Lake Biwa Museum

Access & Facilities

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 2026 to March 2027
April: 13, 20, 27	May: 7, 11, 18, 25	June: 8, 15, 22, 29
July: 6, 13	August: 3, 21 (am), 31	September: 1-4, 7, 14, 28
October: 5, 19, 26	November: 2, 9, 16, 24, 30	December: 7, 14, 21, 27-31
January: 1-3, 18-22, 25	February: 1, 8, 15, 22	March: 1, 8, 14-15

Admission Fees to Permanent Exhibition Rooms

Adults - 840 yen (670 yen each for groups of 20 or more)
University Students - 470 yen (380 yen each for groups of 20 or more)
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 Museum
Hour	Mondays to Fridays	Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays
8:	00, 50	00
9:	30	00, 30
10:	30	00, 30
11:	30	00, 30
12:	30	00, 30
13:	30	00, 30
14:	30	00, 30
15:	30	30
16:	30	00, 30
17:	30	00
18:	30	00, 30
19:

Returning from the Museum
Hour	Mondays to Fridays	Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays
8:	27	27
9:	19, 59	29, 59
10:	59	29, 59
11:	59	29, 59
12:	59	29, 54
13:	59	29, 59
14:	59	29, 59
15:	59	59
16:		29, 54
17:	30	29
18:	00, 59	24, 54
19:

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 northeast of 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

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)

Shop

A wide range of gifts and souvenirs are available at the Museum Shop - Oydeya, including merchandise unique 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 their own food are welcome to use one of the Museum's lunch spaces, found both inside and outside of the building, including the rooftop terrace. Additionally, drink-vending machines and resting corners are available.

Photography in the Museum

We’re happy for you to take photographs during your visit! To help everyone enjoy the Museum and keep our exhibits safe, we kindly ask you to follow these guidelines:

Be considerate of other visitors. Please make sure that other visitors do not appear in your photos or videos.
Help everyone enjoy their visit. Please avoid any behaviour that may disturb others or risk damaging the exhibits.
No live streaming, please. Live streaming is not permitted in the Museum.
Keep photography equipment simple. Selfie sticks, tripods, monopods, stepladders and step stools are not permitted.
Please take care around the exhibits. Keep cameras, pens and personal belongings away from the acrylic glass.
No flash or additional lighting. Flash photography and the use of additional lighting equipment are not permitted.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

About the Museum

The Lake Biwa Museum is run by Shiga Prefectural Government and opened in October 1996. Since opening over 14 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).