 Most viewed - SHIGA 滋賀県 |
On the 1st floor toward the stern are these sinks next to the shower room.83 views
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The two mikoshi boats have dragon heads.83 views
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More boats to be in the procession.83 views
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Sho-ouzan float performed in Oct. 2008. 松翁山83 views
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Torch top look similar, but they are different. 83 views
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Burning miniature torches at Himure Hachimangu Shrine.83 views
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Leaving Kiyotaki amid cherry blossoms in Maibara.83 views
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Kashiwabara-juku layout in the old days. Kashiwabara-juku was Shiga's longest post town (shukuba-machi) extending to about 1.4 km. 柏原宿歴史館83 views
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Kashiwabara-juku sign.83 views
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Photo taken from Omi Ohashi Bridge.83 views
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The brown building is the Imazu Sun Bridge Hotel.83 views
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Leaving Matsubara Beach in Hikone.83 views
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Wall mural sideways, showing ninja and a river.83 views
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Near the turnstile entrance. These ninja wall murals are called "Trick Art." They look three-dimensional and you can interact with the paintings. You can pose within the painting itself. A brilliant idea. トリックアート83 views
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Suspended ninja in a painting next to the elevator. You supposed to sit on the floor and make like the ninja is coming after you.83 views
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About the temple's sumo connection.83 views
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Turn in here to go to Kannonji temple in Maibara.83 views
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Tokaido Road: Otsu83 views
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Omi-Hakkei (Eight Views of Omi 近江八景): Clearing Storm at Awazu83 views
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Inside the old Ohmi Railway Maibara Station. I liked this old building with remnants of the train line's golden age.83 views
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All the B-grade food served had some homegrown ingredient from Shiga. Whether it was Omi-gyu beef, red devil's tongue, Omi-mai rice, or Biwako fish. This is yaki-udon noodles.83 views
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Fish from Okishima island. 200 yen per pack.83 views
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Then I stumbled across this arch kite.83 views
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The Wind Goddesses are like festival princesses who pray for good wind to blow to fly the giant kite.83 views
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Very nice, especially in winter and after you go hiking on Mt. Odani.83 views
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Sad to report that this huge lotus field stopped growing and blooming from summer 2016. There is very little chance for its recovery.83 views
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Hikone Castle moat on the way to Shiga University.83 views
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About the power tiller.83 views
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You can even enter and sit in the driver's seat.83 views
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Takeshima island.83 views
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Shingu Shrine (新宮神社) near Shigaraki Station holds the annual Shigaraki Fire Festival on the fourth Sat. of July closest to July 23.83 viewsIt is a torch procession of 700 people (including children) who carry wooden torches on their shoulders from Shingu Shrine to Atago Shrine on a hill and ending at the parking lot of the Shimin Center.
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Mainichi Shimbun article (April 12, 2017) announcing our upcoming Lake Biwa Rowing Song mini concert to be held in Imazu on April 16, 2017. 83 views
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View from top floor of Hikone Castle's Nishinomaru turret.83 views
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Biwako Ohashi Bridge is a toll road (200 yen for ordinary passenger cars), but free for bicycles and pedestrians who can go on the sidewalk. There are actually two parallel bridges, making it a four-lane bridge. The additional bridge was built in 1994.83 views
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Hogonji's Shinto shrine has this iconic torii facing the lake. You can buy small clay dishes to throw at the torii. 83 viewsIf your dish goes through the torii, your wish will come through. However, most dishes never make it through the torii. They litter the ground.
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Hikone manhole with Hiko-nyan. Found in the tourist info office in Yobancho, Hikone.83 views
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Omi-Shiotsu Station with an old 111-series JR train.82 views
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Chikubushima island in the distance82 views
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Mikoshi portable shrine82 views
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Shakunage or rhododendron82 views
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In 1582, when Oda Nobunaga was assassinated in Kyoto, Lord Gamo Katahide brought Nobunaga's wife and children from Azuchi Castle to Hino Castle for their safety. The castle was abandoned in 1597.82 views
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Statue of Lord Gamou 蒲生氏郷公像82 views
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Shakunage or rhododendron82 views
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Children's procession 子供奴道中82 views
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Sandal store82 views
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Entrance hall and palanquin 玄関82 views
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Komyo ga Tsuji exhibit showing Chiyo and Yamauchi Kazutoyo82 views
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Seta no Karahashi Bridge, one of the Eight Views of Omi ( Omi Hakkei )82 views
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"Karahashi Bridge at Seta" before the new paint job in 2012.82 views
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Small shells along the river82 views
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Seta Castle site82 views
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Bishamonten Temple82 views
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Sea wall82 views
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Waiting room. Smaller than the old one. This room has been removed and replaced by a walkway to the new Mondecool Heiwado store. 82 views
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Sumiyoshi Shrine torii. Notice the torches inside the shrine. 住吉神社 MAP82 viewsEvery Jan., both this shrine and Katsube Shrine light giant torches for the festival's climax. Unfortunately, you cannot see the festival at both shrines since they are held around the same time. Sumiyoshi Shrine's fire festival is smaller with fewer (six) torches which represent the head of the slain dragon.
