TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

Japan, Shiga Prefecture, Moriyama This article was originally published in this blog in May 2019. It chronicled my visit to Moriyama, a city in Japan's Shiga Prefecture. I had arrived in Moriyama from Takashima, another city in Shiga. My 2-day stay in Moriyama was planned to be a leisurely stop in my itinerary with nothing much planned except to enjoy the beautiful views of Lake Biwa. However, this short stay turned out to be a rather interesting part of my overall trip as I discovered lots of things to see and do. As I checked out of my hotel in my third day here for my onward journey to Tokyo, I left knowing I will return because there are still much to see and do here.  ****************** First Impressions My first view of the city was when the hotel bus rolled into the city over the scenic Biwako Ohashi Bridge over Lake Biwa. I had boarded the free shuttle provided by the Lake Biwa Marriott for hotel guests at Katata Station on the Kosei Line. With those first views, the initia

Japan, Shiga Prefecture, Otsu, Home of Historical Sites, Temples and Shrines This article was originally published in this blog in January 2020. It captured the memories of my first visit to Otsu, capital of Japan's Shiga Prefecture. My visit to Otsu was unplanned. I had arrived from Takashima, another area of Shiga Prefecture and was enroute to my hotel stay in Moriyama. What was supposed to be a transit stop in my trip became a memorable visit that made it into my travel Bucket List. I will always fondly remember my walking tour of the city, dining on the tasty Omi Beef which was absolutely oishii (delicious in Japanese), visiting the many temples and shrines I came across during my city walk and the beautiful views of Lake Biwa as seen from Otsu. ****************** It was my first time visiting Shiga Prefecture. I had arrived at Otsu from Takashima. It was spring and cherry blossoms (a.k.a.  sakura ) season and I was in Takashima specifically for the purpose of viewing cherry bl

It was my first time visiting Shiga Prefecture. I had arrived at Otsu from Takashima. It was spring and cherry blossoms (a.k.a. sakura ) season and I was in Takashima specifically for the purpose of viewing cherry blossoms. Otsu was meant to be a brief transit stop for me, my next destination being Moriyama.  Alighting from the train at Katata Station of the Kosei Line, I realised that I had about 45 minutes before the hotel shuttle would arrive. I thus decided to spend a bit of time exploring the immediate surroundings of the Station. There was a tourist information office just next to the Station and I went in, intending to look for interesting places to visit in the surrounding vicinity. After speaking with the staff, I realised that Otsu would be an interesting place to explore. Because I had "spare" days in my itinerary, I decided that I would be back in Otsu the next day to do a walking tour of the areas around Katata Station. I was back in Otsu the next day. T

First Impressions My first view of the city was when the hotel bus rolled into the city over the scenic Biwako Ohashi Bridge over Lake Biwa. I had boarded the free shuttle provided by the Lake Biwa Marriott for hotel guests at Katata Station on the Kosei Line. With those first views, the initial apprehensions that I might had chosen the wrong location to stay in for the next 2 days of my trip vanished like footprints in the sand. The scenic  Biwako Ohashi Bridge as seen from the eastern side of Lake Biwa from Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (2018) Moriyama is located in Shiga Prefecture, just north-east of the famous city of Kyoto. My accommodation at the Lake Biwa Marriott offered me a panoramic view of Lake Biwa. The several small parks in the vicinity of the hotel, which itself is located on the shores of Lake Biwa and relatively near to the Biwako Ohashi Bridge, provided good options for my evening strolls to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the area.   My