Cooler Dating In Shiga With Japanese Summer Culture
Summers in Japan are brutal. The heat and humidity turn the main Kansai cities of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe into bowls of hot soup. Couples looking for a date escape might consider Shiga prefecture to the north, where cool winds blow off of Lake Biwa, fanning barbeque parties and swimmers enjoying a late afternoon dip in its waters. Hugging the shores of Japan’s largest lake is the charming castle town of Hikone, home to arguably the cutest of the mascots: Hikonyan, and an amazing range of summer festivals. While Osaka has the heart pumping Tenjin matsuri in late July and Kyoto has the stately Gion festival, Hikone and the towns surrounding it hold local celebrations which are far less crowded yet just as photogenic. So come, avoid the queues for kakigori, and enjoy strolling hand in hand through some of Shiga’s most romantic summer festivals with your potential soulmate, as you enjoy a cooler experience of dating in Japan.
Good for:
- Photographers
- Cultural enthusiasts
- Later dates
Quick points:
- Festival recommendations
- Around 1 hour by train from Kyoto
- Hydrate frequently
Hikone’s Yukata Festival
Time: August 3rd
Location: Yume Kyobashi Castle Road
Enjoy summer while wearing a cotton yukata.
Despite its proximity to Kyoto and its historical scenery, Shiga prefecture is (as yet) relatively undiscovered by the foreign tourist hordes. Thanks to its strategic importance as a defensive outpost, and wealth brought down from Edo via the Nakasendo trade road, the regions along Biwa’s east coast flourished, and to this day retain much of the architecture of their traditional cityscapes.
Hikone, in particular, is one of the best preserved castle towns to visit in Japan. Here, the city streets twist to confound enemy invaders and even the cute cat shaped city mascot wears a samurai helmet. To the southwest of the castle, across the outer moat, is the photogenic Yume Kyobashi street. Beautifully renovated wooden storefronts, and their calligraphy signboards, recall scenes of Japan life in the 18th century.
Young and old enjoying the chance to wear their yukata in a crowd.
During summer, the city of Hikone dials its old world charm up a notch for a night, holding a yukata event on the evening of the 3rd. Couples, families, and friends all dress in brightly coloured summer kimono and wander the cobbled street of Yume Kyobashi, beneath the gleaming white walls of Hikone castle. Couples can wander the festival stalls, compare favourite flavours of shaved ice, or share a packet of hot chips, octopus skewers, or wagyuu, washed down with a chilled bottle of ramune.
Mango, melon and the crowd favourite: Blue Hawaii. What’s your favourite shaved ice flavour?
Set high on a hill, watching over the town, is Hikone-jo, one of the few castles not destroyed during revolutions and wars.
Japan International Birdman rally (鳥人間)
Time: July 27th and 28th
Location: Matsubara Swimming Pool along Lake Biwa
Maybe less romantic than a bit random (but fun), the Red Bull sponsored Birdman Rally provides constant conversation and live entertainment. Couples picnicking by Lake Biwa on this weekend in late July can speculate on the success of each team. Will they fly their human powered mechanical creations across the water? Or crash a few metres past the edge of the launchpad?
This is definitely more of a chill type of date. Chats are punctuated by semi-frequent bouts of anticipatory cheers, followed quickly by empathetic groans, and then a longer bout of waiting as the wreckage is scooped from the waters. However, Matsubara beach is a nice spot to sit, with groves of pine trees providing ample shade for onlookers. So bring a folding chair and a cooler full of snacks, sit back and enjoy the thrills and spills of the Tori Ningen Birdman Rally .
A beautifully decorated glider is carried by its optimistic engineers towards the final destination.
Teams wait in line for their turn.
Locals shelter in the shade along the shore, watching the action.
A flotilla of motorboats and jetskis wait in the water, ready to rescue each group when they hit the water.
Taga Taisha Festival
Time: August 3rd to 5th
Location: Taga
Couples visiting Hikone can take the twenty-five minute ride along the Omi-Tetsudo to Taga.
The tiny town of Taga literally glows for three nights in August during its Mantousai or “Thousand Lights” festival. The road from the station to the shrine itself is lined with hanging lanterns, but the real show-stopper is within the gates, where metre high glowing walls of light surround and overwhelm visitors with their brilliance.
A close up view of the lanterns strung up around Taga Taisha.
Popular for good reason, Taga Taisha can get a little crowded, there is still plenty of space to move unlike many of Kyoto’s famous festivals.
Traditional performances of Noh theatre and Chindonya entertain the crowds at Taga Taisha.
Taga Taisha Thousand Lights festival is arguably one of the prettiest in Kansai, and more convenient than most as it runs over three days giving ample time for those wishing to fan the flames of true love.
Bonus Festival: Serigawa Floating Lanterns
Time: August 5th
Location: Hikone
While sadly not on the calendar for Reiwa year 6 (aka 2024), the Serigawa Mantounagashi or Thousand Floating Lanterns festival is a supremely beautiful evening and worth a trip to Hikone to see. Part of an Obon custom of lighting the way home for visiting spirits, visitors pay a small fee to receive their lantern and candle, setting it free to float down the shallow waters of the Serigawa. While it’s difficult to label a ritual of remembrance for the dead “romantic”, the spiritual nature of the event and the warm glow of the candle light can lend a reflective mood to an outing together, and the chance to discuss deeper topics, and exchanging thoughts on core values, a practice essential for those considering a long life together.
Summer Festivals A Core Part Of Dating Culture In Japan
Despite the intensity of the heat in July and August, this is the season for festival fun and the ones in Shiga offer couples variety, beauty and entertainment when on their dates. Whether wrapped in a yukata, splashing in the shallows of Lake Biwa, or watching the lantern light reflect in the eyes of your special someone, Shiga’s shimmery shiny spectacles hit the spot this summer, and yield a beautiful experience of the depth that exists within Japanese dating culture.