One of the joys of traveling is stopping off to look for souvenirs on the way home.
Takashima City in Shiga Prefecture is home to a wide variety of delicious delicacies created using the bounty of nature and the skills of artisans.
This time, we will introduce five recommended delicious souvenirs that are packed with the charm of Takashima.
A great memento of your trip, a treat for yourself, or a gift for someone special.
Be sure to try out some of Takashima's delicious masterpieces.
Kutsuki's mackerel sushi is a traditional taste that conveys the history of the "Mackerel Highway" that connects Kyoto and Wakasa.
Takashima has many restaurants that serve the flavors of the mountain village using fatty mackerel and local rice.
One of them is Kutsuki Asahiya, a long-standing restaurant famous for its mackerel sushi and soba noodles.
At Kutsuki Asahiya, fatty mackerel is carefully prepared using a method called Daigin aging.
This thick, flavorful mackerel is handmade using a unique method that uses special vinegar, making it a truly special treat.
There are several ranks of mackerel sushi depending on the thickness of the mackerel, and there are also half-size portions, so you can have fun choosing.
You can purchase it as a souvenir, or you can enjoy it in the store along with their "Juwari Soba" which combines fragrant stone-ground soba noodles with specially selected broth.
Kuchiki Asahiya is the only restaurant in Kuchiki where you can enjoy the finest mackerel sushi and 100% buckwheat soba noodles together.
It's a great place to stop by for lunch while sightseeing or driving, and is bustling with locals and tourists at mealtimes.
Another great thing is that pets are allowed on the inner terrace, making it a popular place to enjoy a meal with your beloved dog.
You can bring it back as a souvenir after enjoying it on your trip, or give it as a gift to someone special.
Kutsuki Asahiya's mackerel sushi is a masterpiece that represents Kutsuki, and is the perfect souvenir to evoke memories of your trip.
▼ Shops where you can purchase "Saba-zushi" souvenirs
Furutsune
Imazu Sun Bridge Hotel
Kutsuki Asahiya
Tochio plum bamboo
Flower reading
Mackerel Sushi Miura
Roadside Station Kutsuki Shinhonjin
Lake and river fish dishes that make use of the bounty of Lake Biwa's waters.
Takashima has many specialty shops that have long been popular with customers from both within and outside the city.
Among them, Nishitomo, located in front of Omi-Imazu Station, is a famous restaurant specializing in eel and river fish dishes that was founded in the early Showa period.
Long loved by locals, the restaurant has expanded to department stores in Kyoto and Osaka, and its flavor is widely known throughout the Kansai region.
The signature product is "Eel Chazuke."
Enjoy plumply cooked eel with hot tea or soup stock, and the fragrant flavor and umami will fill your mouth.
It is also popular as a light meal or as a final treat after drinking alcohol.
The elegant packaging makes it perfect for gift-giving, and many people choose it as a souvenir to express their gratitude.
Another attraction of Seiyu is the wide variety of tsukudani (foods boiled in soy) that make use of the bounty of Lake Biwa.
Tsukudani, made by cooking small sweetfish, shrimp, and dried fish with traditional seasonings, is a delicacy that allows you to experience Shiga's food culture.
"Eel cooked with Japanese pepper" and "Young cooked small sweetfish" are seasonal dishes available for a limited time.
The main store in Imazu also has a restaurant where you can enjoy eel dishes such as "Hitsumamushi," "Unagi" and "Steamed eel."
It's a convenient place to stop for lunch while sightseeing, and is popular with both locals and tourists.
Eel chazuke and tsukudani are also sold in vacuum-packed containers that can be stored for a long time, making it convenient to enjoy a little at a time at home.
This is the perfect souvenir for those times when you want to share the flavors you discovered on your travels with someone special.
▼ Shops where you can purchase "Lake fish tsukudani and eel" souvenirs
Uoiwa
Uosei Shoten
Fish friends
Seiyu Shoten
Uoiwa Azumigawa store
Yoshiume
Ayugo
Takashima City is home to five sake breweries, each of which continues to produce its own unique sake.
This local sake, made with pure water and high-quality rice, is beloved for its taste, which reflects the climate and spirit of Takashima's people.
One of these is Fukui Yahei Shoten, a long-established storehouse in Katsuno, Takashima City, with a history of over 270 years.
We use high-quality rice grown in the natural environment of our local Takashima area and underground water from the Hira Mountains (soft, sweet water) to brew sake using techniques that have been passed down for generations.
The representative brand, "Haginoryu," is a local sake born from the brewery's belief that "sake is not for getting drunk, but for savoring."
Its taste is clean and elegant, and when you put it in your mouth, a deep umami flavor spreads and enhances the flavor of the dish.
Its flavor evokes the bounty of nature and the countryside, and it has long been a favorite among locals.
Another appealing feature is that you can enjoy different expressions depending on the season, such as the gorgeous aroma of junmai sake, ginjo sake, and daiginjo sake, and the fresh flavor of new sake.