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阿弥陀堂82 views
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Kuri-chan bus in front of Tehara Station.82 views
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Tehara Station on the JR Kustatsu Line. 手原駅 MAP82 views
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Another sign.82 views
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Record books82 views
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View from station window. The area in front of the station is now lined with shops like Heiwado department store.82 views
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Nagahama Station before the wedding hall was built.82 views
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Anegawa River, where thousands lay dead after the battle.82 views
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The pasted pieces are laid to dry.82 views
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A plastic bucket (the same kind used when you take a bath) with paint and a brush is used.82 views
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Spots of white are made on purpose to give a brush stroke effect.82 views
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The red and ornage colors are painted first on the kite, while the black and gray colors are painted later.82 views
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The sketch of the hawk is completed.82 views
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This intricate bamboo frame supports the kite paper so it does not flap around like normal paper.82 views
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Wing82 views
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Ice sculpture of two rats. 2008 is the year of the rat.82 views
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Omikuji tied on tree branches82 views
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Fire bringing warmth82 views
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Hachiman Jinja Shrine Honden main hall is a Shiga Prefecture Cultural Property.82 views
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Ohmi Railways Echigawa Station platform.82 views
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Omi Hemp Fabric Museum offer hands-on lessons to make small hemp fabric goods. Closed weekends and national holidays. 近江上布伝統産業会館82 views
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City logo82 views
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Model of a pack-horse puller called "mago." He made a living renting his horse to carry luggage and people along the old Tokaido Road. They sang songs like the Suzuka Mago-uta while going over the difficult Suzuka Pass. 馬子82 views
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Inside Tokaido Tenmakan Museum. The first floor has a large display case showing a model of Tsuchiyama-juku.82 views
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A few videos about Tsuchiyama and the Tokaido can be viewed.82 views
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Painting on bridge wall82 views
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Tamura Shrine is in lush woods. Shrine office on left. 田村神社82 views
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Takamiya Post Office and a giant torii for Taga Taisha Shrine.82 views
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Taga Taisha's first torii. Takamiya-juku was also the entry town to Taga Taisha Shrine in neighboring Taga town.82 views
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Signs next to the torii82 views
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Kamiko Memorial82 views
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Takamiya temple82 views
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Poster for the annual Suzuka Mago-uta Song Contest held in Tsuchiyama in June. The picture shows a pack-horse puller (mago) going over Suzuka Pass. The song also mentions Seki-juku in Mie Prefecture where they have a song museum.82 viewsOver 100 contestants sing the same pack-horse puller's song all day long at the Ai no Tsuchiyama Bunka Hall.
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"Ai no Tsuchiyama" is a phrase you will see most often. But no one knows for sure what it means. There are numerous theories. "Ai" could mean "in-between," "love," "koi fish," or "soon"...82 viewsPhoto of a display panel at the Tsuchiyama Tokaido Tenmakan Museum.
