Bamboo Grove and Lake Biwa

We went for quite an early start to be able to fit two little trips into one day. Having our Japan Rail passes has been really great for getting around Japan and was especially good for day trips without worrying about the train costs.
First up was the bamboo grove a little north west of Kyoto. There is a path to follow through the woods which has a few old buildings and shrines to see along the way. The trees are the most interesting part though, they grow very tightly together in some places and almost all of them are dead straight all the way up.
For the afternoon we took the train back to Kyoto and changed lines, this time heading east to Lake Biwa. It is the biggest lake in Japan and we had picked a town called Omi Maiko which looked to be a good spot for getting to the beach easily.
When we arrived it was only a 10 minute walk from the station to the water's edge, where we found a few small food stalls and vending machines (of course) and lots of barbecues sizzling away on the sand.
It was really interesting to see the Japanese people at play, the mood was so much more laid back than in the city and most groups of people had some beers on the go, music playing and loud conversations while their chicken skewers cooked. The lake is beautiful. Perfect fresh water surrounded by mountains and amazing colours. We were really glad we decided to come here for a nice relaxing day.Read more