The beautiful sight of cherry blossoms along the Kansai waterfront   a serendipitous encounter with a silky marbled cake

Photo & Text /MIKA’s Travel & Food Diary

  After leaving Hikone Castle, we headed straight to nearby Omi Hachiman Shrine’s water town to view the cherry blossoms. Since we weren’t very familiar with the area and the water town was quite rural, bus services were infrequent, which cost us a lot of time waiting for buses. But when we finally arrived, it happened to be dusk, and we took quite a few lovely photos of the cherry blossoms in the sunset.

The warm afterglow of the setting sun shimmered on the river surface, while cherry blossom petals slowly drifted into the water — the scene was truly as beautiful as a painting. We also stumbled upon CLUB HARIE’s marbled cake, which is said to be a famous Japanese souvenir. After enjoying that delicious dessert, we headed back to Kyoto feeling completely satisfied.
  Yahata-bori is a renowned water town located on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa. Known for the “Omi Hachiman Spring Scenery,” it is listed as one of the Eight Views of Lake Biwa. The castle town of Omi Hachiman was established in 1585. Back then, to transport goods such as white rice and dyes, an extensive network of canals was developed to connect to Lake Biwa for trade and water transport — it used to be a bustling hub of commerce.

  Today, due to its well-preserved water town charm and traditional building preservation district, it has become a significant tourist destination. Yahata-bori also serves as a filming location for period dramas, with over 30 historical TV series and films shot here each year.


  Cherry blossom petals floating on the water add a touch of romance to the water town.


  I love this photo. Within Omi Hachiman City, there are four companies that offer “Water Town Cruises”: the Omi Hachiman Yakatabune Sightseeing Cooperative, Shimajinju Water Town Sightseeing Boat Division, Maruyama Yusui Sightseeing, and Lake Biwa Sightseeing Co., Ltd.

  This area is also part of Japan’s Important Traditional Buildings Preservation District. Strolling through its streets and alleys is actually quite fun, as everything consists of traditional architecture, with each house possessing its own unique charm.


  The combination of traditional Japanese buildings and cherry blossom trees makes the whole scene feel like something out of a Japanese period drama.


  The canals are lined with cherry blossom trees. It’s evident that we’re at the tail end of the blooming season — some trees have already shed all their petals — but seeing such beauty is more than enough to make us happy.

  It happened to be accompanied by the warm glow of the setting sun, with soft sunlight spilling over the cherry trees — so beautiful. A gentle breeze blew, sending petals flying like a snow shower before they landed gracefully on the water’s surface. The stunning scenery left us absolutely awestruck.


  There’s also Hachiman Shrine nearby that you can explore.


  Hachiman Shrine appears serene and solemn with little foot traffic. It was once the spiritual center for the merchants of Omi. Its two major fire festivals — the Sagiya Matsuri in mid-March and the Hachiman Matsuri in mid-April — have been designated as Intangible Folk Cultural Properties.

  Take your time to appreciate the tranquil beauty of Hachiman Shrine; it offers a place for the soul to settle...


  After visiting the shrine, on our way back, we spotted this red-brick Western-style building. A friend excitedly exclaimed that this place is famous for its marbled cake!! Does that mean we just discovered a famous spot by chance? Of course, we didn’t hesitate for a second and headed straight in for a taste.


  CLUB HARIE is said to be a well-known name in the world of Japanese souvenirs.

  Nimure CLUB HARIE is a Western-style red-brick building with a spacious interior where the factory and retail area are combined, so you can see the sweets being made on-site.


  Being able to watch the entire dessert-making process is really something. There were many cakes on display that looked incredibly tempting. We heard the place often has long lines, but today there was almost no one, so we got to enjoy our treats without waiting.


  We found a great spot to sit, and they even provided chilled water — how considerate ^^


  Every single cake in the store looked absolutely delicious!!

  The presentation was super lovely. Perhaps because it was strawberry season, there were so many strawberries — it all looked so festive.


  This place’s signature item is the marbled cake!! And look how beautifully it’s packaged~

  We heard that the shop’s pastry chefs need to train for five years before they’re allowed to make marbled cake.


  We bought one, and just looking at the packaging felt like we were getting amazing value. The expiration date was printed right on the package, which gave us peace of mind.


  Inside, there was a layer of wrapping paper and a cardboard sleeve, and when you opened that, there was also a sealed plastic bag — very high quality and hygienic.

  The marbled cake itself was rich and made with genuine ingredients, and it was fairly heavy too. As soon as we opened it, we were greeted by the rich aroma of eggs and milk. The layered marbled cake looked like a perfect work of art.


  It was moist, soft, and sweet, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture as smooth and delicate as silky fabric. It was completely different from the marbled cakes we’ve had in Taiwan — those were always so dry and hard. So this is what a real marbled cake is supposed to taste like.

It’s richly aromatic yet delicately refined, soft and moist on the palate. It tastes great, though honestly the sweetness is a bit much for me — perfect when paired with tea.


The blueberry and raspberry cheesecake is even more exquisite and delicious. It’s sweet and tangy, melts in your mouth, delicate, light, and refreshing — really tasty.


The cream strawberry tart — Japanese cream is truly delicious, not greasy at all, smooth and refreshing. Paired with the sweet-tart strawberries, it becomes even more moist and smooth. The cookie base is crisp, adding a rich, multi-layered texture.

This layered cake was a bit too sweet for me, but the texture is excellent. The other cakes were more appealing to me — their sweetness level was just right, and they’re exquisitely made with great color, aroma, and taste. Though the price isn’t cheap, it’s absolutely worth it!!

If I have the chance to visit the Omi Hachiman Shrine Water Town again, I’ll definitely come back here ^^ . This Nichirai CLUB HARIE has several branches; for more details, please check their official website.


[Omi Hachiman Shrine Water Town]

Address: Inami-cho, Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture
Phone: 0748-33-6061 (Omi Hachiman Station North Exit Tourist Information Center)

Transportation:
1. Public transport: Take the Ohmi Railway bus bound for “Chomeiji” from JR Biwako Line “Omi-Hachiman” Station, get off at “Osugi-cho” after about 7 minutes, then walk for about 5 minutes to reach the destination.
2. By car: About 20 minutes from the “Ryuo Interchange” on the Meishin Expressway.

[ CLUB HARIE Layered Cake ]

Business hours: 9:00–18:00 (last order at 17:00)
Closed: Open every day
Address: 〒523-8558 Shiga Prefecture, Higashiomi City, Inami-cho, Himure Village
Phone number: 0748-33-3333


Traveling is to return to where you came from with deeper meaning.