamoto

    Temple town at the foot of Mount Hiei with the dry-stone walls of the Anō masons and retired monks' residences (satobō).

  • Hama-Ōtsu

    浜大津Hama-Ōtsu

    Lakefront centre with the pier for cruise boats and the old Ōtsu-juku streets.

  • Katata

    堅田Katata

    Former lake-fishing and boatmen's community at the narrows, home of the Ukimi-dō.

  • Ogoto

    雄琴Ogoto

    Hot-spring resort on the western shore.

  • Seta and Ishiyama

    瀬田・石山Seta, Ishiyama

    Southern district along the lake's outflow, with universities and the Seta Bridge.

History

Emperor Tenji's Ōmi Ōtsu palace (667–672) gave the city its first moment of national importance. Mii-dera and Enryaku-ji became powerful – and often rival – monastic centres in the Heian period. In the Edo period Ōtsu-juku was the largest post town on the Tōkaidō and a lake port for rice from the Hokuriku. The prefectural office settled here in 1872, and the Lake Biwa Canal, opened in 1890, starts in the city. In 1891 Otsu was the scene of the Ōtsu Incident, the attempted assassination of the Russian Crown Prince Nicholas by a policeman.

  1. 667

    Emperor Tenji establishes the Ōmi Ōtsu-no-miya palace.

  2. 788

    Saichō founds the precursor of Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei.

  3. 1571

    Oda Nobunaga destroys Enryaku-ji and the temple town of Sakamoto.

  4. 1601

    Ōtsu-juku becomes a post town on the Tōkaidō under the Tokugawa.

  5. 1890

    The Lake Biwa Canal from Otsu to Kyoto opens.

  6. 1891

    Ōtsu Incident: the Russian Crown Prince is wounded by a policeman.

  7. 1898

    Otsu becomes a city.

  8. 2009

    Otsu is designated a core city.

Culture

Otsu's culture is shaped by its temples and by the lake. Ōtsu-e folk paintings, once sold to Tōkaidō travellers, remain a local emblem. The Eight Views of Ōmi – the autumn moon at Ishiyama, the evening bell of Mii, the descending geese at Katata and others – are largely set within the city. The Biwako Hall centre for the performing arts hosts opera and concerts on the lakefront.

Festivals

  • Ōtsu Matsuri

    大津祭Ōtsu Matsuri

    Autumn festival of Tenson Shrine on the weekend before Sports Day, with thirteen floats and mechanical puppet plays; an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

  • Sannō-sai

    山王祭Sannō-sai

    Hiyoshi Taisha's spring festival in April, with portable shrines carried by night and taken across the lake by boat.

  • Biwako fireworks

    びわ湖大花火大会Biwako Dai-hanabi Taikai

    Large summer fireworks display over the lake off Hama-Ōtsu.

Food

  • Funazushi

    鮒寿司funazushi

    Fermented crucian carp, the classic Lake Biwa delicacy.

  • Ōmi beef

    近江牛Ōmi-ushi

    Shiga's Wagyu, served as sukiyaki or steak.

  • Shijimi

    瀬田しじみSeta shijimi

    Freshwater clams from the Seta River, used in miso soup.

  • Sakamoto soba

    坂本そばSakamoto soba

    Buckwheat noodles served in Sakamoto's long-established shops at the foot of Mount Hiei.

Getting around

  • JR Otsu Station is two stops (about 10 minutes) from Kyoto on the Biwako Line; Zeze and Ishiyama serve the south.
  • The JR Kosei Line runs up the western shore to Katata and Ogoto-onsen.
  • The Keihan Keishin Line links Kyoto's Misasagi subway station with Hama-Ōtsu, and the Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line runs along the shore from Ishiyama-dera to Sakamoto.
  • The Sakamoto Cable, one of Japan's longest cable cars, climbs Mount Hiei from Sakamoto; from Kyoto, buses and the Eizan cable car and ropeway reach the summit.
  • Cruise boats operate on the lake from Hama-Ōtsu port.

Day trips

  • Kyoto

    The old capital, 10 minutes away by train.

  • Hikone

    Original castle keep and garden, about 50 minutes up the lake.

  • Ōmi-Hachiman

    Merchant town with canals and the ruins of Azuchi Castle nearby.

  • Uji

    Downstream along the same river system – Byōdō-in and green tea.

  • Lake Biwa

    Boat trips to Chikubu-shima and cycling around the lake.

Other cities in the prefecture

CityHikoneHikone-shiThe Ii clan's castle above Lake Biwa

Frequently asked questions

Is Enryaku-ji in Kyoto or in Shiga?

The temple complex straddles Mount Hiei, but most of its buildings, including the Konpon Chūdō, lie on the Otsu (Shiga) side. It is counted as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto World Heritage site.

How do I get to Mount Hiei from Otsu?

Take the Keihan line or JR to Sakamoto and ride the Sakamoto Cable up to the Tōdō area. Shuttle buses on the mountain connect the three precincts.

Is Otsu worth staying in instead of Kyoto?

Some visitors do, for lake views and a quieter atmosphere; Kyoto Station is only about 10 minutes away by JR.

What are the Eight Views of Ōmi?

A classic set of eight lakeside scenes, modelled on Chinese painting themes and popularised by Hiroshige, such as the autumn moon at Ishiyama and the evening bell of Mii-dera. Most are in Otsu.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
  2. 2.大津市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 大津市
  3. 3.Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  4. 4.比叡山延暦寺 (opens in a new tab) — 比叡山延暦寺

Editorial team · Published: