Shiga

Otsu, Kusatsu, Hikone and Nagahama

Around Lake Biwa, the prefectural tourism bureau presents Otsu and Takashima in the west, Kusatsu and Koka in the south, Hikone, Higashi-Omi and Omi-Hachiman in the east, and Nagahama and Maibara in the north. Otsu, the capital, sits at the south-western end of the prefecture, nearest Kyoto.

Shiga's ordinance designates no district where hostess clubs (kyabakura) and other bars with seated hostess service may open after midnight. Under Article 13 of the Amusement Business Act they stay closed from midnight to 6 a.m.; the only exception is 21 to 31 December, when they may open until 1 a.m. anywhere in the prefecture.

Access

On the JR Biwako Line Special Rapid, Kyoto to Otsu is about 9 minutes. From Osaka it is about 40 minutes by JR Kyoto Line Special Rapid or about 54 by Rapid, and from Tokyo about 134 minutes to Otsu using the Hikari Shinkansen.

Arriving from abroad or further afield, you can reach Shiga by train in about 90 minutes from either Kansai or Chubu Centrair international airport. These are the tourism bureau's estimates, so check the operators' timetables before you travel.

NIGHT LIFE JAPAN's areas in Shiga

NIGHT LIFE JAPAN lists Shiga under four headings: Otsu City; Koga, Konan; East Lake; and Hubei · Huxi. Otsu City has four areas, Hamaotsu, Katata, Ishiyama and Seta, and "Koga, Konan" has two, Kusatsu City and "Ritto, Moriyama, Yasu, Konan".

East Lake covers Hikone City and its surroundings, Omi Hachiman, Azuchi, Notogawa, and Higashiomi City and its surroundings; Hubei · Huxi covers Nagahama and Chikubu Island, Takashima City, Maibara City, and Yogo and Kinomoto. The first gathers the towns of eastern Shiga, the second those of the north and west.