A city with a longer history than Kyoto, this place is more like a paradise

Speaking of Japan’s ancient capitals, many people may only know Kyoto and Nara.

When it’s time to see red leaves or cherry blossoms, these famous cities are crowded.

There are a lot of Japanese people in the first place, and with the influx of tourists from all over the world, I really don’t know whether to enjoy the scenery or the people.

In fact, there are many places in Japan that are more beautiful than Kyoto and Nara, but few people know about them.

For example, the place I went to this time - Otsu.

When I went there, it was the end of the red leaf season. Every place I went felt like it was a reserved place.

In fact, Otsu is located near Kyoto. It only takes 10 minutes to get to Otsu Station by JR from Kyoto Station, which is really very convenient.

If you are in Osaka, it only takes 35 minutes by train from Shin-Osaka.

Compared with the noisy Kyoto, this place is really more like a paradise.

But the history here is older than Kyoto.

The entire city of Otsu is built along Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. The urban terrain is slender and there are many quiet residential streets in the city.

Although the streets of Otsu are more rustic than those of Kyoto and Osaka, in ancient times, it was the capital of the Asuka Period and was developed as a transportation hub.

Although it is already mid-December, the red leaves here have still not finished falling.

And there are very, very few people, and almost no tourists can be seen.

It is said that Mitsui Temple is also a very beautiful cherry blossom viewing place in the Kansai region.

Therefore, I highly recommend this place. Stop going to those popular spots to join in the fun.

Come to Dajin to enjoy the real fun of travel.

Although the name Mitsui-dera Temple is commonly known to the public,

its official name is Enjo-dera Temple.

Originally a temple founded in the 7th century by the grandson of Emperor Tenchi, who built the capital in Otsu,

has a history of more than 1,300 years.

The Tendai sect is one of the Buddhist sects originating from China.

Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple, also located in Otsu, is famous as its main temple.

The main temple *** is divided into two sects, one of which is the Tendaiji Mon sect who stayed at Mitsui Temple after coming down the mountain.

There is no doubt that the two factions are at war with each other. Mitsui Temple has been attacked by fire from the monks of Mount Hiei many times.

Although Mitsui Temple has a long history, it is not well-known in China.

Therefore, even in the red leaf season, there are very few Chinese tourists here.

I have hardly seen it in the past few days.

The feeling that Mitsui Temple gives me is relatively primitive and simple.

Walking in the temple, in addition to being quiet, there is also a feeling of traveling through time.

Whether it is a building or a mountain or a tree, it feels like it has not changed in a thousand years.

A pool in a Japanese temple.

Used to wash hands and pray for blessings

Mitsui Temple’s Guanyin Tower,

Climb up the long stairs,

Here is also a A great place to overlook the city of Otsu

When the cherry blossoms bloom next spring, it will be super beautiful.

However, the red leaves in this season are still worth a visit.

On the quiet path

Dots of maple leaves are scattered

The urban area of ??Otsu gives people a very quiet feeling

Although it is far away Kyoto is only a 10-minute drive away, but it feels completely different from Kyoto.

The houses and buildings here are similar to those in Kyoto. Every store you look at is hundreds of years old.

Any store you pass by is a century-old store.

Otsu City is the seat of the county seat of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It is located on the southwest bank of Lake Biwa and is an important place in the Keihanshin, Chukyo and Hokuriku economic circles.

This city is located at the southern end of Japan's famous scenic spot "Lake Biwa", so it is an important land and water transportation hub, straddling the throat of Kyoto, and is known as "Little Osaka".

If you just look at it on the map,

I think it is very similar to a place in Yunnan in our country, which is the Erhai Lake, and the location of Dajin happens to be in Xiaguan, Dali location.

It is an excellent Feng Shui treasure place for sightseeing and tourism.

Otsu is a beautiful city. It not only has beautiful natural scenery, but also has many museums, quiet parks, ancient shrines, long-standing temples and hot springs.

Ojin is suitable for stopping and admiring quietly.

Compared with Tokyo and Osaka, the pace of life here is much slower

By Lake Biwa

You can see young people running for fitness

The old man holding the dog...

The old man taking his grandson...

The surface of Lake Biwa is very calm and super big, just like the sea.

In addition, Otsu’s urban area is not very big,

You can take a taxi almost anywhere, and it costs about 1,000 yen. It's only a distance of 2 to 3 kilometers.

I feel very comfortable.

If I come to Kansai, Japan next time

I will come back and stay for 2 days without hesitation.

There are many dessert shops by the lake.

When the weather is nice, you can sit by the bed near the lake.

Eat desserts and watch the sunset. .

The key point is that it is very quiet here, and you don't feel disturbed at all.

