THOUGHTS ON NAGAHAMA
Yes, many of my Japanese friends back in the United States told me that there was nothing of interest in Shiga prefecture. They told me the place was pretty boring. Well, they weren't half wrong; however, everyone has his or her own opinions. My impressions of Shiga are tied to Nagahama where I live with my host family.
Nagahama is probably best known for being the home of Hideyoshi, one of many great important figures in Japanese history. Just about every Sunday, tons of tourists (Japanese tourists) come from all over to see Nagahama castle.
There are other temples and places of worship found through out Nagahama. In fact Shiga in general has a lot of shrines and spiritual places.
Once every year at Rakuichi (a shopping mall in Nagahama) hundreds of young women in traditional kimono get together and have lunch and enjoy other activties. My Japanese host sister took part in this event. She goes Kyoto Gaigoku Daigaku where she studies English.
Nagahama enjoys a strong reputation as the largest producer of silk in Japan. The town also is home to an important historic land mark, the oldest railroad station in Japan! There is an interesting museum in Nagahama station today. Inside I saw Meiji Era (1868 - 1912) Western influenced artifacts -- everything from ticket booths to station name plates. I found this to be truely amazing.
Even with all the large cities in Japan such as Tokyo and Osaka, whenever I think of Japan I will always first think of my home here in Nagahama and of all my friends, family and the kami (Shinto gods) that dwell through-out this beautiful landscape.
