Lake Biwa Museum
A prefectural museum of Lake Biwa, with one of Japan's largest displays of freshwater life.
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Lake Biwa Museum
SaveA prefectural museum of Lake Biwa, with one of Japan's largest displays of freshwater life.
Most of the lake's living things are too small to see, and children look at them down a microscope here.
MoreWhat kind of place
The Lake Biwa Museum is Shiga's prefectural museum of the lake, and its permanent exhibition comes in four parts: the lake's 4 million years, its last 20,000 years, the lake as it is today, and the aquarium.
The aquarium covers about 21,500 square feet (2,000 square meters), one of the largest freshwater displays in Japan. It holds more than 100 kinds of fish, nearly every species native to Lake Biwa and the rivers of Shiga.
Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, and more than 60 of its species live nowhere else on earth.
One part of the aquarium, The World of Ancient Lakes, is given to creatures that evolved on their own in ancient lakes around the world, and that is where the Baikal seals live.
Sources and evidence (21)
- Everything but the combined Mizunomori ticket can be paid for without cash, by credit card, transit IC card, or the usual QR payment apps.source
- The nursing room is on the first floor and has a bed, a chair, and hot water.source
- The museum asks you to take used diapers home with you.source
- AEDs are installed beside the main entrance and beside the entrance to the aquarium.source
- Anyone who feels unwell or needs assistance can ask a staff member for the room set aside for lying down.source
- The free Pocket Curator app has a guide in seven languages with the text on screen, but in the non-Japanese languages it is text only, with nothing read aloud.source
- Places to sit down are the rooftop plaza on the second floor, the second-floor cafeteria with about 20 seats, and two rest areas with vending machines, one between exhibit rooms A and B on the second floor and one in front of the aquarium entrance on the first floor.source
- There are coin lockers at the entrance, taking a 100 yen coin that comes back when you are done.source
- The aquarium has about 21,500 square feet (2,000 square meters) of display space, one of the largest freshwater exhibits in Japan.source
- The aquarium shows over 100 kinds of fish, including nearly every native species that lives in Lake Biwa and Shiga's rivers.source
- Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, with more than 60 species that live nowhere else on earth.source
- In the aquarium you can stand right in front of the Biwa catfish, the giant of the lake.source
- The Micro Aquarium introduces the microscope-sized creatures that make up 83% of the living things in Lake Biwa.source
- At the Micro Bar inside the Micro Aquarium, you look at those tiny creatures through a microscope with your own eyes, take a picture, and send it to your smartphone.source
- One part of the aquarium, The World of Ancient Lakes, covers creatures that evolved on their own in ancient lakes around the world, and Baikal seals live there.source
- The permanent exhibition comes in four parts: Room A (the lake's 4 million years and us), Room B (the lake's 20,000 years and us), Room C (the lake today and us), and the aquarium.source
- The Discovery Room is a hands-on space for children and adults to explore together, built so kids can get comfortable with museums from an early age.source
- Adult Discovery, a space built for grown-up curiosity, was the first of its kind in Japan.source
- The outdoor exhibits put you in front of the real Lake Biwa and the plants of the surrounding woods.source
- Around the grounds are an annex, the Umikko playground, the Life Experiment Workshop, a treetop trail, the Jomon and Yayoi Forest (named for Japan's prehistoric eras), and an ancient forest.source
- The building has free Wi-Fi, the Oideya museum shop, and the Nihonoumi museum restaurant.source
With kidsThe part that matters
Most of what lives in Lake Biwa is too small to see. At the Micro Bar, children look at those creatures through a microscope, take a photo, and send it to their own phone.
The permanent exhibition fills four halls, the last of them a large freshwater aquarium, and one family with a preschooler and a second-grader spent two hours here and still had rooms left, so block half a day for it.
Your ticket is good for the whole day and lets you come back in, so you can take the kids out to the lake for a break and still finish the rest afterwards.
The nursing room on the first floor has a bed, a chair and hot water, and there is a changing table in every restroom.
Sources and evidence (5)
- The Discovery Room needs a timed slip, kept by its own door and out of sight from the hall. Two hours was not enough.source
- Nursing room: down a narrow corridor right of the escalator, by the Discovery Room exit; stroller parking opposite.source
- Get into Nihonoumi as it opens and you get a table; after that it stayed full. There are kids' curry and udon.source
- Hot inside in summer; the nursing booth has two fans. Two diaper tables, no bin, a kettle with a socket out of reach.source
- A family of 20-plus visits: from spring to late summer children fish for crayfish in the knee-deep pond on the way in.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1The aquarium hall is one of the largest freshwater displays in Japan, with over 100 species, including nearly every fish native to Lake Biwa and the rivers of Shiga. The Biwako giant catfish, the master of the lake, is right there in front of you. Elevators and ramps get you around the whole building, and preschool children see the permanent exhibition free.The strollers lent free at the general reception are B type only, the upright sit-up kind, and limited in number, so if your baby cannot sit up yet, bring your own reclining stroller or a carrier. The nursing room is on the first floor, with a bed, a chair and hot water. Baby beds are in every restroom in the building. Disposable diapers are to be taken home with you, so bring a bag for them. Your ticket is valid all day and lets you back in, so you can step outside to feed and return.
