Lake Biwa
Discover Lake Biwa
Lake Biwa (琵琶湖 Biwa-ko) is Japan's largest freshwater lake and the defining feature of Shiga prefecture. The lake is most likely named after the Japanese stringed instrument biwa, whose shape resembles the lake. The entire lake is now designated as a protected Quasi-National Park.
What to Experience in Lake Biwa
Taste of Lake Biwa...
Bring a portable BBQ set out to Omi Maiko or Shiga Beach. Alternatively, at Omi Maiko, in summer are food vendors. Load up a cooler full of whatever you like. There is a reasonable, tropical-themed, outdoor beach bar on the eastern end of Omi Maiko. Part of a hotel, they offer BBQ dinners at brick tables.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe JR Tokaido Main Line and the Tokaido Shinkansen lines run more or less along the southern and eastern coasts of the lake, connecting Otsu and Hikone to Kyoto and Osaka in the west and Nagoya in the east. The private Keihan Keishin Line (京阪京津線) provides the cheapest way of getting from Kyoto (京都) to Otsu (大津) and onward with a change of train to Sakamoto. The quieter western and northern coasts are covered by the JR Kosei Line (湖西線). Cruises around the lake and ferries to Chikubu and Okishima islands in it depart from Otsu and Hikone. The main operator is Biwako Kisen (Japanese only). The Biwaichi Route is a 200 km cycling trail around Lake Biwa. You can do the whole thing in 2 or 3 days, or cycle only a short section. Rental bicycles are available from Biwaichi Cycling in Maibara and Giant Store Biwako in Moriyama. Lake Biwa attracts many birds and along with them birdwatchers....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The quieter western and northern coasts are covered by the JR Kosei Line (湖西線). Cruises around the lake and ferries to Chikubu and Okishima islands in it depart from Otsu and Hikone. The main operator is Biwako Kisen (Japanese only). The Biwaichi Route is a 200 km cycling trail around Lake Biwa. You can do the whole thing in 2 or 3 days, or cycle only a short section. Rental bicycles are available from Biwaichi Cycling in Maibara and Giant Store Biwako in Moriyama. Lake Biwa attracts many birds and along with them birdwatchers.
Safety Information
Glimpses of Lake Biwa
a tori tori floating in the middle of a body of water
a wooden pier with a building on top of it
𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗠𝗡 𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗧 • View of Lake Biwa, Shiga, at sunset on an autumn day in 2024, as seen from Matsubara beach
People come to Ukimido in Katata, Otsu to be close to the Biwa Lake.
A coastal city is seen beyond a wooden fence.
View on the Biwa Lake from the train in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.
a woman standing on a rock wall next to a body of water
a long pier stretches out into the water
Dawn of Biwa Lake
Lady Murasaki at Ishiyama Overlooking a Panorama with Eight Views of Lake Biwa 1740s Okumura Masanobu 奥村 政信 (Japanese, 1686–1764) Japan, Edo period (1615-1868) Color woodblock print Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Wade 1916.1147 https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.1147
a tori tori floating in the middle of a body of water
a wooden pier with a building on top of it
𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗠𝗡 𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗧 • View of Lake Biwa, Shiga, at sunset on an autumn day in 2024, as seen from Matsubara beach