Lake Biwa: Japan's Lake 日本の湖と言えば、、、

Nestled 15 minutes to the east of Kyoto is Shiga Prefecture, home to the largest lake in Japan - Lake Biwa and often regarded as the best place to live in the entire country.  Having personally cycled around the circumference of Lake Biwa at 220 km (137 miles), I can say that, yes, it's a monster of a lake!

With its picturesque views, Shiga deserves more respect as a must-see destination for those coming to the Kansai region.  With Lake Biwa as the heart of the prefecture, an educational lesson as to how Lake Biwa functions in conjunction with the Yodo River, which connects the massive lake to the Pacific Ocean, is highly recommended.  However where can one brush up on his/her knowledge of Lake Biwa?  The answer is at Aqua Biwa and Lake Biwa Museum.

With Aqua Biwa situated in Otsu City and Lake Biwa Museum right next door in Kusatsu City, one can easily make a day visiting both attractions.  Catering to foreign visitors, Aqua Biwa offers services in English while Lake Biwa Museum can accommodate guests speaking English, Korean, Chinese and Portuguese.  One must be careful when planning to visit as Aqua Biwa is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays while Lake Biwa Museum is closed on Mondays.

So next time you are planning to stop by Shiga Prefecture, why not become proficient in Japanese limnology?

色彩豊かな滋賀県は関西でもっと注目を浴びても良いように思えます。滋賀県の中心となる琵琶湖は、数多くの支流が淀川となり、大阪港へと流れています。淀川との結びつきも含め、琵琶湖についてもっと学ぶにはどこへ行けばいいのでしょう？・・・答えは、アクア琵琶と琵琶湖博物館です！

アクア琵琶は大津市、琵琶湖博物館はお隣の草津市に位置し、１日で両方を十分廻れる距離にあります。海外からの訪問者のために、アクア琵琶では英語、琵琶湖博物館では英語・韓国語・中国語・ポルトガル語の４カ国語の音声ガイドが用意されています。閉館日はアクア琵琶が月曜＆火曜日、琵琶湖博物館が月曜日ですので、ご来館の際は気をつけてください。

自然科学の世界で、池などの陸水を物理学・化学・生物学的な側面をふまえて研究する分野を「陸水学（limnology）」と呼びます。滋賀で陸水学に触れてみてはいかがでしょうか？