Entire lyrics of Suzuka Mago-uta song in Japanese:
○坂は照る照る 鈴鹿は曇る あいの土山 雨が降る
○馬がもの言うた 鈴鹿の坂で お参宮上﨟（おさん女郎）なら 乗しょと言うた
○坂の下では 大竹小竹 宿がとりたや 小竹屋に
○手綱片手の 浮雲ぐらし 馬の鼻唄 通り雨
○与作思えば 照る日も曇る 関の小万の 涙雨
○関の小万が 亀山通い 月に雪駄が 二十五足
○関の小万の 米かす音は 一里聞こえて 二里ひびく
○馬は戻（い）んだに お主は見えぬ 関の小万が とめたやら
○昔恋しい 鈴鹿を越えりゃ 関の小万の 声がする
○お伊勢七度 おたがわ八度 関の地蔵は 月参り
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Monument dedicated to Shiga Prefectural police officers.82 views
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Since 2004, Kami-nyu in Samegai, Maibara grows tulips every spring for tourists. Kami-nyu Tulip Festival is also held on a Sunday with food booths and stage entertainment. 82 views
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Rainbow trout must be happy to be swimming in such clean water.82 views
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Imazu Junior High School female students rowing in the 3rd Imazu Regatta.82 views
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Sports Recreation Shiga 2008 opening ceremony at Kibogaoka Park, Yasu on Oct. 18, 2008. It was a sunny, cloudless day, and quite hot in sun. スポレク滋賀 開会式82 views
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Outside the hall were a few food booths and Spo-rec mascot Caffy walking around.82 views
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Awards ceremony with the winning teams on stage.82 views
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Banners line the way back to Maibara Station.82 views
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During the closing ceremony, Maibara Mayor Michio Hirao offer congratulations.82 views
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The summit82 views
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Also T-shirts.82 views
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Brayden Bilbe for free throw.82 views
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The cheerleaders all look nice and pretty, but it's hard to tell them apart. They look almost the same. They all have long, black hair (which often cover their faces), all slender, and about the same height and weight.82 views
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Southern Lake Biwa82 views
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Scoreboard82 views
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Start line. Note that you will need to apply for and obtain a permit to photograph the motor boat races. Otherwise, they will stop you from shooting.82 views
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Lake Biwa as seen from Nishinomaru.82 views
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Ray Schafer is the tallest on the team at 213 cm.82 views
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Mishima Pond Visitors' Center82 views
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Ray gives a very high, high five.82 views
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The Shinto ceremony ended and the shrine priest and co. emerged from the shrine and headed to the stage.82 views
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The Hana-yakko part of the procession was included during the late Edo Period, designed to liven up the festival.82 views
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For the Ogi-no-Mai (Folding Fan Dance), he holds a folding fan and a gohei sacred staff. The Miko-no-Mai, Suzu-no-Mai, and Ogi-no-Mai trio of Chigo-no-Mai dances are also called Sanyaku-no-Mai (三役の舞). 稚児の舞 扇の舞82 views
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Near the entrance to Niu Shrine was one of the three festival floats (called dashi 山車 or hikiyama 曳山) named Juhozan (寿宝山). The festival started at 10 am with a Shinto ceremony at the shrine.82 views
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Musical instruments and costumes used in the festival are also displayed.82 views
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At 1:45 pm, the lunch break was over and the three floats proceeded down the road and back. This was the main (but short) course for the float procession and a major photo op in front of the museum.82 views
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One mikoshi arrives at Kaizuten Shrine.82 views
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They run around the shrine with the mikoshi and shout.82 views
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Makino Highland. MAP82 views
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At times, the priest would give advice to the boy. 82 views
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The first cut. The knife is about 45 cm long and the chopsticks over 40 cm long.82 views
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Before leaving Ozu Wakamiya Shrine, the boys performed their naginata dance which were more acrobatic than a dance.82 views
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At the entrance of Agri-Park Ryuo is a dragon statue. The dragon is a symbol of Ryuo which means Dragon King.82 views
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After a wooded path, you will see this.82 views
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Getting ready for the procession from Minakuchi Shrine to the Otabisho.82 views
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Prayers at the Otabisho.82 views
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Tamachi-Katamachi float's flute players. Each float's musicians practice playing the Minakuchi-bayashi festival music every night from late March.82 views
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Gofuku-machi hikiyama 呉服町82 views
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Kids gathered to caryy their mikoshi portable shrine.82 views
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Minakuchi Hikiyama Festival is famous for Minakuchi-bayashi festival music with flutes, taiko drums, and bells. During the festival eve, they play the music in front of their floats in the storehouse. This is Komeya-machi. 米屋町82 views
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Poor guy waiting...82 views
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Shrine priests give prayers before the procession starts.82 views
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Five hikiyama are parked in the shrine.82 views
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Walk a little further east and north to visit the former Minakuchi Public Library designed by William Vories and built in 1928.82 views
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Pipe engraved with "Minakuchi."82 views
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Basho Matsuo Haiku monument at Daikoji temple.82 views
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Minami Sanno Matsuri Festival is like a picnic under streamers called hoinobori. 82 views
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Hoinobori paper flower.82 views
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Thatched roof of Higashi Hongu.82 views
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Zeze Castle was controlled by a fudai daimyo, a lord with close ties to the Tokugawa. It was considered a strategic location being close to the Tokaido Road and Seta-no-Karahashi Bridge. 82 views
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Mt. Ibuki82 views
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Green Park Santo: Spark Santo. Large indoor space. Venue for the annual Bonbai (Bonsai Plum Tree) exhibition during Jan. to March.82 views
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Lodging82 views
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Mt. Hinodeyama with Hinode Jinja Shrine holds an annual sumo festival on the third Mon. of Sept. It features mainly children's sumo and a sumo jinku dance by about 16 men. 82 viewsFor the sumo festival, the sumo ring is decorated with four pillars and pieces of cloth. Near JR Sakata Station (Hokuriku Line) in former Omi-cho town.
