Visitor Guide

Information Relating to the Covid-19 Coronavirus

• Please refrain from visiting if you have a symptoms of the Covid-19 coronavirus.

• Please keep your distance from other visitors and refrain from speaking loudly.

Opening Times

09:30 am to 5:00 pm, last entry at 4:00 pm.

Museum Holidays

The Museum is usually closed on Mondays, unless that day is a national holiday, and certain other times of the year (e.g. New Year holiday). Please consult the table to plan your visit.

Closed Days, April 2023 to March 2024
April: 10, 17, 24May: 8, 15, 22, 29June: 5, 12, 19, 26
July: 3, 10, 31August: 28September: 4-8, 11, 25
October: 2, 16, 23, 30November: 6, 13, 20, 27December: 4, 11, 18, 25-31
January: 1-3, 15, 22-26, 29February: 5, 13, 19, 26March: 4, 11

Admission Fees to Permanent Exhibition Rooms

Adults - 800 yen (640 yen each for groups of 20 or more)

University/High School Students - 450 yen (360 yen each for groups of 20 or more)

Elementary/ Junior High School Students - Free

Residents of Shiga Prefecture 65 years old or older - Free

Persons with disabilities - Free

Additional charges apply for some Special Exhibitions.

No ticket is necessary for the outdoor exhibits, including the treetop walk.

Getting Here by Public Transport

Train

Take the JR Biwako (Tokaido) line from Kyoto or Maibara (or any station on the Biwako line) to Kusatsu (Shiga) Station. Both local trains and Special Rapid Service trains stop at Kusatsu Station.

  • Kyoto to Kusatsu takes 20 or 23 minutes, depending on train service. (Distance 22.2 km/ 13.8 miles.)
  • Maibara to Kusatsu takes 32 or 44 minutes, depending on train service. (Distance 45.5 km/ 28.3 miles.)
At Kusatsu Station, take either a bus or a taxi to the Museum, located on the Karasuma Peninsula.

Bus

From the west side of Kusatsu station, buses depart for the museum from bus stop number 2. Look for a bus with the destination sign Biwako-haku-butsu-kan (Lake Biwa Museum or Biwako Museum):

Bus Timetable
Going to the MuseumReturning from the Museum
HourMondays to FridaysSaturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays HourMondays to FridaysSaturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays
8: 00, 50 00 8: 27 27
9: 30 30 9: 19, 59 59
10: 30 00, 30 10: 59 29, 59
11: 30 30 11: 59 59
12: 30 00, 30 12: 59 29, 54
13: 30 30 13: 59 59
14: 30 00, 30 14: 59 29, 59
15: 30 30 15: 59 59
16: 30 00, 30 16: 29, 54
17: 30 00 17: 30 29
18: 30 00, 30 18: 00, 59 24, 54
19: 00 19: 24

Journey time = 25 minutes.

For a detailed guide on how to catch a bus to the Museum, and buses in Japan generally, see a guide to catching a bus to the Museum.

Taxi

Taxis can be found at the taxi rank on the west side of Kusatsu Station (follow signs for "West Exit"). It takes approximately 20 minutes from Kusatsu Station to the Museum. Ask the driver for "Lake Biwa Museum" or "Biwako haku-butsu-kan".

Alternatively, take a taxi from Moriyama Station (two stations east from Kusatsu); Moriyama Station is closer to the Museum than Kusatsu Station, but there is no bus service to the Museum from Moriyama.

Getting Here by Car

Exit the Meishin Expressway at the Ritto Interchange and drive along the Ritto Shinanaka Route and the Lakeshore (Sazanami) Road (approximately 30 minutes). Parking is available.

Facilities

Museum Restaurant

Taste traditional Japanese cuisine or Western influenced dishes in the Museum Restaurant. The menu includes local produce, such as fish from Lake Biwa.

Opening times
11:00 am to 3:30 pm (last orders 3:00 pm)

Museum Shop - Oydeya

A wide range of gifts and souvenirs are available at the Museum Shop - Oydeya, including unique merchandise to the Lake Biwa Museum.

A great place to find that special gift for someone, or for that exclusive memento of your trip to the Lake Biwa Museum.

Nursing Room

A room for families travelling with young children and babies is available.

Please consult with staff to use this room.

Mobility

The Museum is fully accessible to wheelchair users, and a selection of wheelchairs and baby strollers are available for use.

Please ask at the ticket counter.

Lunch & Resting Spaces

Visitors bringing there own food are welcome to use one of the Museum's lunch spaces, found both inside and outside of the building, including the roof-top terrace. Additionally, drink-vending machines and resting corners are available.

About the Museum

The Lake Biwa Museum is run by Shiga Prefectural Government and opened in October 1996. Since opening over 12 million people have visited the Museum. A major renewal of the Museum's exhibitions and aquarium occurred from 2015 to 2020, in three stages.

The Museum is a research institute, and employs around 30 researchers. While contributing to the running of the Museum, the researchers also study various aspects of Lake Biwa and other lakes of the world, including history, zoology, botany, geology, archaeology, and ethnology.

The Museum's aquarium, one of the largest freshwater aquariums in Japan, includes a conservation center, which breeds vulnerable and threatened species of fish.

The Museum is home to large collections of biological, geological and cultural specimens and artefacts, which are used for scientific research and exhibitions.

The total floor area of the main building is 23,987 m2, including exhibition space of 4,122 m2 and aquarium space of 1,984 m2.

A Profile of the Lake Biwa Museum is available to download (PDF 3MB).

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