- Ages 2-3The Discovery Room is built for children and grown-ups to explore together, with hands-on exhibits meant to make a museum feel familiar from an early age. Step outside and the outdoor exhibits put the real Lake Biwa and the forest plants right in front of you; around the grounds are Umikko Hiroba, the canopy trail, the Jomon-Yayoi forest and the ancient forest.Drinks may not be carried into the exhibition rooms, and the museum asks you not to eat in the rest areas either. Places to sit down are the rooftop plaza on 2F, the cafeteria on 2F (about 20 seats) and two rest areas with vending machines, one between exhibition rooms A and B on 2F and one in front of the aquarium entrance on 1F. It closes on Mondays (open when the Monday is a public holiday), and last admission is 16:00. The coin lockers at the entrance take 100 yen, returned when you are done.
- Ages 4-6At the Micro Bar in the Micro Aquarium they look down the microscope themselves at the tiny creatures, 83% of the lake's living things being microscope-sized, then photograph what they see and send it to a phone. The World of Ancient Lakes, on creatures that evolved on their own in the world's ancient lakes, has Baikal seals. The permanent exhibition is free for preschoolers and elementary schoolers alike, and photography is allowed except where a no-photo sign says otherwise (no flash).One family with a preschool-senior and a second-grader went in at 11:00 and after about two hours still had not covered the exhibits, cutting some rooms short. The permanent exhibition comes in four parts, room A (four million years of the lake and us), room B (twenty thousand years), room C (the lake today) and the aquarium hall, so decide where you are starting before you go in. Special exhibitions cost extra: 170 yen for elementary and junior-high schoolers, free for preschoolers. Your ticket is valid all day and lets you back in.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe permanent exhibits are four halls -- A, B, C, and the aquarium gallery -- and you get around inside by elevator and ramp. The outdoor exhibit puts Lake Biwa itself and the forest plants right in front of you.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed2 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：with conditionsconditions
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Diaper binDiaper disposal bin：none
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：with conditionsconditions
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (2)
Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Child switch (rider swap)
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
The Discovery Room needs a timed slip, kept by its own door and out of sight from the hall. Two hours was not enough.
Lake Biwa Museum: displays that catch a child's eye, and how to enjoy it with children
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Nursing room: down a narrow corridor right of the escalator, by the Discovery Room exit; stroller parking opposite.
Taking children to the Lake Biwa Museum: the spots to see, plus the toilets and rest areas
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Get into Nihonoumi as it opens and you get a table; after that it stayed full. There are kids' curry and udon.
Shiga with children (1): the Lake Biwa Museum, where three generations learn about the lake
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Hot inside in summer; the nursing booth has two fans. Two diaper tables, no bin, a kettle with a socket out of reach.
Lake Biwa Museum nursing room and diaper tables: reviews and photos
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A family of 20-plus visits: from spring to late summer children fish for crayfish in the knee-deep pond on the way in.
Is Shiga short of places for children? The Lake Biwa Museum satisfied the whole family
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Where it is
1091 Oroshimocho, Kusatsu-shi, Shiga 525-0001source
Before you go
- Permanent exhibition tickets for adults and university students can also be bought online.source
- Strollers are lent free of charge at the main reception desk, in limited numbers, and only in the lightweight umbrella-stroller type.source
- Guide dogs, service dogs, and hearing dogs may come inside; other pets can neither come along nor be left at the desk.source
- The museum asks you not to eat in the rest areas, and drinks cannot be carried into the exhibition rooms.source
- You can take photos except where a no-photography sign is posted, and flash is not allowed.source
Basics
- Fee：The permanent exhibition is ¥840 for adults and ¥470 for university students; high school students, anyone under 18, junior high and elementary students and pre-school children go free. The special exhibition is charged separately: ¥340 adult, ¥270 university student, ¥170 for high school students and under-18s, ¥170 for junior high and elementary students, free for pre-school children. People aged 65 and over go free for the permanent exhibition only if they live in Shiga, and must show proof of age and address at the counter; from outside the prefecture they pay ¥840. Holders of a disability certificate and their carer go free for both exhibitions. A joint ticket with the Mizu-no-Mori water plant garden next door is ¥920 adult, ¥580 university student — and it is the one ticket that cannot be paid cashless. An annual pass, renamed from Club LBM in 2025, is ¥1,680 adult and ¥940 university student. On the third Sunday of each month, families from within Shiga with a child of high school age or younger see the permanent exhibition free, on showing a Smile Card or anything proving they live in Shiga.source
- Hours：Open 9:30-17:00, last admission 16:00. The deadlines come in two steps: ordinary tickets are sold, and entry allowed, until 16:00, while the annual pass is sold only until 15:30. Closed every Monday, or the next day when the Monday is a public holiday, and there are extra closures on top of that — the morning of Friday 21 August 2026 (opening at 13:00, with the parking lot shut until 11:30) and all of Sunday 14 March 2027 for the Lake Biwa marathon.source
- Time to allow：2 hsource
- Booking：No booking is needed. Tickets for the permanent exhibition (adult and university student) can also be bought online in advance. At the counter everything except the joint ticket with Mizu-no-Mori can be paid cashless — credit cards, transport IC cards and the usual QR payments. A ticket is valid for the whole day, so you can go out and come back in.source
