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Lake Biwa driving guide: western shore, Oku-Biwako and Mount Hiei

Drive from Biwako Ohashi Bridge along the western and northern shores to Nagahama. Compare parking, toll roads, island boats, autumn crowds and winter closures.

Edited by Drive Scape Japan · Updated: · Sources verified:

Where the Lake Biwa area is (Shiga)
Recommended route

Start at Biwako Ohashi Bridge and head north on National Route 161, visiting Shirahige Shrine, Metasequoia Avenue, Kaizu Osaki and Oku-Biwako Parkway before Nagahama: about 127km and 2 hours 50 minutes of driving.

Toll roads

Biwako Ohashi Bridge: standard car ¥150 cash or ¥120 with ETC. Hieizan Driveway: ¥1,700 return to Todo. Oku-Biwako Parkway is free and opens 8:00–18:00.

Winter

Oku-Biwako Parkway closes in winter. Hieizan Driveway can close because of morning snow or ice; vehicles with chains cannot use it.

As of 26 October 2026.

Driving time

From Shin-Osaka Station
about 1 h 20 min69 km
From Otsu Stationif you rent a car on arrival
about 25 min19 km

Times to Michi-no-Eki Biwako Ohashi Kome Plaza, calculated from map data without traffic.

Check before you go

Closures and weather change day by day, so check these pages before you set off.

Explore other driving routes →Read rental and planning advice →

This Lake Biwa guide focuses on the western shore, known as Kosei, and the northern shore, or Kohoku, in Shiga Prefecture. Otsu, Takashima and Nagahama are gateways, along with Hikone on the eastern shore. Kosei Road and National Route 161 follow the western side; Oku-Biwako Parkway and the lakeside Sazanami Road run near the northern shore.

The day route starts at the foot of Biwako Ohashi Bridge, heads north along the western shore through Makino and Oku-Biwako, and finishes in Nagahama. Below are the route, roads and places to stop.

Map of the Lake Biwa area

  • Views and nature
  • Roadside stations
  1. 1Michi-no-Eki Biwako Ohashi Kome Plaza
  2. 2Shirahige Shrine
  3. 3Michi-no-Eki Toju no Sato Adogawa
  4. 4Metasequoia avenue
  5. 5Michi-no-Eki Makino Ossaka Toge
  6. 6Kaizu Osaki
  7. 7Michi-no-Eki Shiotsu Kaido Ajikama no Sato
  8. 8Tsuzura-ozaki observatory
  9. 9Michi-no-Eki Kohoku Mizudori Station
  10. 10Nagahama Kurokabe Square
  11. 11Boats to Chikubushima (Nagahama port)
  12. 12Hikone Castle
  13. 13Enryakuji on Mt. Hiei
  14. 14Biwako Terrace

Line: 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 → 9 → 10

The line shows the route under “A first day: the western shore and Oku-Biwako to Nagahama” below. Numbers mark stops: green for views and nature, blue for roadside stations. Tap a number to see its name.

Recommended drives

A first day: the western shore and Oku-Biwako to Nagahama

Start at Biwako Ohashi Kome Plaza roadside station and head north on National Route 161. Visit Shirahige Shrine and Toju no Sato Adogawa roadside station, then continue to Makino's Metasequoia Avenue. Pass Makino Ossaka-toge roadside station and Kaizu Osaki, then head from Shiotsu Kaido Ajikama no Sato roadside station up Oku-Biwako Parkway to Tsuzuraozaki Viewpoint.

Continue past Kohoku Mizudori Station roadside station to Kurokabe Square in Nagahama. The route is about 127km, with around 2 hours 50 minutes of driving. Distances and times are calculated from map data and exclude traffic.

Oku-Biwako Parkway opens 8:00–18:00; the Sugaura gate closes at about 17:30. The road beyond Tsuzuraozaki Viewpoint is one-way.

Mount Hiei and Biwako Terrace

From Kyoto-Higashi IC on the Meishin Expressway, Enryakuji Temple takes about 30 minutes via Hieizan Driveway and Tanotani-toge, or 35 minutes via Oku-Hiei Driveway and the Ogi gate. Parking in Enryakuji's Todo area is free, with 270 spaces. The Hieizan Driveway return toll to Todo is ¥1,700 for a standard car. On Oku-Hiei Driveway, the return toll for kei, small and standard passenger cars falls from ¥3,140 to ¥2,000 from 31 October to 6 December.

