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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Otsu
大津
Sleep in Otsu 1–2 nights only if you want Enryaku-ji and Lake Biwa at Shiga prices; otherwise stay in Kyoto and day-trip in 10–20 min.
Otsu is the capital of Shiga prefecture and sits on the south shore of Lake Biwa, one or two stops from Kyoto on the JR Biwako line. Its headline sight is Enryaku-ji, the Tendai head monastery on Mount Hiei and part of the UNESCO listing shared with Kyoto and Uji. The city itself is a working lakeside town: a handful of temples, a port, and cheaper beds than Kyoto. Most travellers use it as a half-day or a single night, not a base for a whole trip.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 大津
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (rainy season then heat), Golden Week
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥6,000–10,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥10,000–17,000 excl. bed · High ¥17,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Noodle soup (ramen or soba) | ¥800–1,300 |
| Omi beef lunch set | ¥3,000–8,000 |
| Unagi (grilled eel) bowl | ¥2,500–5,000 |
| Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| Temple entry (Ishiyama-dera, Gichu-ji) | ¥200–500 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥2,000–2,500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KIX · Kansai International
- JR Haruka limited express to Kyoto, then a local train to Otsu; about 1 h 45 min total
- ITM · Osaka Itami
- Limousine bus to Shin-Osaka, then JR to Otsu; about 1 h
Typical fares
- JR Otsu → Kyoto Station
- about ¥200, 10 min
- KIX → Otsu via Kyoto, JR Haruka plus local
- about ¥3,130 unreserved, 1 h 45 min
- Itami → Shin-Osaka limousine bus
- about ¥500, 25 min
Get around
The Keihan Ishiyama-Sakamoto line runs the length of the city and the JR Biwako line links Otsu with Kyoto, Kusatsu and Osaka. Kyoto's Tozai subway runs through onto the Keihan Keishin line, so you can reach central Kyoto without changing at Kyoto Station. Buses fill the gaps to Mount Hiei and Ogoto.
See and do
Known for
- Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei
- Lake Biwa and the Michigan cruise
- Ishiyama-dera and Miidera temples
- Omi beef
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kyoto | JR Biwako line special rapid from Otsu to Kyoto Station, or the Keihan Keishin line onto the Tozai subway | 10–20 min |
| Hikone | JR Biwako line to Hikone, then a short walk or bus to the castle | About 50 min |
| Omihachiman | JR Biwako line to Omihachiman, then a bus to the canal district | About 45–60 min |
| Koka | JR to Kusatsu, then the Kusatsu line to Koka | About 1 h 15 min |
| Kusatsu, Shiga | JR Biwako line to Kusatsu | About 25 min |
| Nagahama | JR Biwako line to Nagahama | About 1 h 10 min |
Sleep
- Otsu Station area
- JR Biwako line and buses; the practical choice for one night with bags and for Kyoto day trips.
- Biwako-Hamaotsu
- Keihan Keishin and Ishiyama-Sakamoto lines meet here, a few minutes from the lake and the cruise pier.
- Ogoto onsen
- Lakeside hot-spring strip north of the centre; ryokan and hotel rooms, quieter, needs a bus or train to reach.
- Seta
- East side near the APA hotel; cheaper rooms, JR access, less to walk to.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- Mount Hiei and Enryaku-ji are high and cold in winter; the cable car and ropeway can stop in strong wind or snow: check before going up.
- Enryaku-ji is spread over three areas (Todo, Saito, Yokawa) linked by bus; walking between them takes hours.
- Some temples close earlier than you expect in winter: last entry is often mid-to-late afternoon.
- Otsu is a normal residential city, not a nightlife district; most restaurants shut by around 21:00–22:00.
Otsu is a low-risk city; the real issues are summer heat and humidity, steep wet steps at the mountain temples, and an early end to the evening. Standard Japan advice applies: no tipping, cash for small shops, 110 police and 119 fire or ambulance.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Otsu yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei
- Lake Biwa and the Michigan cruise
- Ishiyama-dera and Miidera temples
- Omi beef
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Otsu official tourism guide (Otsu Tourist Association): otsu.or.jp/en/
- Ishiyama-dera official site: www.ishiyamadera.or.jp/
- Biwako Kisen (Lake Biwa cruises): www.biwakokisen.co.jp/cruise/michigan/
- Wikivoyage: Otsu, revision 5240353 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5240353
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Otsu大津
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
No embassies in Otsu; most are in Tokyo or Osaka. The US consulate-general is in Osaka.
Show this card to a taxi driver or station staff; numbers are free from any phone in Japan.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/otsu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.