Omihachiman

While looking at a map researching places to visit between Tokyo and Kyoto, my eyes honed in on Lake Biwa. Much to my surprise, I learned that one of Japan’s famed cat islands was on that lake. I was wary about such places; I knew that the most famous cat island in Japan was swarming with cats while their human population was in decline, and I suspected that visiting such a place may be somewhat depressing. Nevertheless, I researched further, and found that Okishima Island still has quite a few human residents - about 350, apparently descended from a band of banished samurai - and that the place wasn’t overrun with cats. I knew we had to make a pit stop there.

On the afternoon of March 19th, Jeff and I set off from Tokyo station on a shinkansen bound for Maibara, where we were to transfer to a local train bound for Omihachiman. Believe it or not, even though this is my seventh visit (including long layovers) to Japan, I had never taken a shinkansen. During the ride, I was surprised that the train never really left urban areas throughout the two hours that we sped west through Honshu.

We arrived at Omihachiman just before sundown and found our hotel easily. It was clear we weren’t in an area that saw many foreign travelers. Only one hotel staff spoke English, and the hotel restaurant didn’t even have an English menu. We trekked in the rain to the nearby convenience store and bought soba noodles, soup, and sushi (for me) which we ate in our room. After eating, I went downstairs for a refreshing soak in the hotel’s onsen.

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