Basics in detail (17)
Fees
- The permanent exhibition costs 840 yen for adults and 470 yen for university students, and is free for high school students, anyone under 18, and junior high, elementary, and preschool children.source
- Special exhibitions are charged separately: 340 yen for adults, 270 yen for university students, and 170 yen for high school students, under-18s, and junior high and elementary students, with preschoolers free.source
- Free entry to the permanent exhibition at 65 and over applies only to people living in Shiga; visitors 65 and over from elsewhere pay the regular 840 yen.source
- To get in free at 65 and over you have to show something at the desk that gives your age and address, such as a driver's license, health insurance card, or My Number card.source
- People holding a physical disability, intellectual disability, or mental health welfare certificate, along with a caregiver, enter both the permanent and special exhibitions free by showing it at the desk.source
- A ticket is valid for the whole day, so you can go out and come back in.source
- Regular tickets are sold until 16:00, which is also the last time you can go in.source
- Annual passes are sold until 15:30.source
- A combined ticket for the museum's permanent exhibition and the Kusatsu City Mizunomori aquatic botanical garden is 920 yen for adults and 580 yen for university students.source
- An annual pass is 1,680 yen for adults and 940 yen for university students, covering the permanent and special exhibitions as often as you like for a year from purchase, sold at the main information desk on the first floor.source
- The annual pass used to be called Club LBM, and sales under the old name ended on March 31, 2025.source
- On Family Sunday, the third Sunday of every month, families living in Shiga with children of high school age or younger see the permanent exhibition free by showing a Smile Card or other proof of living in the prefecture.source
Hours and closures
- The museum is open 9:30 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00.source
- It closes on Mondays, except when the Monday is a public holiday, plus the occasional extra closure.source
- On Friday, August 21, 2026, the museum is closed in the morning for maintenance and opens at 13:00, with the parking lot closed from the previous evening until 11:30.source
- The museum is closed on Sunday, March 14, 2027, for the Lake Biwa Marathon.source
Getting there
- The address is 1091 Oroshimo-cho, Kusatsu, Shiga.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (12)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Stroller rental, Nursing space
- Official: Indoor / outdoor
- Official: Best-fit ages (guide)
- Official: main site
The permanent exhibition is four rooms: four million years of the lake, twenty thousand years, the lake today, and the aquarium. The aquarium holds almost every native fish of Lake Biwa and its rivers, including the giant Lake Biwa catfish. A microscope bar opens up the 83 percent of lake life that cannot be seen otherwise, and the photo goes to your phone. The Discovery Room is built for children and adults to handle things together. Outside are a canopy trail, a play plaza and the lake itself.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Elevators and ramps run through the building, so you can move around with a stroller. Drinks may not be taken into the exhibition rooms. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller rental | Yes | Free, from the main reception — but B-type only, the kind for a baby who can already sit up. Numbers are limited. Wheelchairs are lent free from the same desk. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Nursing space | Yes | A nursing room on the first floor, with a bed, a chair and hot water. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Baby beds in every toilet in the building. Used diapers are to be taken home. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | No | Used diapers are to be taken home. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes (6) | Six wheelchair-accessible toilets in the building, three of them fitted for ostomates (the one beside the first-floor entrance is a simplified version). A care bed is at the back of the aquarium display on the first floor. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Elevator | Yes | Elevators and ramps run through the building. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Steps & slope caution | Barrier-free | Elevators and ramps throughout. Twelve accessible parking spaces: six under a roof 20 m from the entrance, six more without a roof 80 m away. Guide, service and hearing dogs are welcome inside; other animals cannot come in and cannot be left at the door. If you feel unwell or need help, staff can open a rest room for you. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | The exhibition rooms are indoors; the outdoor displays, the rooftop plaza on the second floor and the woods around the building are outside. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | English menu & signs | The free Pocket Curator app carries a guide in seven languages with text; for languages other than Japanese it is text only, with no spoken audio. The museum also has an English website. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Yes | The permanent exhibition is free for everyone from high school age down, including pre-school children, though the special exhibition is charged separately. The Discovery Room is built as hands-on for children and adults together. At the Micro Bar children look down a microscope themselves and can send the photo to a phone. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | Coin lockers are at the entrance, ¥100 returned after use. Photography is allowed except where a sign forbids it, but not with flash. The two rest spaces with vending machines — between rooms A and B on the second floor, and in front of the aquarium entrance on the first — ask you not to eat there, and drinks cannot be taken into the exhibition rooms. There is a cafeteria on the second floor with about 20 seats, open to ordinary visitors, plus the Nihonoumi restaurant and the rooftop plaza. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | biwahaku.jp |
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Child switch (rider swap) | Not checked yet |
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