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Ōmihachiman is a castle town on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa with a nostalgic atmosphere.

The castle was built by Toyotomi Hidetsugu in the last part of the 16th century (today only a few remains can be seen). Former merchant's residences and a canal used for transport are preserved in an old city area, designated a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and an Important Cultural Landscape.

In the late afternoon we had lunch at a small restaurant located in an old 'kura' (Japanese storehouse). The owner and chef of this small restaurant learned how to make "Hayashi rice" from one of the chefs of the Imperial Household, so that is what we ordered of course.

Hashed beef rice or Hayashi rice (ハヤシライス) is a dish popular in Japan as a Western-style dish. It usually contains beef, onions, and button mushrooms, in a thick demi-glace sauce which often contains red wine and tomato sauce. This sauce is served atop or alongside steamed rice. The sauce is sometimes topped with a drizzle of fresh cream. It resembles Japanese curry and usually appears on menus alongside curry.

Ōmihachiman is a castle town on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa with a nostalgic atmosphere.

The castle was built by Toyotomi Hidetsugu in the last part of the 16th century (today only a few remains can be seen). Former merchant's residences and a canal used for transport are preserved in an old city area, designated a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and an Important Cultural Landscape.

Ōmihachiman is a castle town on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa with a nostalgic atmosphere.

The castle was built by Toyotomi Hidetsugu in the last part of the 16th century (today only a few remains can be seen). Former merchant's residences and a canal used for transport are preserved in an old city area, designated a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and an Important Cultural Landscape.

Ōmihachiman is a castle town on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa with a nostalgic atmosphere.

The castle was built by Toyotomi Hidetsugu in the last part of the 16th century (today only a few remains can be seen). Former merchant's residences and a canal used for transport are preserved in an old city area, designated a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings and an Important Cultural Landscape.