How walkable is Ōtsu?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Ōtsu has a walkability score of 58 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it somewhat walkable: some errands can be done on foot. It is the joint 65th most walkable of the 70 cities ranked in Japan, with 1 other.
What's within walking distance of the centre
701 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Ōtsu. The nearest grocery is about 9 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for restaurants & bars, coffee, parks, schools and culture & entertainment.
Groceries
- フレスコ 大津店, 9 min
- 九重商店, 9 min
Restaurants & bars
- Bel Lago, 3 min
- 鉄板おおみ, 3 min
Shopping
- ローソン, 7 min
- 水野古美術店, 8 min
Coffee
- 喫茶店, 5 min
- BirdCafe, 5 min
Banks
- 関西みらい銀行 びわこ営業部, 9 min
- ゆうちょ銀行大津店, 12 min
Parks
- 呼次松児童公園, 16 min
- 尾花川公園, 16 min
Schools
- 大津市立大津幼稚園, 7 min
- TAMランド 打出浜なぎさ園, 14 min
Books & libraries
- 沢五車堂, 11 min
- 刃物や三省堂, 13 min
Culture & entertainment
- 大津アレックスシネマ, 4 min
- 旧大津公会堂, 7 min
Measured from the centre at 35.0117, 135.8694, the point near Ōtsu's middle with the most places in walking range. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the centre there are about 80 street intersections per km², and blocks average 64 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Ōtsu's score of 58 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 94 within 1 km of the centre, 63 from 1 to 3 km out and 50 from 3 to 5 km out. 47 of the 91 points within 5 km fall on water or on land without streets, such as hillsides, forest or farmland, and are left out, so the score describes only the built-up part. 48% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot. Walkability falls off steeply away from the centre, so check a specific address on the map.
- 90+
- 70–89
- 50–69
- 25–49
- 0–24
Each hexagon is the score at a point, 1 km from its neighbours, across the 5 km around central Ōtsu. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 90 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 94 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 63 | 57% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 50 | 35% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Kyoto, Japan | 11 km | 88 |
| Takatsuki, Japan | 28 km | 75 |
| Hirakata, Japan | 29 km | 76 |
| Nara, Japan | 36 km | 64 |
| Toyonaka, Japan | 44 km | 85 |
Questions about walking in Ōtsu
Is Ōtsu a walkable city?
Partly. Ōtsu has a walkability score of 58 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it somewhat walkable: some errands can be done on foot. Its centre scores 90. The score covers about 80 km² around the busiest point rather than the whole city, and suburbs further out are usually less walkable, so check a specific address on the map. It ranks joint 65th of 70 cities in Japan and joint 484th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Japan?
Tokyo is the most walkable of the 70 cities ranked in Japan, with a score of 98. Ōtsu ranks joint 65th with 58.
How does Ōtsu compare with nearby cities?
Ōtsu is less walkable than its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 58, against Kyoto (88, 11 km away), Takatsuki (75, 28 km away) and Hirakata (76, 29 km away).
Which part of Ōtsu is most walkable?
The streets just around Ōtsu's centre are its most walkable, averaging 94 within 1 km. The centre itself, the point with the most places in walking range, scores 90. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the south-east (averaging 87) and falls most to the west (8).
How is Ōtsu's walkability score calculated?
For Ōtsu it is the average of 44 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 21 of them score 70 or more. Each point counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and loses up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long, using open map data from Overture Maps (release 2026-09-23.1) and OpenStreetMap. It measures what is within a walk, not what the walk is like: pavements, traffic, safety, hills and heat are not part of the score.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. City position and population from GeoNames.
Ask about walking anywhere in ChatGPT with the How Walkable app, for example "How walkable is Ōtsu?"