Hikone city was originally a castle town during the Edo period. Facing Lake Biwa, this area is abundant in nature. There are still many cultural and historical heritage sites, including Hikone Castle.  Various cultures have emerged in this castle town, including Japanese sweets, Koto Ware, Akadama Shinkyogan as a crude drug, and an Hikone Buddhist altar. In this issue, we will focus on Hikone city, and introduce Hikone's culture and history in the form of interview articles.

This issue features Saba Kaido Road. The Saba Kaido Road refers to the road used to transport mackerel caught in Wakasa Bay from Obama in Fukui Prefecture to Kyoto in the capital. There are several roads called Saba Kaido Road, but the most famous route is from Obama, Fukui to Oharaguchi in Kyoto via Kumagawa-juku and Ohara. It is said that the mackerel were salted to preserve them on their journey from Obama to Kyoto, and when they arrived in the capital, they tasted even better than when they were fresh.

In this issue, we visited and interviewed the shop owners and people preserving Japanese culture along the Saba Kaido Road, mainly in Obama City. Obama is a port town facing Wakasa Bay. In the past, the mackerel were plentiful and the port was lively. Even today, it retains the appearance of the old port town and we can enjoy the charm of the culture.

In this issue, we interviewed six people on the theme "Living Wooden Culture of Lake Biwa" and presented articles that delved into the vibrant scene there. We featured six experts are those who are familiar with wooden and culture around Lake Biwa and are active in their respective fields. The area around Lake Biwa is rich in nature. In particular, forest areas make up half of Shiga Prefecture. Since ancient times, Japanese people have lived and worked on the heavily forested mountains, made wooden tools, and lived with wooden items in their lives. From woodcarving and woodturning to old and new Japanese-style houses, and gardens, both old and new, we can see that wood has always been an essential part of Japanese life. This time, we talked with the experts about Japanese wood culture that closely relates to our life. From these interviews, I hope that you can feel the rich life of Japanese woods through photographs.

Issue 5 is a special feature about food culture in Shiga prefecture. We interviewed six people. The first one is Mr. Yoshio Okumura of Okumura Tsukudani. The second person is Mr. Nishikawa of Marutake Omi Nishikawa. The third person is Mr. Shigeru Okumura of the Okishima Fisheries Cooperative Association. The fourth person is Mr. Wakai of Wakai Farm. The fifth person is Ms. Kitamura of the Original Maker, Kitashina Shop (Sohonke, Kitashina Shinise). The sixth person is Mr. Ogura of Yaoyo. I am happy to share with readers the depth of food culture in Shiga Prefecture and the passion of these six people.

Issue 4 focuses on Nagahama city's culture and history. We have interviewed three people involved in preserving cultural traditions in Nagahama. The first person is Mr. Atsushi Oda of Nagahama Hachimangu Shrine. The second one is Mr. Shigehito Yoshii of Nagahama City Project Co., Ltd. The third interviewee is Ms. Yuuko Yamaji of Yamaji Brewery Inc.

What kind of traditional crafts around Lake Biwa exist now? This issue covers Otsu-e painting, the Umpei Brush, the Takashima folding fan, and the Obata doll. Most articles are in interview form. People who responded to this interview in this issue are four people who are engaged in traditional crafting around Lake Biwa. Finally, a series article of the walking path. Here we visited Tennenzugatei (Isome-shi Garden) in Otsu city and the owner showed us his house and garden.

One feature of this issue is its special focus on water and culture. In the rich water resources of Lake Biwa, people make a living by making products and things that take advantage of the water. For example, for food, water is a decisive factor in taste. There are some sacred places on the lakeside of Lake Biwa. It is really wonderful when we stay near the lake: We can feel that water heals people. 

This issue also features the Otsu area. Experiencing the holy time of the Otsu festival or religious space such as Ishiyama-dera Temple will provide great memories of the trip.

Sakamoto town is located in Shiga Prefecture. In the center of Shiga Prefecture lies the largest lake in Japan, Lake Biwa. Various fish and birds live in and around Lake Biwa, including indigenous fish. Lake Biwa is surrounded by mountains more than 1,000 meters high. Paddy fields have been developed around the lake, and many rivers run from it. Sakamoto in Shiga Prefecture is also located in rich natural landscape. In this country, travelers draw energy from exploring and interacting with nature.

The modern Ohmihachiman area had a history of a terminal of boats bound for various places for carrying local products such as tatami, mosquito nets, rice, and sake. The Ohmihachiman area was the base of the merchants. Along with modernization, railroads and roads have improved, and now this area is a sightseeing spot for enjoying the historical scenery and local food.

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Shiga Prefecture is home to Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. Lake Biwa comprises one sixth of the area of Shiga Prefecture. People in this area have cherished the lifestyle that makes use of the water source of Lake Biwa. Shiga Prefecture has a rich history with water. Japanese legend includes the story of the birth of Lake Biwa. Like Mt. Fuji, Lake Biwa is a famous Japanese symbol.

This photo magazine will introduce tourist destinations for an enriching journey around Lake Biwa. Indulge your interest in Shiga Prefecture and Japanese culture through the articles of this magazine. Thank you.

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Journey Around Lake Biwa - February 2019

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