Shiga- From Lake to Mountains - CYCLE AROUND JAPAN Highlights

The best way to discover little-known sights and make even familiar places feel brand-new is to go exploring by bicycle. Our road this time takes us to Shiga, home of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. It's harvest time in Shiga's mountains, and unique local vegetables are waiting to be Historically, Shiga has been known for its crafts, and it still produces items prized for their beauty. Come with us now, as we ride through Shiga in autumn, the most beautiful time of the year. Shiga is located directly east of Kyoto. Our ride starts from its main city, Otsu, on the shores of Lake Biwa. Good morning. We have arrived at Otsu Station. Today the weather is perfect. I think it's a very perfect day for cycling. I'm really excited to explore Shiga Prefecture. Mohamed Salim is from Egypt. Fascinated by Japan's culture, he moved here in 2016. His work, promoting ties between the Middle East and Japan, includes welcoming overseas visitors. Let's go. This is Biwa Lake. It's very loud. Lake Biwa is about 200 kilometers around. Wow. The scene from here is really nice. The lake is very popular with cyclists. And bike paths are gradually being added to this route. Salim has left Lake Biwa and is now in Shiganaki, right at the southern end of Shiga. Wow. What is this? Very big tanuki. Japanese raccoon dog. Very interesting. Wow. Look at this big one. Shiganaki is one of Japan's major centers of ceramic production. The tanuki is thought to bring luck in business, and ceramic statues like these have long been popular with stores and restaurants. Salim visits a family that were the first to use Shiganaki ware to make tanuki statues about 100 years ago. Fujiwara Jun's family have been potters for four generations. Fujiwara's tanuki has only a slight family resemblance to the one made by his great-grandfather. Shiganaki ware is said to date back to the 13th century. Its rustic, unfinished look is a result of the nature of the local clay. Salim is keen to make his own tanuki. What's he making? It looks a little different. A tanuki doing Egyptian dance. When people think of Shiganaki ware, they think of tanuki. In recent years, demand for pottery has been falling, and half the area's original 160 kilns have closed. Fujiwara is trying to keep the tradition alive by introducing new designs. The varying blue shades and the roughness of the clay create a deliberately rustic effect. Salim is now on Lake Biwa, heading for the island of Okishima. The ferry is too small to carry bicycles, so Salim will rent one on the island. Everyone on the island rides tricycles. For 187-centimeter-tall Salim, it's not the most comfortable of rides. Okishima is about 7 kilometers around. The island lives by fishing, and over 60 percent of the population of 220 works in that industry. There's not much flat land, so houses are tightly packed together. I'm back. Thank you for your hard work. I'm a little hungry. Is there anything to eat? Yes, there is. Behind the tricycle rental place is a restaurant run by the island women. They teach Salim to make tsukudani, seafood simmered in sweetened soy sauce. This mix of soybeans and Lake Biwa shrimp is a specialty of the island. It's good for weddings and for New Year's. We make it all year long. Thank you. Please try the shrimp. Thank you. It's really delicious. Shrimp taste is really strong. I'm sorry, but the shrimp was very delicious. Thank you. Please sit here. How long have you been here? I've been here for about 40 years. Did you meet your husband in Lake Biwa? That's right. It was a love marriage. Did you fall in love with him after you married him? My husband and I went out to the beach. When we went out to the beach, my husband said, ''That's a bird!'' and got angry. Oh, I see. Then I got angry, too. He said, ''I know.'' That's how I got angry. The islanders have always lived by fishing, a life on the lake in harmony with nature. However, the population is aging and there are not enough young people to take over. Salim has heard that there is one new fisherman, the first on the island in 40 years. Tsukamoto Chisho became a fisherman four years ago. Excuse me, but may I ask how old you are? I'm 32 years old. Oh, you're young. Tsukamoto apprenticed himself to an island fisherman for three years. Now he fishes for shrimp with his own boat. It's hard work, pulling a net with a 500-meter rope. Salim picks up a fishing anchor. I think he's using a lot of tools. For me, I didn't expect that fishing would be difficult like this. I think he's great, he's doing a great job. But honestly, this is heavy. Tsukamoto was born and raised in Shiga. He'd tried several jobs, but couldn't find one