Otsu
Enryaku-ji, the ancient headquarters of the Tendai Buddhist sect on Mount Hiei, draws visitors to this lakeside prefectural capital in Shiga, Japan. The monastery is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering historic monuments of Kyoto, Uji, and Otsu, and overlooks both the city and Kyoto beyond. Otsu sits directly on Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, with mountain terrain close by and a city centre well supplied with cafés and restaurants.
Description drafted with AI from public sources such as Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap. How this works
- Population342,607
- Nearest water from center 0.3 km0.2 mi
- Nearest mountain from center 2.5 km1.6 mi
Nearest airports
Otsu: quick answers
Where is Otsu?
Otsu is in Otsu City, Japan, about 7.9 km4.9 miles in a straight line from Kyoto.
How do you get to Otsu?
The nearest airport is Osaka (ITM), about 58 min away by road. The nearest train station is びわ湖浜大津, about 5 min away by road.
What's the weather like in Otsu?
The warmest month is August, averaging 26°C79°F across day and night; the coolest is January, at 3°C37°F. The wettest month is July, with about 206 mm8.1 in of precipitation. (Monthly averages, 1991–2020.)
What's in Otsu?
OpenStreetMap lists 7 museums, 67 restaurants, 33 cafés and 79 places of worship within 2 km of the centre.
What's near Otsu?
Other Wandering Well picks within 60 km include Kusatsu, Higashiōmi-shi and Katano.