Photo= A man dancing in a water ball while holding the panel that says "Go around Lake Biwa by bike" (Biwako Hotel, Hamamachi, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture)

To publicize the attractions of Otsu City and Lake Biwa to foreign tourists, Biwako Otsu Tourist Association has called for cooperation from foreigners living in the city to help make a video. Each participant danced inside a huge transparent ball that floated on the water to promote their favorite places. This time, filming took place at the Biwako Hotel in Hamamachi, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture.

Shooting began in May. Including that day, a total of 37 people participated, most of whom are foreign nationals that are registered city citizens and international students living in the city. "Otsu Hikaru-kun," the city's tourism promotion mascot, also joined. Each participant danced to an assigned part of a song by the idol group AKB 48.

Holding a panel with an attraction's name, such as "Lake Biwa," "Ukimido Temple" and so on, written in Chinese characters or the Roman alphabet, each participant entered a 2.5 meters-in-diameter plastic water ball. While the ball floated in the pool, they enjoyed dancing in spite of the difficulty balancing.

Hero Block, a 17-year-old high school student living in 1-chome, Chuo, Otsu City, publicized his own achievement of cycling round Lake Biwa, saying "If you cycle around the lake, you can enjoy various aspects of Lake Biwa." The video will be available from late-July on the tourist association's website and other places.