that satisfied him until he came to Okishima and decided this was the life for him. The fish are delicious and I'm very impressed. But on the other hand, the fishermen can't catch fish. I thought there was nothing I could do, so I decided to become a fisherman. Tsukamoto has set his heart on becoming a full-fledged fisherman to preserve Okishima's unique way of life. I started fishing, and it became more and more fun. I study every day. I've been doing this for 40, 50, 60 years, but I still study every day. Salim has left the lake to explore the area to the east. Very big fields. The flat parts of Shiga are devoted to agriculture. Farmers here grow a variety of vegetables. Wow, there is a big mountain. It's very beautiful. Salim is approaching Shiga's tallest peak, Mount Ibuki. Oh, look at these old houses. He's come to a small hamlet, surrounded by mountains. Oh, someone is doing some work. Let's ask him. Maezawa Wataru is harvesting his crop of daikon radishes. These are Ibuki daikon, a unique local variety. Regular daikon radishes are quite big, aren't they? Yes, they are. Daikon radishes in Egypt are also quite small. They are a bit sleepy. That's interesting. The spicy hot taste of Ibuki daikon makes them prized for use as toppings. Let's try it. It takes a moment before the heat kicks in. It's a bit spicy. It's spicier than regular daikon. It's like wasabi. Isn't it? It's a bit spicy. This is a characteristic of Ibuki daikon. Ibuki daikon has been grown here for over 300 years. It gets its unique taste from the mountain's poor soil and large temperature variations. At one time, the number of farmers growing Ibuki daikon had almost dropped to zero. It was Maezawa's father who restored the vegetable to its former popularity. My father worked very hard to grow Ibuki daikon. He grew them one by one, one by one, carefully. Seeing this, other farmers decided to help preserve their local heritage, and the number of growers has now reached over 20. Ibuki daikon is a special product, so I want to preserve it. I want to continue growing it. Selim is now in Nagahama, on the northern shore of Lake Biwa. Old merchant houses line the street in the center of town. Nagahama was a key hub on the old network of roads carrying people and goods between Shiga and major cities like Kyoto and Osaka. Welcome. Hello. I was curious about the sound you just made. I was wondering what it sounded like. Can I ask you about it? Yes, please. This is a factory called Wanabirodo, which makes silk piles. Velvet is thought to have been introduced to Japan in the 16th century by the Portuguese. Artisans here developed unique patterns and manufacturing methods to use in things like Japanese-style coats. You can see there's a little unevenness. I see. It's like a deck buckle. The interesting thing about Wanabirodo is that even if you dye it in one color, you can still see the difference in the color. This workshop was founded in 1919 and still makes velvet using the old techniques. The sound is a little loud. Do you hear it every day? Yes, I hear it every day. You're getting used to it. Yes, I am. When I was a baby, I was told that I was made to sleep in here. The sound is constant and rhythmic, so it's okay for a baby to sleep here. Nagahama used to have around 900 workshops making velvet. But today, only a few remain. Takeda Kiyoi, 6th generation owner of this workshop, is deeply committed to preserving the Wana velvet tradition. With the goal of attracting younger customers, she's continually developing new products. During the COVID pandemic, her Wana velvet masks were a hit item. It's elegant, so when I wear it for a formal occasion, the customers like it. That's why we sell it at our department stores. This is a men's jacket. It's beautiful. It's really beautiful. I changed the patterns here and here. When it comes to clothing, I think the best way to attract customers is to wear a velvet jacket. I hope customers will come to our shop as well. I'm trying my best. Selim is now getting closer to his goal, Onyu Pass, on Shiga's western border. It's really steamy. But let's do our best. Shiga prefecture people, what I felt from them is the challenge to keep what you are doing, not to give up quickly, think about new ways, new techniques to overcome the bad situation, to keep what you are doing. And also, they have deep respect to their parents and grandfathers, so they are doing their best to protect what they inherited from them. I'll do my best, Selim. I did it. I made it. This lookout point is the end of Selim's trip. It's really beautiful. It's like a sea of mountains. A land with a tradition of respect for one's ancestors, and outward simplicity concealing unwavering strength of purpose.