Buddhist Temple in Nagahama
Daitsū-ji
Temples are great repositories of artwork, though most only allow visitors in a few times a year (if at all) to see them. This isn't the case at Daitsū-ji, where you're free to wander the worn tatami (tightly woven …
Parade in Nagahama
Nagahama Hikiyama Matsuri
Nagahama's famous festival lasts a week, but the highlight takes place on 15 April, when costumed five- to 13-year-old children perform kabuki (a form of stylised Japanese theatre) aboard a dozen elaborately ornamen…
Noodles in Nagahama
Yokarō
The signature dish here is local speciality yakisaba-sōmen (grilled mackerel over thin wheat noodles). The restaurant is inside a 150-year-old wooden building, with seating on tatami mats (the best ones face an inne…
Area in Nagahama
Kurokabe Square
Kurokabe means 'black walls' and many of the stucco shopfronts in this historic district are charcoal grey. The shops themselves sell craft and takeaway items (like croquettes stuffed with Omi-gyū, the local variety…
Museum in Nagahama
Nagahama Hikiyama Museum
Two of the hikiyama (festival floats) used during Nagahama's famous Hikiyama Matsuri are on display here, along with video footage of the festival.
Landmark in Nagahama
Giant Kaleidoscope
At this very retro attraction, stand underneath the tower, hand-crank the wheel and watch what happens above.