LBM
Today the Museum is

Days the Museum is closed:

Please check schedule
Full closed schedule

Aquarium Exhibits

Please note that due to an incident of a tank breaking, some tanks in the Aquarium have been drained for safety. However, the Aquarium is open and there is still lots to see!

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding banner - children in th e tunnel tank

Since opening in 1996, the Lake Biwa Museum, with a theme of "Lakes and People", has been enjoyed by over 12 million people from all over Japan and beyond.

The broken catfish tank

However, on February 10, 2023, a major incident occurred when the giant Biwa catfish tank suddenly broke. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the fish were safe, but inspections found that other tanks contain small cracks, so they had to be drained for safety. Among them is the "Tunnel Tank", the symbol of the aquarium, which was drained and remains empty of water to this day.

The cost of replacing the acrylic in the aquarium, which will be necessary to reopen the exhibition, is expected to be in excess of tens of millions of yen. Therefore, we have launched a project called "A New Aquarium Created by Everyone" to revive the aquatic exhibits. As a first step, we have decided to raise part of the cost of replacing the acrylic tunnel tank. At a future stage, we will repair the giant Biwa catfish tank.

Together with everyone who supports the Lake Biwa Museum, we will revive the aquatic exhibits and create an opportunity to think about a better future for lakes and people.

The crowdfunding period is now over, and we reached our target!

Crowdfunding page: https://readyfor.jp/projects/biwahaku2023

Thank you for your kind support.


Youtube Channel

Welcome to the Lake Biwa Museum

Lake Biwa is in central Japan and is one of the world's few ancient lakes. It is also Japan's largest freshwater lake and it has shaped the natural and cultural history of the area for a long time.

The exhibits of the Lake Biwa Museum explore the relationship between lakes and people, focusing on Lake Biwa and the changes that have occurred during its long history.



View Lake Biwa Museum in a larger map

Opening times: 09:30 am to 5:00 pm, Last entry 4:00 pm

Have a question about Lake Biwa or the Museum?

Email us: [email protected]