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The men performing the ring-entering ceremony for the west side.82 views
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bj-league commissioner Kawachi Toshimitsu gives a few words to open the game.82 views
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Halftime entertainment by Hannaryz cheerleaders.82 views
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Lakes still leading in the 3rd period.82 views
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Mike Hall and Lakestars head coach Robert Pierce.82 views
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Lakestars boosters.82 views
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Bob Pierce82 views
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Another slingshot.82 views
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Mike Hall82 views
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Final score: Hannaryz 73, Lakestars 82. I can sympathize with Kyoto losing its debut game in the bj-league. The Lakestars also lost its debut game a year ago.82 views
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Joho was the Lakestars' crowd favorite. They were shouting his name (JOHO! JOHO!) a few times, even after the game ended.82 views
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Yogo mountains82 views
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Another worn out monument on Shizugatake.82 views
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Hiking trail to Lake Yogo.82 views
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Singer Hashi Yukio then appeared on stage.82 views
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Julius Ashby82 views
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Dragon dance82 views
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At the end of the pine tree path, the second torii is red, right after the Taikobashi Bridge.82 views
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Many of the mikoshi are for children. The mikoshi come from smaller shrines in the area related to Hyozu Taisha.82 views
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Sakata Shinmeigu Shrine Yakko-buri, Maibara, Shiga82 views
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Oarahiko Shrine worships Toyoki-iri-Hiko-no-Mikoto (豊城入彦命), Oaradawake-no-Mikoto (大荒田別命), and the four gods related to the Sasaki clan who ruled Omi (Shiga) in the 14th century.82 views
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Oarahiko Shrine was originally established to appease the god to prevent flooding from local rivers. The Sasaki clan worshipped here whenever they went off to war and when they returned triumphantly.82 views
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Capping the day's events was the Takatora Taiko troupe from Tsu. 高虎太鼓82 views
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Looking at plankton through a microscope.82 views
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Shrine maidens82 views
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First was a children's mikoshi (portable shrine).82 views
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A yakata-bune shrine boat passes under Seta-no-Karahashi Bridge. This festival reminded me of the Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka, but on a smaller scale.82 views
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Maibara Hikiyama Matsuri has three ornate floats, but usually only two of them appear in the festival. Both floats feature boys performing kabuki at few locations in the Maibara neighborhood shown here.82 views
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Started in the 18th century, the Maibara Hikiyama Matsuri was inspired by the Nagahama Hikiyama Matsuri which is a larger festival with boys performing kabuki on ornate floats. Path to Yutani Shrine.82 views
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Fortunately, the rain stopped and they took of the vinyl sheet and started the kabuki performance at Yutani Shrine.82 views
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Beyond Hakuunbashi Bridge, the moat goes to Kawara Roof Tile Museum and the moat boat dock. The cherry trees also stop, but there a few more on the far end of the most.82 views
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There are torches for the villages which partake in this festival. This is in front of Taneya, a local confection shop.82 views
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Very artistic and aesthetic.82 views
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This is in front of Taneya. 82 views
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Then they had smaller torches being dragged around by small groups of men and boys.82 views
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They light it from the top.82 views
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Kyogoku Takatsugu's grave.82 views
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Free moxa cautery treatments at Ibuki-do during Yaito Matsuri, Kashiwabara-juku. You can hardly feel anything. 伊吹堂亀屋佐京商店82 views
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