Experience Rural Life Around Lake Biwa

Spend a relaxing time at Japan’s largest lake and enjoy a country-style lunch with locals

On the Tour du Lac Biwa, you will have a memorable and heartwarming rural Japanese experience, one that lets you get out and experience first-hand this part of Japan alongside the local people. It also provides a full menu of visual and edible feasts. It starts about halfway up the western side of Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest freshwater lake and one of the oldest lakes in the world. After exploring the local village, your hosts will welcome you into century-old homes, where you’ll make lunch together and then enjoy mochi making, pounding glutinous rice to a sticky, chewy consistency.

This is an authentic experience offering friendship, farming experiences, and a real family feeling. Arrive as a visitor and leave as a new friend of those who call Lake Biwa home. 

Access: From Kyoto Station, take the Tokaido-San’yo Line (which becomes the Koei Line) to Wani Station (about 30 minutes), then walk about 10 minutes to Tour du Lac Biwa.

Visiting a Local Farmer & Mochi-Making (Tour du Lac Biwa)