Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, located northeast of Lake Biwa, is the castle town of Nagahama Castle, the first castle built by Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and is an area make you feel the history that flourished due to the Rakuichi-Rakuza (free markets and open guilds; relaxed market place policy in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573-1598).
Kurakabe Squre
Kurokabe Square is a stylish and retro streetscape that spreads around JR Nagahama Station. Kurokabe Square was nicknamed the Kurokabe Bank because the Dai-Hyakusanju National Bank Nagahama Branch (later Meiji Bank Nagahama Branch) had black plaster walls. Now, centered around the retro architecture of the Kurokabe Glass Museum, the area is known as Japan’s largest glass art exhibition area, and is bustling with approximately 2 million tourists visiting each year.
Omi beef lunch
It’s hard to decide where to have lunch at Kurokabe Square.
We recommend “Omi Beef Mouri Shima Nagahama Kurokabe Branch.” Founded in 1879, Mouri Shima also owns its own ranch, and the quality of its Omi beef is truly first class.
Lunch menu
Of course, there is a regular steak lunch, but there are also plenty of plate lunches. We chose A and D.
Both lunch plates were delicious. I forgot to take a photo, but they came with a bowl of rice (you can ask for free refills) and a bowl of miso soup. If you want to taste the natural flavor of the Omi meat, I recommend to choose Lunch Plate A.
Frontier spirit
Mr. Hisatsugu Takenaka, who started this restaurant, is known as “the beef hotpot merchant who exchanged a toast with Jirocho of Shimizu, a folk hero in Japan, as brothers.” The story of how the dignity of the great samurai allowed him to transport beef to a beef wholesaler and beef hotpot specialty store in Asakusa, Tokyo, without being attacked by thieves, is a fun one that gives a sense of the times. It’s a fascinating story to learn.
Inside the restaurant
The interior of the store, which was renovated from a kimono shop, is stylish. The impressive beams in the roof are eye-catching.
Enjoy delicious Omi beef in this romantic historical city. When talking about the founder’s success as an Omi merchant, don’t forget to learn his relationship with Jirocho of Shimizu.
World’s first figure museum
Kaiyodo, a company that Japan is proud of, is one of the world’s leading companies in terms of the precision of its sculpture and its sense of design, and is very popular with foreigners. The world’s first figure museum is located in Kurokabe Square. There are more than 5,000 exhibits, which is very impressive.
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Omi Mourishima Nagahama Kurokabe branch, 11-27 Motohama, Nagahama-city, Shiga
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