 Last additions - 2011 FISA World Rowing Tour at Lake Biwa, Japan |
Cormorant birds (those white specks are the birds) break off tree branches to make nests, and their acidic droppings damage the trees. However, it seems the cormorant population is decreasing and the island is showing more greenery than before.Jun 25, 2011
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Cormorant birds fly above Chikubushima, their favorite home.Jun 25, 2011
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The rear of Chikubushima island is still recovering from wilted trees caused by tens of thousands of cormorant birds.Jun 25, 2011
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Heading for Chikubushima island.Jun 25, 2011
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Jun 25, 2011
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Rowing away from Kaizu-Osaki.Jun 25, 2011
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Jun 25, 2011
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Leaving Sugaura.Jun 25, 2011
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Leaving Sugaura.Jun 25, 2011
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Rest stop in Sugaura.Jun 25, 2011
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SugauraJun 25, 2011
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Arriving at Sugaura for a rest stop. Sugaura is one of the best areas of northern Lake Biwa with a nice lakeshore road and trail almost to the tip of the peninsula. It's a quiet and scenic place.Jun 25, 2011
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Heading for Sugaura, a small lakeside village. From Sugaura, there's a scenic road going up the mountains called Oku-Biwako Parkway. Part of the road is visible here.Jun 25, 2011
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Heading for Sugaura, a small lakeside town in northern Lake Biwa.Jun 25, 2011
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Chikubushima island in the background with Mt. Ibuki, Shiga's highest mountain (in Maibara), on the right.Jun 25, 2011
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The lead boat (normally a fishing boat) leads the way.Jun 25, 2011
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The brown building is the Imazu Sun Bridge Hotel.Jun 25, 2011
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Departing Imazu.Jun 25, 2011
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Boat houses at Imazu. The boat house on the right includes two fixed-seat wooden boats based on a design dating back to 1917. Photos of fixed-seat boats here.Jun 25, 2011
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Leaving Imazu.Jun 25, 2011
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Posing at Imazu, a nice lakeside town. In June, they hold a choir contest for the Lake Biwa Rowing Song. More photos of Imazu here.Jun 25, 2011
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June 7, 2011 (Day 4): Imazu is the birthplace of the Lake Biwa Rowing Song in 1917 when Kyoto University rowers lodged here and sang the new song they had created.Jun 25, 2011
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Jun 25, 2011
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Lunch at Shirahama.Jun 25, 2011
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Shirahama Beach along the lake's western shore.Jun 25, 2011
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Final stop for the day was here at Shirahama Beach. "Shirahama" means white sand beach.Jun 25, 2011
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The western shore of Lake Biwa has many white sand beaches.Jun 25, 2011
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The torii in the water is perfectly aligned with the torii on land and the shrine's main worship hall.Jun 25, 2011
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An unusual sight indeed.Jun 25, 2011
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A busload of tourists even stopped to gawk at the spectacle of rowers around the torii.Jun 25, 2011
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People also pray at the shrine for finding a good marriage partner, conceiving a child, academic excellence (passing college entrance exams), and water/boating safety.Jun 25, 2011
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Rowing through the torii. Seta Rowing Club ground crew greet the rowers from land.Jun 25, 2011
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"Shirahige" means white beard, and so people pray here for long life and longevity. The shrine is dedicated to a god named Sarutahiko.Jun 25, 2011
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The torii is a smaller version of the much more famous one in Miyajima (Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima Prefecture). 白鬚神社Jun 25, 2011
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Shirahige Shrine's torii gate in the lake is one of Lake Biwa's best-known landmarks. It faces the shrine on land.Jun 25, 2011
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Passing by Shirahige Shrine in Takashima, western Lake Biwa.Jun 25, 2011
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Jun 25, 2011
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Omi-Maiko is famous for Japanese pine trees lining the beach.Jun 25, 2011
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Jun 25, 2011
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Omi-Maiko is Lake Biwa's most famous and popular beach. Well-known for white sands and green pine trees. In summer, people from Kyoto come here to swim and sun bathe.Jun 25, 2011
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Omi-Maiko Beach, a rest stop.Jun 25, 2011
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Rowing along western Lake Biwa. The JR Kosei Line is in the background. The Kosei Line runs from Kyoto to Imazu.Jun 25, 2011
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Rowing along western Lake Biwa.Jun 25, 2011
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Leaving beach in front of Hotel Laforet.Jun 25, 2011
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That's Hotel Laforet in the background, where the rowers stayed every night during the rowing tour and commuted to/from the rowing start/end points.Jun 25, 2011
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Leaving the beach in front of Hotel Laforet.Jun 25, 2011
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Captain's meeting.Jun 25, 2011
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June 6, 2011 (Day 3): Beach in front of Hotel Laforet.Jun 25, 2011
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Beach in front of Hotel Laforet.Jun 25, 2011
