Joe & Tiff In Japan

Japan Secret #1: Japanese companies give employees a generous amount of vacation days but it's taboo to use them. Doing so would put you at the back of the promotion list and the front of the layoff list, if layoffs occur.


Home » Our City

We live in Omihachiman, Japan. It's located about an hour Northeast of Osaka, Japan's second largest city. A smaller town of 68,000, Omihachiman is about 2 miles from Japan's largest lake, Lake Biwa. Omihachiman is not adjacent to any other towns and is mostly surrounded by rice fields. Many elements of the town are very modern with large department stores, busy streets, western restaurants, and packed malls. Other parts are much more traditional with several Buddhist and Shinto Shrines, compact housing, small streams canalled all over the city, and tiny hole-in-the-wall shops.

A cartoon map of our town. We are only a few blocks away from train station which marks the center of town. We are also a 15 minute bike ride away from the lake. The map is not to scale.

There are a number of large department stores and grocery stores in town. We can find pretty much anything we need including a lot of stuff for really cheap. Clothes, food, electronics, furniture, etc.

Also common throughout town are various streams and canals that run from the mountains and rice fields to the lake. This is the main waterway just west of our apartment.

The river (left picture) has this path next to it for bikes and pedestrians only. The path leads from the main area of town, past a few mountains and rice fields to Lake Biwa.

A view of the lake from the Omihachiman area. Lake Biwa is Japan's largest lake and several of our trips have been to the lake or other towns around the lake.

One of the main roads in town, and one of the busiest. Just North of our apartment, this street runs East/West (roughly). Even though it has decent sidewalks, we rarely bike on this road because it's so busy.

Scattered throughout Omihachiman (like churches back in the US) are several Buddhist and Shinto shrines. This is a Buddhist shrine, generally more elaborate and larger than Shinto shrines.

Here is a Shinto shrine. Much smaller, less ornate and seemingly not cared for as well. Shinto and Buddhist shrines usually share the same property as each other. Try that in the US with a church and a mosque!

In the background is Mount Omihachiman. Many years ago there used to be a small castle or shrine at the top but it burned down and only the foundation and good view are left.

A stream running through the North part of town where most of "Old Omihachiman" is located. Several hundred years ago, the town's growth began near the mountain and has slowly moved South (where we live).

Omihachiman is surrounded by rice fields. From here to the next town a few miles away there are only rice fields. In September all the rice gets harvested into "rice stacks".

In the summer it gets very hot and remains well above 90° for most of July and August. There is also a rainy season that lasts from mid-June to mid-July.

This is the view from our balcony, facing north. On clear days we can see the mountains across Lake Biwa to the north and northwest, and Mt. Ibuki to the northeast.

2007-11-30 Omi Train Station 5.JPG

This is the view from Omihachiman Station. This is facing North, towards Mt. Hachiman and Lake Biwa.

Japan Secret #2: It's common to see severely drunk businessmen on the trains almost every weeknight. Drinking on the trains (or anywhere) is 100% legal in Japan, and it's fun to kick back with a "Train Beer" on the ride home.