I think it is very suitable for lovers in love to come here together.

In addition, there are various traditional Japanese dishes in Otsu.

For example, Japanese Wagyu beef is awesome.

HOTEL Speak (Speak)

This time I took my baby to live in a Tujia B&B in Dajin.

The name is also very special, called "Speak".

They have many suites to choose from in Dajin, with different price ranges.

What is different from other B&Bs in Japan

First of all, the scale of this B&B is more like a group hotel

The check-in place is more like A private club.

After we arrived at Otsu Station by JR from Kyoto, we arrived at the "Kou" hotel in a few minutes and went through the check-in procedures.

Breakfast, afternoon tea and check-in are all here

In a very quiet street, in an old house with a very quaint appearance.

When you walk in, everything is so orderly.

The person who received us was a Japanese lady who was very polite.

In the whole world, only Japan’s service is the best

So, I really like coming to Japan

They treat guests really well Treat yourself like God.

They have also specially developed an AR map to facilitate guests to find the location of the hotel.

The "Maruya" where we live is actually not far away, just inside the commercial street of Otsu.

It is said to be the only B&B located in a commercial street in Japan.

However, it is indeed a very quiet B&B. Maybe the business in Dajin is too dull.

After 8 o'clock every night, there are almost no people on the street.

When we came to our room and opened the door, we were shocked.

The Maruya we live in is a traditional Japanese-style two-story large villa. In Japan, it is really considered a very "big" villa.

Otsu, like Kyoto, is a city with a very long history in Japan.

In a place like Otsu, you can also feel the traditional Japanese culture.

How to say it? That feeling of déjà vu. Because after all, most of Japanese culture is based on our Chinese Tang Dynasty.

It’s just that we are changing too fast, and there are many things that we can only see in museums.

On the contrary, the Japanese have preserved everything from our ancestors.

Japan is relatively cold in winter, but when you walk into a B&B, you won’t feel cold at all.

The thermal insulation and windproof facilities are very good.

In addition, the chairs and sofas used in the room are all designed by Danish designers.

You can experience furniture that is said to be “the most comfortable in the world.”

The second floor of the B&B is a Japanese-style tatami room and a modern hotel-style standard room.

It is no problem to accommodate at least 4 people.

The tatami area is very large, so I think it is very suitable for a family of five to book a room like this. .

The bedding and pillows are very comfortable.

There are two bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs.

The toilets are all the most advanced ones with automatic induction.

There is also a separate sink and shower room downstairs.

The Japanese love bathing has reached the point where people are outraged.

No matter how small your home is, the bathroom has a small bathtub. Soaking in it is not enough. Japanese people also love hot spring clubs outside.

What I like most is the wooden bathtub in this villa.

Really comfortable.

Since it is a B&B, of course it has a kitchen.

It is very convenient to make something small for yourself.

There is a supermarket right outside your door, where you can buy all kinds of things you need.

In the evening, we changed into the Hanfu we brought in the room.

Because it is so cold in Japan in December, there is no way to wear it outside during the day.

Fortunately, the B&B I booked was pretty good, and the photos really gave me the feeling of traveling back in time.

Breakfast is a very traditional Japanese breakfast.

Every dish is really exquisitely prepared.

However,

What might the Chinese think?

1. This amount? Is it enough to eat?

2. Most of the traditional Japanese breakfasts are cold, which is not in line with Chinese people’s habits.

As far as breakfast is concerned, I think the hotel still needs improvement.

However, it is understandable. After all, currently, there are very few Chinese people traveling to Dajin.

Fewer people can choose to live in Otsu.

There will be more and more in the future, I believe there will be more choices.

After breakfast, we set off to a great place.

Mount Hiei, known as the birthplace of Japanese Buddhism and revered as the Mother Mountain

Streets of Japan

No matter where you are, there are Very clean.

My impression is that

When traveling to Japan, no matter what the weather is.

After a week, the shoes are very clean.

Japanese cars are also very clean

However, it is rare to see car washing places in Japan

A clean car does not need to be washed, it is naturally so clean.

Because there are no sources of pollution.

The air and roads are very clean.

After it rains, the car looks like it has been newly washed.

Unlike us, the biggest fear when washing a car is rain.

Mount Hiei is still quite far from Otsu city, so you need to take a train to get there.

Keihan Electric Railway Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line, all train lines in Japan feel like a mouthful.

The world in the train feels like being in an anime.

Just sit at the terminal station: Sakamoto Hieizanguchi.

The advantage of traveling in Japan is that many stop signs are in traditional Chinese characters. So even Chinese people can understand it without translation.

