Otsu



Ōtsu (大津) is the capital of Shiga prefecture.

Enryaku-ji, a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei overlooking Kyoto, is the headquarters of the Tendai sect and one of the most significant monasteries in Japanese history. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)".

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

By plane
The closest major airports to Ōtsu are Kansai Airport and Itami Airport in Osaka.

From Kansai Airport, take the JR Haruka Limited Express to Kyoto and change to a local train to Ōtsu (approx. 1 hr 45 min, ¥3130 for unreserved seats).

From Itami Airport, take an airport limousine bus to Shin-Osaka (25 min, ¥500) then take a JR train to Ōtsu (35 min, ¥840). Alternatively, take a bus to Kyoto (1 hr, ¥1310) then a JR train to Ōtsu (10 min, ¥200).

You can change elsewhere for the Keihan trams (see below).

By train
The JR Biwako Line runs from Osaka and Kyoto to Ōtsu station.

A convenient alternative to travel around the area is on the two Keihan tram lines: the Keishin Line and the Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line. Both lines converge at Biwako-Hamaōtsu (びわ湖浜大津), close to Lake Biwa. You can change between the JR and Keihan lines at three stations: Yamashina, Zeze and Ishiyama. Yamashina is just one stop from Kyoto Station on the JR.

By subway
Kyoto's Tōzai Line subway conveniently runs through to the Keihan Keishin Line from stations in central Kyoto. This is also a convenient option if connecting from the Keihan Main Line at Sanjō station.

By train
Travelling around Otsu by train is quite convenient. The Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line connects each end of the city, so no matter where you are, there will likely be a station nearby.

Sleep

 * Ogoto onsen hotspring (English information)

Go next

 * Takashima
 * Kyoto
 * Kusatsu (Shiga)
 * Ritto
 * Omihachiman
 * Koka
 * Higashiomi
 * Hikone