Home > SHIGA 滋賀県 > Otsu 大津市 > Omi-Maiko and western beaches of Lake Biwa 近江舞子・湖西

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Omi-Maiko Station on JR Kosei Line. It makes it easy for people in Kyoto to visit Omi-Maiko. MAPSign says "Welcome to Omi-Maiko." Omi-Maiko was in the former town of Shiga-cho that merged into Otsu.
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Go left or right...Disobey the sign and go right to visit the main beach.
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Go left to visit the hotel
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Or go right to see the best beaches...
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White sands at Omi-Maiko, Lake Biwa.
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Great summer day for the beach at Omi-Maiko, one of the most popular and whitest beaches on Lake Biwa.
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Clear waters and beautiful Lake Biwa beach at Omi-Maiko
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Omi-Maiko
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Green pine and white sand of Omi-Maiko, Lake Biwa.
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Marker for OmatsuOmatsu is the old name for Omi-Maiko.
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Monument for Lake Biwa Rowing Song (Biwako Shuko no Uta).In June 1917, a song called Biwako Shuko no Uta (Lake Biwa Rowing Song) was composed by college student Taro Oguchi during a boat rowing trip around Lake Biwa. He was a member of the rowing club at Dai-san High School (now Kyoto University). He composed it in Imazu, Shiga Prefecture during the second night of the trip.

The song is about the boys rowing around Lake Biwa while mentioning famous places like Otsu (the starting point), Omi-Maiko (Omatsu), Imazu, Chikubushima, Nagahama, and Chomeiji.

Another boat mate matched Oguchi's lyrics to the melody based on the old song called Water Lilies as modified by a young Chiaki Yoshida. It soon became a popular dormitory song.

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Monument for Lake Biwa Rowing Song (Biwako Shuko no Uta)The song became a national hit in 1971 when singer Tokiko Kato recorded it. Numerous famous Japanese singers and groups have since released cover versions of the song. The town of Imazu even holds an annual song contest in June when choir groups from around Japan sing the song in a competition. The town even has a museum dedicated to the song.

One of the verses mentions Omatsu (now called Omi-Maiko). This monument commemorates the song and that verse.
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Manyoshu Monument
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Monument for Biwako Hakkei. "Cool Breeze on White Sands of Omatsu" is one of the Eight Views of Lake Biwa as selected in 1949.
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Omi-Maiko Beach Management Office
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Goddess for lake safety
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Attached lake behind the beach
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Parking lot entrance
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A little south of Omi-Maiko. Bicycled from Omi-Maiko and went south.
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Heron hunting for dinner.
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Kita Hira beach
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Kita Hira beach for kids.
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JR Hira Station on the Kosei Line
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JR Kosei Line near Hira.
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Matsunoura Camp grounds along Lake Biwa near Shiga Station.
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JR Shiga Station on the Kosei Line.
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Juge Shrine near Shiga Station
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Sailboats and Lake Biwa manhole for Shiga-cho in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.
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Manohama Beach
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Manohama Beach
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Manohama Beach
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Lake monitoring station
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Water skier on Lake Biwa
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Sailboats on Lake Biwa
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Yachting and rowing on Lake Biwa.
     
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