Machiya Life in Otsu.
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Everyday life by Lake Biwa.Easy access to Kyoto and Osaka, convenient location for commuting to work or school.
On holidays, you can cycle along the lake shore and walk around Nagisa Park.
Spend elegant time and enjoy daily life by Lake Biwa.
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（Left）Otsu Pier - Sunrise （Top）Otsu Nagisa park （Bottom）Otsu Pier - Evening
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Season
Beauty of the four seasonsRows of cherry blossom trees along the lake canal where petals dance in the spring breeze.
A midsummer night when the glowing water surface sways with colorful fireworks.
Autumn leaves of the shrines and temples, and the mountain terrains covered in snow.
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（Top）Biwako Canal in Spring （Bottom）Nagara Temple in Autumn （Right）Biwako Fireworks
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History
Machiya residences in a historic town.Renovated townhouses that combine old-fashioned taste and comfort.
In the streets of Otsu with history and culture
that are meant to be passed on to the next generation.
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（Left）Otsu Machiya by Lake Biwa Canal （Top） Old Tokaido Cityscape （Bottom）Miidera Otsu Machiya
Easy access to Kyoto and Osaka
From JR Otsu station, it takes about 9 minutes to Kyoto Station by JR, and about 39 minutes to Osaka Station by limited express train. Imaging working in the city on weekdays and spend your holidays relaxing at a house by Lake Biwa. It is a location where you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Nature and history on the East of Lake Biwa
If you prefer to spend your holidays being surrounded by nature and history, it is a good idea to visit places like Ohmihachiman or Hikone on the east side of Lake Biwa. Of course, you can also visit large shopping malls in Kusatsu and Moriyama with family.
Shops and facilities loved by the locals.
Downtown
The downtown neighborhood, which was once a thriving post town on the Tokaido, still has plenty of machiya townhouses and old townscapes. There is a long shopping arcade in the center with various of old and new shops.
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Lakeside
The lakeside area has been improved in recent years thanks to the city planning of Otsu City. There is the "Nagiza Park" along the lakeshore and "Ninohama" where new shops can be found. You can take a stroll or jog while enjoying the scenery of Lake Biwa.
Click HereMachiya Office Yui
Office and co-working space of Otsu City Hall City Promotion Department. It can be used by the general public without reservation.
Patisserie Lumiere
The colorful jewel-like cakes lined up in the fashionable store seem to be filled just by looking at them. There are baked sweets such as moist and fluffy madeleines, so they are perfect as gifts.
Uharu
An eel restaurant standing along the road where the old streets of Otsu remain. You can enjoy the appearance of a quaint machiya and the exquisite eel bento that is too luxurious to eat every day.
Yaoyo
People who visit the Shopping Street for the first time should be attached to the magnificence of this Machiya shop.
It is a prestigious pickle shop that had the honor to serve the Imperial Household from the Taisho era to the middle of the Showa era.
Uochu
A kaiseki restaurant with a garden made by the seventh generation Jihei Ogawa. It was a former merchant house in the Meiji era facing the old Tokaido. The bento packed with the thought of blending with the nature of Lake Biwa while each ingredient is made with time and effort.
Hotel KOO Otsu Hyakucho
The concept of this Machiya hotel is to connect the whole Otsu Hyakucho area together. Spending time in local towns shops and facilities will bring you special discoveries.
MOV'S town & coffee
A Machiya cafe that is over 90 years old and a part of “KOO Otsu Hyakucho”. The space was created using the lighting of the world-famous Danish lighting brand "Louis Paulsen". *All the furniture in the store are available for purchase.
Shiga Prefecture Office
The modern building "Shiga Prefecture Office", which represents Shiga, is still popular with citizens as an active government building even after 80 years. In 2014, it was designated as a registered tangible cultural property of the country.
Otsu Machiya Inase
This machiya guest-house was once a building of a rice grain trader built in 1933. It was made entirely of natural materials, including floors, walls, ceilings, and outer walls, and the splendor of its technology is beyond description.
Mameshin
A restaurant along the same road as Inase, which retains the image of Otsu Hyakucho. It is a very valuable building that is also registered as a national tangible cultural property. You can thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere of the historic building and the taste of Ohmi cuisine.
Oh!Me Otsu Terrace
A new commercial complex with a complete set of living facilities such as supermarkets, cafes, drug stores, small food courts, and cram schools.
Ukaruchan Arena
Shiga Prefecture Gymnasium. It is a large gymnasium with a large stadium, a small stadium, a sports plaza, and a Lakes store and cafe. It is close to the Shiga Prefecture Budokan.
Itoman Sports Club
A fulfilling environment with 8 lanes 25m pool where you can swim leisurely and 30 lesson studio lessons. A swimming school that provides optimal guidance for children and adults of all ages and individuals.
Michigan Cruise
A boat that cruises on Lake Biwa. It runs several times a day. At night, you can enjoy the breeze over the lake while having dinner inside.
There are various events according to the season such as: charter party plans, school field strips, wedding parties and so on.
Otsu Nagisa Park（East）
A place for citizens to relax on the shore of Lake Biwa. You can enjoy the breeze of the lake while listening to the ripples of Lake Biwa, or you can see people enjoying jogging and cycling on the lakeside path.
In August, a large fireworks display will be held on the shores of Lake Biwa. The sight of the sparkling fireworks reflected in Lake Biwa is a fantastic landscape that is beyond imagination.
