Home by Lake Biwa, Otsu near Kyoto!

Staying with Sorako and Tomoyo was a fantastic experience and I would highly recommend this homestay to anyone looking to get out of the big cities and see some more of the countryside. They've been hosting travelers for decades and that experience shows through their excellent service. The home is in a very convenient location allowing access to Kyoto in 1 hour and Osaka in 90 minutes, but I also very much recommend exploring the local communities and attractions near Biwako. I enjoyed my time here to the degree that I will very likely stay here again in subsequent visits to Japan.

Mon séjour de plus d'un mois chez Tomoyo, du moins chez sa mère Sorasan fut enchanteur.
Sorasan est une personne accueillante, vivante et ouverte sur le monde ; très dynamique, elle m'a fait partagé de très jolis endroits à côté de Kyoto. L'endroit est stratégique : près de Kyoto, nous en avons les avantages et bénéficions à Minamishiga d'un lieu calme et apaisant, où les environs recèlent des trésors de beauté. La maison est à à peine 10 minutes à pied et à 30 minutes de Kyoto. Ma chambre était très confortable. De plus Sorasan cuisine extrêmement bien.
Je recommande ce lieu pour la chaleur et la gentillesse de Sorasan, de sa fille Tomoyo et des possibilités innombrables que possède cet endroit.

Sorako-san est une personne adorable et pleine d'énergie. Sa maison est très chaleureuse. Nous avons passé de très bons moments ensemble, que nous n'oublierons jamais.
Tomoyo-san et Sorako-san sont très à l'écoute et prêtes à nous aider si besoin.
La maison est située dans un environnement calme en périphérie de Kyoto mais est proche (10 mns) d'une gare de banlieu. Le train nous dépose (2 arrêts) à la gare JR d'Otsu. Il y a également un centre commercial à proximité (resto + magasins).

Actually it is not Tomoyo San house but her parents.I have chosen this home because I was interested by the Japanese language lessons provided by Tomoyo San, in her small school, 15 mn by train from her parents house
Sorako San, Tomoyo San mother is fabulous, very energetic, very warm person
She speaks english
Both Tomoyo San and Sorako San are very helpful
The family dog, saizo, is a singing dog. Cute!

The house is 4 train stations from Kyoto, quite convenient location

Very nice place! Otsu-shi is a beautiful city on the coast of Biwako, rich in history and culture, and a short train ride to neighboring cities such as Kyoto and Osaka. I stayed with this family for one month and attended the Japanese-English language school that they run. They are very kind and cool people, generous and accommodating, and also very active. It's a short, direct walk to the nearest train station (approximately five minutes), and about three minutes to the nearest kombini, which is en route to the station.

Every morning oka-san (the mother) prepared a delicious breakfast - which I felt slightly guilty about, since I'm used to cooking for myself, but she's extremely gracious about it :P She has a strong functional knowledge of English, and the daughter, whom runs the language school, is by far one of the most proficient English speakers that I met in Japan.

I highly recommend this home, and Otsu in general, as a great alternative to staying in one of Kansai's more densely-populated, tourist-packed areas (such as Kyoto), with convenient access to wonderful natural and cultural sites, and very nice people!