Torch-Making Demonstration & Traditional Shimenawa Rope-Making Workshop
On Saturday 7 November 2026, the Association for Passing Down Traditional Torches as Cultural Heritage will hold a torch-making demonstration and a traditional shimenawa (sacred rope) making workshop at KICHOU in Omihachiman.
On Sunday 8 November 2026, a botanical dyeing workshop will be held at Fabrica-mura in Higashiomi, where you can dye your own linen scarf using reeds from Lake Biwa as a natural dye.
Biwa and Yoshi-bue Concert — "The Resonance of Prayer and Story"
On Saturday 17 October 2026, a concert of biwa (Japanese lute) and yoshi-bue (reed flute) will be held at the former Ban Family Residence. Enjoy a sung narration of "Nasu no Yoichi", a celebrated episode from The Tale of the Heike, together with the tone of the reed flute.
Ahead of its main edition in 2027, "共鳴 — RESONANCE", the International Art Festival BIWAKO BIENNALE will present a series of pre-events in Omihachiman in the autumn of 2026.
The programme brings together an exhibition, a concert of biwa (Japanese lute) and yoshi-bue (reed flute), a natural-dyeing experience using reeds from Lake Biwa, and a workshop in the locally handed-down craft of torch making — each an encounter with the nature and culture particular to this place. We warmly invite you to enjoy Omihachiman in autumn, ahead of the festival itself.
