Otsu Food and Shopping: What to Eat and What to Bring Home

Otsu is the prefectural capital of Shiga, sitting just east of Kyoto along the southern shore of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest freshwater lake. People searching for food in Otsu usually want to know whether the city offers anything beyond a quick stop from Kyoto. It does, but it is local food, and it helps to know what to look for: freshwater fish, rice and Omi-brand beef, and sweets that go back to the days when the city was a port and a post town on an old road. This guide sticks to dishes and areas that stay put over time rather than listing restaurants that change hands easily.

Famous local foods

First, the fish of Lake Biwa. Commonly seen are ayu (sweetfish), small fish such as moroko, and carp-family species. Local restaurants serve them salt-grilled, fried, or simmered in sweet soy as tsukudani, which keeps well and is a popular gift. Second, funazushi, a fermented sushi made from funa, a type of crucian carp. It has a strong smell and a sharp sourness a bit like aged cheese, so first-timers should order a small portion or a version served over rice. Third, Omi beef, Shiga's branded beef, served as sukiyaki, shabu-shabu or steak. Prices vary a lot between places, so look at the real menu at the door or on the restaurant's own site.

Where to eat

The first area is around JR Otsu and Hamaotsu, a Keihan line station. It is a waterfront district near the port with restaurants, cafes and hotels close together, and it suits people who want an easy walk and a dinner after seeing the lake. The second is around Ishiyamadera and Ishiyama stations to the south, with neighbourhood places and shops near the temple, good for lunch after a temple visit. The third is Sakamoto, at the foot of Mt. Hiei, an old town around the funicular base with several soba shops and temple-style vegetarian places. If you are heading up to Enryaku-ji, plan lunch here.

Dishes and types of place to try

• Soba at Sakamoto: cold or hot noodles, often with vegetable tempura on the side
• Salt-grilled ayu or a lake-fish rice set
• Omi beef sukiyaki or shabu-shabu, worth one special meal
• Lunch set restaurants (teishoku) around stations
• Local ramen and udon shops for an economical meal

A practical tip is to eat your biggest meal at lunch. Many places in a mid-sized city like Otsu close earlier than Thai visitors expect, and some close one day a week, so check days and hours on the restaurant's own page before going.

Cafes and sweets

Otsu's traditional sweets are tied to the old road and the temples. Typical are wagashi made from sweet red bean and rice flour, sold in long-established sweet shops near stations and temple districts. Cafes by the lake around Hamaotsu and the Nagisa waterfront give you a seat with a view of the water, a good place to rest after a walk. In July and August, when it is hot and humid, a cold dessert like kakigori (shaved ice) will suit better than a hot one.

Shopping and souvenirs

Shopping in Otsu is practical rather than touristy. There are department stores and convenience stores around the main stations, plus drugstores that Thai visitors like for everyday goods, but this is not a city you visit mainly to shop. For brands or a big outlet, Kyoto or Osaka is more convenient. Good Otsu souvenirs include tsukudani fish, wagashi, Shiga tea and pottery, and Otsu-e, the old folk painting style associated with the town. Choose items that keep at room temperature since you will be riding trains, and check the rules on bringing food and animal products into Thailand before buying.

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What you spend per meal in Otsu depends more on the type of restaurant than the location. A lunch set or a bowl of noodles sits in the economical group, while an Omi beef meal or a kaiseki dinner sits far higher. Prices shift with season and venue, so no fixed numbers are given here; check the restaurant's own menu or the sign at the door. A simple approach is to eat two economical meals and save the budget for one special meal.

Halal and vegetarian options

Halal options in Otsu are far more limited than in Tokyo or Osaka. If you need halal, plan to eat in Kyoto or Osaka or bring basic food yourself. Vegetarian is a little easier through shojin ryori, temple-style meals without meat or fish, around Sakamoto and Mt. Hiei. Even so, tell the staff in advance about eggs, dairy and dashi (bonito stock), since many Japanese dishes that look vegetable-based use fish stock.

Using Google Maps to translate reviews and menus, and to look at the photos a restaurant posts itself, helps a lot at places without an English menu. Having data all day makes this easy, and a Japan eSIM means you do not need to hunt for wifi the moment you step off the train.

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