Oumihachiman was once very flourished town under Hachimanyama castle back in the 16th century. Still you see a beautiful town with traditional style houses as well as the moat used for the castle. The area is also famous for Oumi beef which is one of the 3 best beefs in Japan similar to the famous Kobe beef. We will go up the mountain by the cable car. Will see the beautiful view of Lake Biwa, the biggest lake in Japan together with the rice paddies.
JR Oumihachiman station
- Will come and pick you up at the station by my car. * Oumihachiman is about 30 minutes by JR train from the Kyoto station.
We will meet right outside the ticket gate of JR Oumihachiman station.
We will visit Himure Hachimangu Shrine.
We will ride on the cable car to go up the mountain to the castle ruins area. Will trek a bit and see the beautiful view of Lake Biwa and rice paddies.
We will come back down from the small mountain/ruins and walk along the moat and see the beautiful traditional scenery of Japan.
We will go through the photogenic streets with old style houses and visit an area where some charming/unique shops are.
We will go to the restaurant and have a lunch with Oumi beef which is one of the three best beefs in Japan.
I will take you back to the JR station where our tour started and
end the tour.
JR Oumihachiman station
- English translation / guide fee
- Lunch has to be paid by yourself based on what you would like to have (avg. 15 to 30 USD per person).
- Lunch for the guide also has to be borne by your side.
- Cable car fee (up & down, cash only, 6 USD).
- It is possible to customize the start time of the tour.
- There are several authentic temples nearby in the mountains which can be added to this tour in the afternoon as well (extra charge applies).
- It is better to wear comfortable shoes since we will walk for more than three hours.
- The guide will not be liable for any injuries or loss incurred during the tour. It is recommended to have overseas travel insurance.
- Also, please remember to carry enough cash in Japanese Yen since some small stores do not accept credit card.
For some tours I can not guide everyday due to store closings. Please check my availability on each tour page. Thank you!
“Best day trip in Kyoto and Arashiyma”
Nori planned the perfect day trip, based on our general guidelines to experience the traditional Tokyo. Nori took us to beautiful zen temples and gardens, that are less popular to the western tourists, as well as to some common attractions as we asked - the golden temple and the bamboo path. We also experienced the local food and sweets - based on Nori’s excellent recommendations. Nori is very knowledgeable and has a very good English. Thank you Nori for Planning this wonderful day trip for us!
Nori I.
(6 reviews)Thanks Maya! It was a pleasure exploring Kyoto with you all. I am really glad that you liked my tour. It is amazing to see how eager you guys are to learn all the new things here in Japan. I learned a lot from you and was able to see the things I need to improve on too. There is a lot more to see here in Kyoto and surrounding areas. Hope you will come back sometime and we take another great adventure together. Thanks again!!
“An Expansive Experience”
Nori, my wife, and I must have taken a cosmic compatibility test before meeting The moment we engaged Nori, we knew Nori understood the essence of what we desired to experience in Kyoto Nori reviewed our list of gardens and temples and orchestrated a schedule with an intuitive sensitivity to what we wanted to experience as well as what we wanted to see (I hope you can understand the nuanced distinction.) Having lived in the US, we were not foreign to him...and Nori never felt foreign to us Nori knew that, after several hours of contemplative exploration, we would enjoy shopping We encourage you to engage Nori Create your Kyoto experience together--your "tour" will be an experience imbued with awareness. Arigato gozaimasu, Nori!!
Nori I.
(6 reviews)Thanks so much for the thoughtful comments! I was concerned about the rain that day but the rain made the day even more precious. I also enjoyed so much by going around the town with you two. I just love thinking of what each person would like to experience the most here in Kyoto. When I see happy faces of my guests, I get more motivation to study further about all the wonderful places surrounding me here. I hope you guys can come back in near future to take another adventure. Also, I appreciate you leaving out your favorite incident just outside Sanjyusangendo! LOL Hope to see you again soon!
“We love Nori!”
If you need a guide in Kyoto, Nori is your man. So lovely, knowledgeable, thoughtful, accommodating… the list goes on! We had the best day of our trip so far and genuinely enjoyed Nori’s company. Thanks for everything (including those delicious sweets)! You really are the best!
Nori I.
(6 reviews)Thanks so much for your kind words. I really appreciate it! I felt bad that I thought I was tiring everyone out with all the walks but I am so glad that you all enjoyed my tour! Please come back in the fall to see the amazing foliages! I will take you to the places even more secluded and nice! Have a safe and happy rest of the trip!!