Whenever we chat with travelers planning their trips around Japan, they always rave about the hyper-efficient bullet trains and pristine subway lines of the major cities. And it’s true – public transit here is a marvel! But if you really want to experience the heart of Japan, you have to venture out into the countryside.
Just a fair warning: once you step off the beaten path, getting around takes a bit more effort. To show you exactly how rewarding (and beautifully unpredictable) rural travel can be, we spent a day exploring the lush hills of Shiga Prefecture. We set off in search of a hidden nature cafe and a historic temple, and we ended up with some unforgettable local encounters along the way!
Part 1: Timothy Grass (ちもしい・ぐらす) : A Purple Dream in the Mountains
Our very first stop of the day was Timothy Grass (ちもしい・ぐらす), a charming little cafe tucked deep into the greenery. The sweeping nature views alone are worth the trip, but this spot hides a wonderfully unique feature that we just couldn’t resist: chinchillas!
The owner is an absolute chinchilla lover. Right by the entrance enclosure, we got to see these incredibly cute, round furballs happily sleeping off the spring heat. They are pure magic to watch.
As a lovely bonus for animal lovers, the cafe also has a dedicated pet-friendly space outside. If you are traveling with your own furry companion, it is a spectacular spot to sit together, breathe in the fresh mountain air, and take in the deep green scenery.
Tasting a Purple Dream
The menu shifts beautifully with the seasons, and since we visited during hydrangea season, we had to try the Seasonal Hydrangea (紫陽花 Ajisai) Lemonade and the matching Hydrangea Cheesecake. Serving them up together felt like a total purple dream—perfectly capturing the vibrant, cool tones of the early summer blooms.
What You Need to Know Before You Go
Because the cafe sits along a winding mountain route, getting there is an adventure in itself. If you’re planning your own visit, here is what we learned about the logistics:
- Go During the Week if You Take the Bus: We highly recommend planning your trip for a weekday if you rely on public transit. On weekdays, the local buses run efficiently right up to the bus stops closest to the cafe. You can just hop on a rural route from JR Ishiyama Station.
- The Weekend Challenge (Rent a Car!): On weekends, the closest operating bus stop is still quite a ways away. We highly discourage trying to walk that remaining stretch on foot—it’s a winding mountain road without proper pedestrian paths, making it dangerous due to passing cars. If you visit on a Saturday or Sunday, save yourself the stress and rent a car!
- Arrive Early: There is a small parking lot directly in front of the cafe. Spaces are limited, so definitely get there early to snag a spot.
Our Favorite Story from the Day: Proving that the best travel memories come from stepping a bit out of your comfort zone, we found ourselves at the cafe on foot with no easy transit down. Knowing the road wasn’t safe to walk, we decided to take a chance and ask some friendly fellow cafe-goers for a lift. Sometimes, dialing up your politeness and putting your Japanese skills to use goes a long, long way! They kindly agreed, and we got to hitch a ride straight to our next destination: Ishiyama-dera.
Part 2: A Perfect Lunch Stop at Sensinryo (洗心寮)
By the time we arrived at the temple area, our stomachs were rumbling. Luckily, right in front of the main entrance to Ishiyama-dera sits Sensinryo (洗心寮), a fantastic local spot for a traditional meal.
We ordered the cold soba noodles and crisp, light tempura. After a morning spent navigating mountain roads, it was the ultimate refreshing lunch – cooling us right down and prepping us for an afternoon of walking.
Part 3: Getting Lost in the Shade at Ishiyama-dera
Ishiyama-dera (石山寺) is a massive, historic temple complex built into a dramatic, rocky hillside. Unlike the packed tourist tracks you often find in central Kyoto or Osaka, this felt wonderfully peaceful.
The temple grounds are incredibly wide and spacious, meaning we barely ran into any crowds. It gave us the rare chance to truly explore at your own pace, wandering through towering trees and enjoying the deep, cool shade of the forest canopy.
Walking in the Footsteps of Murasaki Shikibu
What makes Ishiyama-dera truly legendary is its massive place in Japanese literary history. Over a thousand years ago, a noblewoman and court poet named Murasaki Shikibu came to stay at this very temple on a spiritual retreat.
As the story goes, it was during a night here in the year 1004 – while she was gazing out at the full autumn moon reflecting across the nearby Biwa River – that she was suddenly struck with a wave of creative inspiration. Right then and there, she began writing what is now widely considered the world’s very first novel: The Tale of Genji (源氏物語).
When you wander into the Main Hall (Hondo), you can actually peer into the Genji-no-ma (Genji Room). It is preserved as the exact space where she supposedly stayed. Sitting inside the room is a beautiful, lifelike doll of Murasaki Shikibu herself, dressed in traditional court robes and poised with an ink brush at her low writing desk. Seeing her sitting there in the quiet stillness of the hall makes the thousand-year-old history feel incredibly real and immediate.
Of course, we couldn’t leave a temple this magnificent without a keepsake—we stopped to get a beautiful, hand-inked goshuin (sacred temple stamp) in our book to commemorate the journey.
How to Get There from Osaka
If you want to recreate our day trip, here is exactly how we made the journey from central Osaka:
- The Train: Catch the JR Tokaido-Sanyo Main Line (Special Rapid Service) from Osaka Station bound for Shiga/Kyoto.
- The Transfer: Ride the train to Ishiyama Station (it takes about 45 minutes).
- To the Temple/Cafe: From Ishiyama Station, you can hop on the Keihan Ishiyama Sakamoto Line straight to Ishiyamadera Station if you want to see the temple first. If you are aiming for the cafe first on a weekday, head straight to the bus terminals outside the JR station to catch the rural routes.
If you do choose to rent a car from Osaka to make the cafe logistics a breeze, the drive takes roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes via the Meishin Expressway.
Written by Salomé