Biwako Terrace is about 5 minutes from Shiga IC on Kosei Road, followed by a ropeway ride to the summit.

Chikubushima Island and Hikone Castle

Boats to Chikubushima depart from Nagahama Port and Imazu Port. Return fares are ¥3,800 from Nagahama and ¥3,400 from Imazu, plus a ¥600 island admission fee.

Hikone Castle is about 10 minutes from Hikone IC on the Meishin Expressway. General admission is ¥1,000.

Roads you can drive

Road What it connects Length and tolls Hours and restrictions
Meishin Expressway Kyoto-Higashi IC to Hikone IC via Ritto, Ryuo and Yokaichi Toll road Roadworks between Hikone IC and Yokaichi IC
Kosei Road and National Route 161 Nishi-Otsu Bypass to Takashima via Sakamoto-Kita, Mano, Wani and Shiga Free Mano–Sakamoto-Kita expanded to 4 lanes on 27 September 2025
Hokuriku Expressway Maibara JCT to Tsuruga via Nagahama IC and Kinomoto IC Toll road Roadworks between Nagahama IC and Kinomoto IC until 30 November; chains required between Kinomoto IC and Imajo IC during heavy snow restrictions
Biwako Ohashi toll road Crosses the lake from Imahama in Moriyama to Imakatata in Otsu Standard car: ¥150 cash or ¥120 with ETC No roadwork-related two-way traffic operation scheduled for November or December
Oku-Biwako Parkway Sugaura to Yanokuma via Tsuzuraozaki Viewpoint, about 18.8km Free 8:00–18:00; one-way from the viewpoint to Yanokuma; closed in winter
Hieizan Driveway Tanotani-toge to Enryakuji's Todo area and Mount Hiei summit via Yumemigaoka, about 8.1km Standard car: ¥1,700 return to Todo 7:00–23:00 March–November; 9:00–20:00 December–February. Morning snow or ice can close the road
Oku-Hiei Driveway Ogi to Todo via Yokawa and Saito ¥1,570 return from Ogi to Saito/Yokawa; ¥3,140 return to the summit 7:00–23:00 March–November; 9:00–19:00 December–February
Lakeside road (Sazanami Road) Roads beside the lake, including Prefectural Route 331 in Kohoku Free —

In spring 2026, Oku-Biwako Parkway reopened between Sugaura and the viewpoint on 17 March, followed by the full road on 25 March.

Places to stop

Views and nature

Numbers match the map.

No. Place Parking What to know
2 Shirahige Shrine 50 car spaces A shrine with a torii gate in the lake. Walking across National Route 161 is prohibited; take photos from the viewpoint in front of the shrine office
4 Metasequoia Avenue Makino Pickland parking; free temporary parking during autumn foliage season About 500 trees along 2.4km; autumn colour from late November to early December
6 Kaizu Osaki No dedicated parking; use the free parking at JR Makino Station About 800 cherry trees along 4km of shore; peak bloom in early April
8 Tsuzuraozaki Viewpoint 120 car spaces, free A viewpoint on Oku-Biwako Parkway; cherry blossoms in early to mid-April
10 Kurokabe Square, Nagahama 446 spaces at Hokoen Park; open 24 hours, maximum ¥1,000 for the first 24 hours 10 minutes from Nagahama IC
11 Chikubushima Island (Nagahama Port) About 30 spaces at Nagahama Port, plus Hokoen Park parking Departures from Nagahama Port 8:50–14:30; last return departure from the island 16:30
12 Hikone Castle Several car parks charge ¥1,000 per car per day 8:30–17:00, open daily; general admission ¥1,000
13 Mount Hiei Enryakuji Temple 270 spaces at Todo, 75 at Saito and 80 at Yokawa, free Admission to the temple halls: adults ¥1,000; Todo opens 9:00–16:00
14 Biwako Terrace 1,700 spaces; ¥1,000 weekdays or ¥2,000 weekends and public holidays, cash only Ropeway to the summit; all facilities scheduled to close from 24 November to late December

