Lake Biwa Museum
The Lake Biwa Museum (琵琶湖博物館, Biwako Hakubutsukan) is in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It was founded in 1996. The theme of the museum is "relationship between lakes and people" and introduces the nature and culture of Lake Biwa, the largest and oldest lake in Japan.
琵琶湖博物館 (Biwako Hakubutsukan) | |
| Established | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Location | Shiga, Japan 1091 Oroshimo, Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture 525-0001, JAPAN |
| Coordinates | 35.0741388°N 135.9349166°E |
| Visitors | 450 000 (2016) |
| Director | 1996- Hiroya KAWANABE
2010- Toru SHINOHARA 2019- Kei-ichi TAKAHASHI |
| Public transit access | 25 minutes away from JR Kusatsu Station by bus. |
| Website | http://www.biwahaku.jp/english/ |
The Lake Biwa Museum's aquarium is one of the largest freshwater aquarium in Japan. The giant Lake Biwa catfish (Silurus biwaensis) is a popular symbol of the Lake Biwa Museum.
A full-scale replica of Maruko-bune, a traditional wooden sailing boat of the Lake Biwa, is on the exposition in the museum.
It is a member of the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA), the aquarium is accredited as a Registered Museum by the Museum Act from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.