At the direct sales store attached to the brewery, you may find limited edition sake and seasonal brands that are only available here.
This is a brewery where you will discover something new every time you visit.
Stop by during your trip and buy one as a souvenir for yourself, and another as a gift for someone special.
Hagino Tsuyu, nurtured by the water and climate of Takashima, is a sake that will bring back memories of your trip every time you taste it.
▼ Shops where you can purchase souvenirs of "Takashima City's local sake"
Yoshida Sake Brewery
Ikemoto Sake Brewery
Liquor Way Butamaki
Fukui City Noshin Shoten
福井弥平商店
Uehara Sake Brewery
Kawashima Sake Brewery
Maeda Liquor Store
Omi beef is known as a brand of beef from Shiga.
There are also butcher shops and farm-run stores in Takashima City, and processed products and souvenirs made with beef from the farm are gaining popularity.
One souvenir that allows you to easily enjoy Omi beef is the Omi beef hamburger steak from Daikichi Shoten, a long-established store that has been in business for over 100 years.
Daikichi Shoten is a store specializing in Omi beef, founded in 29.
We have our own directly managed ranch and are committed to using traditional Tajima bloodlines and heifers, and handle everything from fattening to sales.
The ranch is located on the banks of the Azumi River, which flows into Lake Biwa.
Surrounded by the natural beauty of Satoyama, the cows are fed with Omi rice straw and natural water pumped from 70 meters underground, and are raised with care by hand, not by machines.
We carefully select lean cuts of meat that require a lot of exercise, such as shank, shoulder and thigh, and coarsely grind them to create a plump finish.
There are two flavors of hamburger.
Demi-glace hamburger steak allows you to enjoy the tender texture of Omi beef and the delicious flavor of its refined fat, served with a rich demi-glace sauce that leaves a pleasant aftertaste.
The other is a light Japanese-style beef hamburger steak with a coarsely ground texture that allows you to enjoy the original aroma of Omi beef (Wagyu beef aroma).
The appeal of both is that they are easy to prepare, allowing you to enjoy the taste of a long-established restaurant just by heating them in hot water.
Simply heat it from frozen for about 15 minutes to create a juicy, fragrant hamburger steak.
Gift sets are also available, and are appreciated for a variety of occasions, such as "for someone who has helped you" or "as a treat for family."
A taste born from over 100 years of tradition and artisanal skill.
Daikichi Shoten's Omi beef hamburger steak, made with carefully selected ingredients and a carefully prepared method, is one of Takashima's most famous gourmet souvenirs.
▼ Shops where you can purchase "Omi Beef Hamburg Steak" souvenirs
Takashima Marugoto Department Store
Takara Ranch
Daikichi store
Takashima City is dotted with sweets shops that make use of the natural bounty of rural areas and ranches.
The sweets, made with freshly squeezed milk and local ingredients, have a gentle taste and are popular with people of all ages.
One of these is Takara Ranch, located in the natural surroundings of Kutsuki.
Since its founding in 1971, Takara Farm has been a ranch that deals with life, where cows, people, and nature coexist.
The farm is proud of its fresh milk, which is produced every morning.
Takara Farm's original Milk Baumkuchen is baked using plenty of this milk.
It's moist and fluffy, not too sweet, and the gentle aroma of milk fills the air with every bite.
The dairy cows are carefully raised on our own ranch and are fed with straw from local Omi rice.
The milk squeezed from cows raised on pure underground water is rich yet has a clean aftertaste. This baked confectionery captures the freshness of the milk.
Production and sales are carried out at the "Freshly Squeezed Workshop" on the ranch.
Shiboritate Kobo is a popular spot where visitors can enjoy the taste of farmland on the spot, with sweets such as soft serve ice cream, pudding, and cheesecake on offer.
The Baumkuchen comes in a decorative box and is popular as a souvenir or gift. It is also known as the first product in Shiga Prefecture to receive the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award.
It is also sold at roadside stations, tourist facilities, and service areas, and is also used as a return gift for hometown tax donations.
You can stop by during your trip, or order it online and enjoy it at your leisure.
This product, which allows you to experience the gentle flavor of freshly squeezed milk, is the perfect treat for yourself or as a gift for someone special.
▼ A shop where you can purchase "sweets made with the bounty of nature"
Takara Farm Freshly Squeezed Factory
Tomoei Confectionery
Famille
Dankaido
Blessed with nature, Takashima has many souvenirs that are packed with the flavor of the land and the thoughts of the people.
Each item is special enough to bring back memories of your trip.
Mackerel sushi from Kuchiki, eel chazuke from Imazu, local sake from Katsuno, Omi beef from Azumigawa, and milk sweets from Kuchiki.
Each one of them speaks to the richness of the town of Takashima.
A time to share the delicious food you discover along the way with someone special.
Be sure to find a memorable souvenir like this in Takashima.