Roadside stations

No. Roadside station Parking What to know
1 Biwako Ohashi Kome Plaza 172 spaces At the foot of Biwako Ohashi Bridge; EV charger available
3 Toju no Sato Adogawa 112 spaces On National Route 161; toilets and parking open 24 hours; EV charger available
5 Makino Ossaka-toge 67 spaces 9:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays; EV charging available 24 hours
7 Shiotsu Kaido Ajikama no Sato 86 spaces On National Route 8; 9:00–17:00 March–November, closed Tuesdays; toilets and parking open 24 hours
9 Kohoku Mizudori Station 114 spaces On Sazanami Road, known for sunsets; toilets and parking open 24 hours

Best seasons and crowds

When What to see and consider
Early to mid-April Cherry blossoms at Kaizu Osaki and Tsuzuraozaki Viewpoint; Kaizu Osaki becomes one-way on peak-bloom weekends
Late October–November Autumn foliage on Mount Hiei, the busiest season on Oku-Hiei Driveway
Late November–early December Autumn colour along Metasequoia Avenue
Winter Oku-Biwako Parkway closes; Hieizan Driveway may close because of morning snow or ice

Sunset in Otsu is at 17:04 on 31 October and 16:51 on 15 November. The sunset near Kohoku Mizudori Station is included in Japan's One Hundred Sunset Spots selection.

Where and when it gets busy

  • Metasequoia Avenue and nearby roads are congested 14:00–18:00 on holidays during autumn foliage season.
  • Mount Hiei is busiest during autumn foliage season from late October through November.
  • During major holidays, Biwako Terrace may stop admitting vehicles when parking fills. Hikone Castle may also limit entry when crowded.

Closures and restrictions as of 26 October

  • Roadworks between Nagahama IC and Kinomoto IC on the Hokuriku Expressway continue until 30 November.
  • A 0.4km section of Prefectural Route 513 at Sugaura, Nishiazai, Nagahama, has alternating one-way traffic, with no end date set.
  • Biwako Terrace is scheduled to close from 24 November to late December.

Getting there and fuel

Starting point Approximate journey
Nagoya IC, Meishin Expressway 1 hour to Hikone IC
Suita IC, Meishin Expressway, Osaka 1 hour 10 minutes to Hikone IC; 1 hour 20 minutes to Kurokabe Square in Nagahama
Kyoto-Higashi IC, Meishin Expressway 80 minutes via National Route 161 to Imazu or Makino in Takashima; 30 minutes to Enryakuji Temple
Kinomoto IC, Hokuriku Expressway 10 minutes to Shiotsu Kaido Ajikama no Sato roadside station; 30 minutes to Metasequoia Avenue
Ritto IC, Meishin Expressway 30 minutes via Biwako Ohashi Bridge to Biwako Ohashi Kome Plaza roadside station

Refuel in Nagahama, Kinomoto or Imazu before heading into Nishiazai or onto Oku-Biwako Parkway on the northern shore. EV charging is available at Biwako Ohashi Kome Plaza, Toju no Sato Adogawa and Makino Ossaka-toge roadside stations.

If you don't have a car

Find pickup locations in the Shiga car rental listings. See the guides to driving permits in Japan and airport car rental pickup.

Frequently asked questions

Where should I drive around Lake Biwa in one day?

Head north from the foot of Biwako Ohashi Bridge along National Route 161, visiting Shirahige Shrine, Metasequoia Avenue and Kaizu Osaki. Continue via Oku-Biwako Parkway to Nagahama. The route is about 127km, with around 2 hours 50 minutes of driving.

When can I drive Oku-Biwako Parkway?

It opens 8:00–18:00 and closes in winter. See the guide to winter road closures when planning a winter trip.

How much is the Biwako Ohashi Bridge toll?

A standard car costs ¥150 in cash or ¥120 with ETC.

Can I drive to Mount Hiei?

Yes. From Kyoto-Higashi IC, it takes about 30 minutes via Hieizan Driveway. The return toll to Todo is ¥1,700 for a standard car, and parking at Enryakuji is free.

Where can I refuel around Lake Biwa?

Refuel in Nagahama, Kinomoto or Imazu before continuing to the northern shore.

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Sources & verification

Last verified: 2026-10-26

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