After getting off the bus, we continued walking to the cable car Enryakuji Temple, which took about 2km to walk.

The scenery along the way is also very beautiful.

This is a famous resort in the Kansai region for sightseeing, sightseeing and rest.

There are cherry blossoms in spring and red leaves in autumn.

We are still a few days late.

If we come at the end of November, the entire road here will be covered with red leaves, which is very spectacular.

The cable car with the most beautiful scenery and the most common routes in Japan.

The entire cable car is 2km long, making it the longest cable car in Japan.

Time required: 11 minutes

Maximum capacity: 140 people

Ticket price:

Adult/one way 860 yen. Round trip 1620 yen

Children/one way 430 yen. Round trip 810 yen

This cable car is also a very historical cable car in Japan

It was built in the Showa era 2 years (1927), which is equivalent to more than 90 years of history.

However, there are still very few guests.

When we come, we all feel like we are renting the place.

"Cable Car Sakamoto Station" is a two-story station building with a European-style reinforced concrete structure built in Taisho 14 (1926).

It is said that it was very popular at that time for its modern architectural style.

It is a tangible cultural property registered by the Japanese state.

Japanese drivers drive like robots.

Every process is very rigorous

Therefore, it gives people a particularly safe feeling.

The line here is divided into 2 lines,

called "forked lines",

to allow two cable cars to cross.

At that time, I saw a car suddenly come out of the cave.

And the two cars missed each other at just the right time, a little faster and a little slower.

Neither of them can pass.

The calculation is really too accurate.

11 minutes later,

We arrived at the cable car Enryakuji Station.

You can overlook the entire Otsu City from here

It feels like the clouds are under your feet.

Mount Hiei is also known as Mount Tiantai. After the autobiography master Saicho returned to China from the Tang Dynasty,

it has been the headquarter of the Tiantai sect of Japan.

It is a general name for the north-south mountain range centered on the two peaks of Mount Siming and Ohiei that span Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City and Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture.

The main attractions of Mount Hiei are divided into three areas: East Tower, West Tower, and Yokogawa.

The East and West Towers are relatively close to each other, and the crossing area is slightly farther, so you need to take a shuttle bus.

The Nemoto Nakado is located on the east tower of Mount Hiei in Japan. It is the central building of Enryaku Temple, so it is called the Nemoto Nakado.

There is an everlasting lamp built into the hall. The structure of the central hall is made of stone paving, with the inner array being lower and the outer array being higher. The existing buildings were rebuilt during the Kan'ei period (1624-1643).

This building is now a national treasure in Japan.

At the top of the mountain, there is also a peace monument.

In fact, people everywhere on earth are the same and pray for peace.

The same goes for the people of Japan. . .

In Japan

There are indeed many things similar to China

Not just temples and buildings.

And their texts.

In the calligraphy exhibition in the main hall,

you can see a lot of Japanese calligraphy that is similar to Chinese calligraphy.

In addition, the soba noodles here are also the most famous in Japan.

We found a noodle shop selling soba noodles at the foot of the mountain.

The decoration is also very stylish, and the people who come here are all Japanese locals.

Very interesting.

What attracts me most is not their noodles

Because I don’t like eating soba noodles. .

The dry landscape in their yard is very beautiful. .

The maple leaves in the yard are also the most beautiful time of year.

And Japanese taxis...

Japanese taxis are really expensive.

However, if the distance is not far, 2 to 3 kilometers away, and there are many people,

I think a taxi is still very cost-effective.

Because public transportation in Japan is relatively expensive. The subway and buses are not cheap.

If 4 people are traveling together, it is actually more cost-effective to take a taxi.

Anyway, I have always liked Japanese taxis.

The attitude of the drivers is very, very good. Although most of them are old men with gray hair, they are all very energetic. .

Finally, our short 2-day trip to Otsu is over.

After 10 minutes of jr, I quickly returned to Kyoto Station. . .

From Otsu to Kyoto, there are actually only two stations apart.

Otsu Station is a very small, very deserted station

The feeling of Kyoto Station is completely different...

So, I returned to Kyoto all of a sudden, There is also a feeling of time traveling.

Then, in the next few days, I went to several popular attractions in Kyoto, such as: Kiyomizu Temple, Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine, Hanamikoji...

Every attraction is crowded with people. ...

I suddenly began to miss the tranquility of Otsu...

The quiet streets...

The quiet temples...

Quiet On the mountain, quiet snowflakes are floating...

On the cable car climbing to the top of the mountain, you can hear the sound of the rails rubbing against each other

From the top of the mountain, you overlook the sea of ??clouds below, the city and the The tram is moving but silent. .

I think..., this is the real journey,

You can think quietly, listen and feel. . .