Ohara or Otsu?

I'll be visiting Japan this coming January, and will be allocating 5 days in Kyoto. I have an extra day with no activities planned yet. I was thinking of visiting either Otsu or Ohara.

I was going to compare the transportation fares for both to decide but I ended up in a further dilemma as they both are of the same price. (Considering that I am getting a Kyoto Sightseeing Pass for Ohara or a Kansai Thru 3 Day Pass if I go for Otsu, as I will be needing the 2 Day Pass either way.)

So hopefully I can hear some of your opinions about these two places and decide. Thank you!

Ohara has a nice mountain temple, hiking (outside winter) and an onsen, which makes for a nice break from the busy city. I am not aware of any interesting sights in Otsu. What were you considering to visit there?

Enryaku-ji, Onjo-ji, Ishiyama-dera, Hie shrine etc. in Otsu are as historic as the world heritage temples in Kyoto city. Unlike the temples in Ohara, they are designated as National treasures of Japan.

We stayed in Otsu for a few days a few years ago. It is a very pleasant city with some good shopping, though I didnt find it great for sightseeing - it might be better if you have a car available. I would also toss up Uji as a very nice town to visit for a day, even better to stay overnight. The green tea icecream there is better than any I've had elsewhere, and the walks around the town are very pleasant.

Ohara is easy to do in a day and a nice place.

Outside also has nice historic sites like enryakuji temple, Hiyoshi shrine, miidera temple, and Ishiyamadera.

Otsu is better in the spring with blossoms and Ohara in fall but both are nice trips

While most Japanese people would recommend Ohara for its historic Sanzen-in Temple (which is wonderful), Ohtsu is also quite nice if you research into locations of Ishiyamadera and Enryakuji and know how to get there using the Keihan railway line.

For hard core Anime fans, Otsu is the location of the recent Kyoto Animation series Chuunibyo demo koi ga shitai. Up further north, there is a K-On! school in Toyosato. Only for Anime fans, though...

I just got back from a short trip to Kyoto and spent a day in Otsu. It was certainly pleasant and had nice scenery even in winter, and right now there are a lot of camellia blooming at Ishiyamadera. I second the suggestion for a car, though. While it's fairly easy to get to different stations in Otsu from major Kyoto stations, Otsu lacks much public transportation within the city.

If you're a ramen enthusiast, there is supposedly a well-known local chain with a thicker, meatier broth.