Photo= A conceptual drawing of JR Otsu Station after renovations

JR Otsu Station in Kasuga-cho, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, which has been undergoing renovations, will become the commercial facility "Vierra Otsu" and open on October 1. This news was announced on August 23 by Otsu City, JR-West and others. A complex including a capsule hotel and restaurants, a café, a restaurant specializing in Omi beef, and other shops will be opening there. The aim of this project is to replace the negative image of there being no place for enjoy a rest.

The facility is a two-story ferroconcrete building within JR Otsu Station building with a total floor space of about 2,200 square meters. The main area is a complex called "The Calendar," where a capsule hotel, restaurants, a space for reading or purchasing books, and others covering the entire second floor is under development.

There will be five stores on the first floor. Respectively, they are the convenience store "Seven-Eleven Heart-in" and the coffee chain "Starbucks Coffee," as well as an Omi beef restaurant, "OKAKI," managed by Okaki Co., Ltd. in Ryuo-cho, Shiga Prefecture, a Chinese-noodle restaurant-chain "Chanpontei Sohonke" and a soba and local sake bistro "Konkian" serving buckwheat noodles made in Taga-cho, both managed by Dream Foods Inc. in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture.

The Otsu Station tourist office located on the first floor will provide eight free rental bicycles, plan local brewery tours and so on. Local events, such as a Japanese board game "Shogi" tournament, radio gymnastic exercises every morning and others, will be also held.

The concept for the renovation is "A station and city where people gather from around the world." Naomi Koshi, city mayor, said in the press conference at Otsu city hall, "We want to improve the walking map for the city, and enable people gathering around the station to go around town easily."

Underway since last November, the station building's renovation has cost 700 million yen. Otsu City has paid a total cost of approximately 90 million yen, for items including parts of the Otsu Station building's external wall renovations and the maintenance for the tourist information office and the restrooms.