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Beach in front of Hotel Laforet.Jun 25, 2011
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Landing at the beach in front of Hotel Laforet.Jun 25, 2011
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Rowing to Hotel Laforet beach.Jun 25, 2011
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Katata is on the west end of Biwako Ohashi Bridge, opposite of Moriyama where the hotel was. The ferris wheel was part of an amusement park which closed over 10 years ago. It has been rusting and abandoned since.Jun 25, 2011
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Visit to Kuwano Rowing Boat Factory in Katata.Jun 25, 2011
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Dragon boat drummer.Jun 25, 2011
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Shiga does have dragon boat races. Dragon boats are fun because anybody can row on it.Jun 25, 2011
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Rowing on dragon boats from Ogoto to Katata.Jun 25, 2011
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Dragon boat ride at Ogoto. Ogoto is a major hot spring town.Jun 25, 2011
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Heading for Ogoto.Jun 25, 2011
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Photo taken from Omi Ohashi Bridge.Jun 25, 2011
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Omi Ohashi Bridge near Seta Rowing Club. (Not to be confused with a larger Biwako Ohashi Bridge more north.)Jun 25, 2011
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Seta Rowing Club front a small canal connected to Lake Biwa.Jun 25, 2011
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Rowers casting off at Seta Rowing Club.Jun 25, 2011
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Taiko drummers send off the rowers.Jun 25, 2011
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Captain's meeting. They wear Chinaman hats.Jun 25, 2011
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Ground staff wore bright yellow T-shirts with the Lake Biwa logo on the back.Jun 25, 2011
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"Ganbaro" means, "do your best and don't give up." This is the slogan for people affected by the earthquake and tsunami which occurred in northern Japan.Jun 25, 2011
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Ganbaro Nippon! stickers on oars.Jun 25, 2011
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The Seta Rowing Club is in eastern Otsu. It has a two-story clubhouse and an annex for storing more boats. It fronts a small canal connected to the lake.Jun 25, 2011
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The back of her kimono obi sash has a design featuring rowing geisha.Jun 25, 2011
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Seta Rowng Club members in kimono.Jun 25, 2011
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Trying the tea.Jun 25, 2011
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Koto lesson.Jun 25, 2011
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Tea ceremony and koto (Japanese harp) performance.Jun 25, 2011
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Thirty-nine rowers from overseas (12 countries, mainly Europe) and three rowers from Japan participated for a total of 42. The FISA World Rowing Tour has been held since 1971.Jun 25, 2011
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Kanpai! (Cheers)Jun 25, 2011
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Motoki Kyo, chairman of Seta Rowing Club.Jun 25, 2011
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Jens Chr. Kolberg from FISA. Leader of the rowing group. FISA is the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron, the International Rowing Federation which is the governing body for international Rowing. Jun 25, 2011
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Masaki Unose, tour director and member of the Seta Rowing Club in Otsu, gives a welcome speech. The rowing tour was organized and hosted by the Seta Rowing Club.Jun 25, 2011
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Welcome Ceremony at LaForet Hotel in Moriyama. The tour was supposed to have 60 rowers, but many cancelled due to the sensationalized Fukushima radiation scare without understanding that Shiga was unaffected.Jun 25, 2011
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June 4, 2011 (Day 1) started with a reception at LaForet Hotel in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture.Jun 25, 2011
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T-shirt with "Biwako" written was given to all rowers. "Biwako" means Lake Biwa. Rowing is most common at the southern tip of the lake, along Seta River in the capital city of Otsu. A few rowing clubs row partially around the lake. Jun 25, 2011
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June 11, 2011 (Day 8): Rowing from Moriyama to Otsu (Seta River). Shiga Prefecture is one of Japan's 47 prefectures. A prefecture is similar to a US state like California, Texas, etc.Jun 25, 2011
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June 10, 2011 (Day 7): Rowing from Hikone (Satsuma Beach) to Moriyama. Lake Biwa is Japan's largest lake in Shiga Prefecture. "Biwa" means lute. The lake has a number of unique species such as the Lake Biwa catfish.Jun 25, 2011
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June 9, 2011 (Day 6): Rowing from Nagahama to Hikone (Satsuma Beach).Jun 25, 2011
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June 8, 2011 (Day 5): Day trip to Enryakuji temple (No rowing). Photos here are shown for display purposes, not really for downloading. Rowers will receive a disc of high-resolution photos.Jun 25, 2011
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June 7, 2011 (Day 4): Rowing from Imazu to Nagahama in northern Lake Biwa. This online gallery shows only 372 photos of the rowing tour mostly taken by Seta Rowing Club members. They show only the highlights of the tour.Jun 25, 2011
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About 40 rowers from overseas rowed around Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, Japan on June 5-11, 2011 for the annual FISA World Rowing Tour held for the first time in Asia. Schedule and map for June 5, the first day of rowing. They started from Otsu. Jun 25, 2011
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June 6, 2011 (Day 3): Rowing from Moriyama to Imazu. They made history by being the largest (around 40) and perhaps only group from overseas to row completely around Lake Biwa.Jun 25, 2011
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