Lake Biwa Museum

Located on the Karasuma Peninsula in Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture, this is an interactive museum where visitors can learn about the history of Lake Biwa and the relationship between people and living creatures. It is Japan’s largest lake-themed museum with a floor space of approximately 55,000 square meters, and is also known for its freshwater aquarium , which is rare in Japan. The museum’s mission is to promote better coexistence between people and the lake in collaboration with the local community, and it has attracted over 11 million visitors since its opening in October 1996.

It renewed one of the largest freshwater aquariums in Japan in 2016, and Baikal Seals, which can only be seen here in western Japan, made their debut. In 2018, the Discovery Room was renovated with five-sense hands-on activities that allow visitors of all ages to enjoy learning about Lake Biwa and its creatures, and the Treetop Walk , an aerial promenade to Lake Biwa, was also built.

In October 2020, the museum celebrated its grand opening after six years of renovation. There are many new attractions, such as the world’s first specimen of a half-body, half-bone Stegodon miensis in Exhibition room A, and a video of a Maruko boat on Lake Biwa on a tablet using AR technology in Exhibition room B. The museum’s new concept, “Biwako no chikara (Power of Lake Biwa)”, allows visitors to experience the long and deep connection between Lake Biwa, the living creatures, and people, as well as rediscover the power of Japan’s largest lake, Lake Biwa.