Shiga Prefecture

Do
Ride a cable car train up a steep mountain
In Japan, a cable car is a small train pulled up a steep track by a cable, climbing in about 10 minutes a slope that would take an hour on foot. Watch a town or a lake open up below the window, then visit a mountain temple or rest at a lookout at the top. Each one here starts near a regular train station, so you do not need a car.
Do
Sip coffee with the lake right outside
These lakeside cafes have windows or a terrace that look straight out at the water. Sit with coffee and cake, and let a walk or a drive slow down for an hour. Most are outside the big cities and easier by car, so check the access before you go.
Do
Wander the halls of a white 1930s schoolhouse
This white school in rural Shiga, built in 1937 and designed by the American architect William Merrell Vories, taught local children for decades and is now open to visitors. Walk its wide corridors and stairs and look into the old classrooms; fans of the anime K-On! will recognize it as the model for the school in the series. It is about an hour and a half from Kyoto by train, and it is closed on Mondays.

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