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Shiga 🏛 Museum 📷 10

Lake Biwa Museum

滋賀県立琵琶湖博物館

A museum that explains the region's story better than any guidebook.

See the photos How to get there Open in Maps
Best season Year-round — a reliable rainy-day option
Time needed 1–2 hours
Admission Roughly ¥300–1,000 (≈ $2–6)
Opening hours Typically 9:30–17:00, closed Mondays

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.

What this place is

The Lake Biwa Museum (琵琶湖博物館, Biwako Hakubutsukan) is in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It was founded in 1996. The theme of the museum is "relationship between lakes and people" and introduces the nature and culture of Lake Biwa, the largest and oldest lake in Japan. The Lake Biwa Museum's aquarium is one of the largest freshwater aquarium in Japan. The giant Lake Biwa catfish (Silurus biwaensis) is a popular symbol of the Lake Biwa Museum. A full-scale replica of Maruko-bune, a traditional wooden sailing boat of the Lake Biwa, is on the exposition in the museum. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA), the aquarium is accredited as a Registered Museum by the Museum Act from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Why it is worth the trip

  • Permanent galleries covering local history, industry and daily life in one clear sequence.
  • Original artefacts and reconstructions you can get close to, with English panels in most major rooms.
  • Rotating special exhibitions, so repeat visits rarely show the same thing twice.

What you can do here

  • Follow the permanent exhibition route first — it is usually built as a chronological story.
  • Borrow the audio guide or scan the QR panels for English, Korean or Chinese commentary.
  • Try the hands-on corner: crafts, replicas and workshops aimed at all ages.
  • Finish at the museum shop, which is often the best place in town for local-made souvenirs.

Getting there

We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.

Area: Shiga

Route on Google Maps

Good to know before you go

  • Closed on Mondays as a rule (or the next weekday when Monday is a holiday).
  • Last admission is normally 30 minutes before closing.
  • Photography rules differ between permanent and special exhibitions — check the signage.

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