Biwako Hall
The most famous musical hall in Shiga prefecture that holds opera, musicals, plays, and concerts by the orchestra. As an event venue, it has received high praise from overseas. Why not try experiencing a world-class theater in Otsu?
The Museum of Shiga Prefecture
The museum opened in 1961 and looks like a castle floating on Lake Biwa. Approximately 11,000 items such as national treasures and important cultural properties are stored here. * It has been closed since 2008 due to the deterioration of the building.
Otsu Nagisa Park（West）
On the west side of Keihan "Biwakohama Otsu Station", there is the world's largest "Biwako Flower Fountain" in the adjacent Otsu Port, and the night illumination is also beautiful. Many events are held all year round in the "Omatsuri Square", which is covered with lush green lawn.
Piazza Omi
A community center that can be widely used for conferences, workshops, academic conferences, concerts, block conferences, international conferences, exhibitions, practice and presentations of various cultural activities.
Hamaotsu A-qus
It is a commercial facility with all kinds of elements such as movie theater, game center, karaoke, bowling alley, and restaurants.
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春spring
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There are many famous spots for cherry blossoms such as Miidera temple and along the Biwako canal. The Sanno Festival, which is known as one of the Three Great Festivals of Shiga, is also a spring tradition.
Event listDate Event Location Mar Canal Cruise Biwako Canal Apr Sanno Festival Hiyoshi Taisha May Aooni Festival Ishiyama Temple
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夏summer
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The largest fireworks display in the Kansai region, Lake Biwa Fireworks Display, can be seen right from your house. The traditional event of Omi Jingu Shrine is also held in early summer.
Event listDate Event Location Jun Horseback Archery Ohmi Jingu Aug Biwako Fireworks Otsu Pier
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秋autumn
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The Otsu Matsuri, a festival that inherits the atmosphere of Gion Festival in Kyoto, is a big event during autumn. You can also enjoy autumn leaves spots such as Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine and Omi Shrine that are being illuminated at night.
Event listDate Event Location Sept Shugetsusai Festival Ishiyama Temple Oct Otsu Festival Downtown Otsu
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冬winter
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Winter illumination can be found in various places, while shrines and temples have Hatsumode, bells of the night, and the Setsubun festival. There is also the Biwako Valley ski resort where you can visit during winter.
Event listDate Event Location Dec New Year Bell Miidera Temple Jan Karuta Festival Ohmi Jingu Feb Plum Viewing Ishiyama Temple
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Otsu machiya and the history of Otsu.
Back in Edo period, Otsu on the foot the Miidera temple once thrived as a major port town and post town on the Tokaido road. The area was called Otsu Hyakucho where many traditional buildings such as machiya townhouses and old folk houses were built.
While many machiya houses in Kyoto were burned down by the great fire at the end of the Edo period, Otsu on the other hand has rarely been hit by disasters, and that is why many of the Otsu townhouses still have the characteristics of those built in the late Edo period.
However, due to the wave of modernization after the war, the townhouses were destroyed, and due to the declining birthrate and aging population, 10% of the approximately 1,500 townhouses in the city center are now vacant. On the bright side, in recent years, they has been regenerated into cafes and guest houses with the hope to revitalize the local neighborhood.
Machiyas transformed to fit modern living.
At Hachise, while we retain the design and features of a traditional machiya, we also try to refurbish them to fit modern lifestyle. We renovated several Otsu machiyas hoping that they can be used as a residence for a long time. We hope the beauty of aging and the wisdom of traditional living can still be passed on to the future generations.
Why not go for a lifestyle inside these renovated machiya townhouse in Otsu that combine old-fashioned taste and comfort?
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※October 5, Sold
Otsu Machiya by old Tokaido road
About 9 minutes walk to the lakeside road where you can feel the ripples of Lake Biwa. The exterior of this historical machiya townhouse has been preserved nicely. In addition, the light coming in from the veranda on the second floor gently falls through the lattice floor.
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※August 22, Sold
Miidera Otsu Machiya
The wooden lattice and ink black exterior wall gives this otsu machiya an exceptionally elegant and mature atmosphere. When you look west from the front road, you can see the torii gate of Nagara Shrine at the foot of Miidera. It is close to the entrance of the Nagara shopping street, making it convenient for everyday shopping.
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※November 30, Sold
Otsu Machiyas by Lake Biwa Canal
About 3 minutes walk from "Miidera Station" on the Keihan Ishiyama Main Line. Both machiyas are equipped with cold air and heat insulation measures with paired glass, dishwasher, floor heating. The school district elementary schools and large hospitals are nearby, making it a great candidate for families with kids.
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※August 11, Sold
Otsu Machiya - Kyorakusha
The beauty of this machiya comes from the wooden beams, antique furnitures, mud walls, and lattices. Each of them reflected the skill and thoughtfulness of the designers and craftsmen. On the second floor is a spacious bedroom facing south. In the morning, the room is illuminated by gentle sunlight. At night, it transforms into a calm and elegant space.
About Hachise
Since 1956, Hachise has been taking part of Kyoto's city development as a real estate firm. Now, we focus on traditional Japanese machiya townhouses, to give them new concepts and new lives through renovation. These old houses can be reborn to give the neighborhood more energy and help keep the overall scenery of the city. Our goal is to help you match with these machiyas in Kyoto and Otsu, and to keep the beautiful cityscape everlasting. >>Learn more about Hachise
＜Machiya renovations in the past＞
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