Let's enjoy the world of freshwater fish at the Biwako Museum and eat black bowl of rice bowl

This time we will introduce the Biwako Museum built on the shores of Lake Biwa in Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture, renewed this July 6.

Get off at Kyoto station from JR Kusatsu station on Tokaido Main Line, get on the Omi Railway bus for about 25 minutes, get off at the Biwako Museum bus stop, arrive at the Biwako Museum.

This museum is popular as a museum where you can have a fulfilling exhibition and experiences about Lake Biwa creatures.


The museum is two stories high and enters from the first floor.
First, it is a discovery room.
Here is an area where children and adults can learn and discover through experiences using the five senses.
A huge crayfish model makes it possible for children to jump into the abdomen or move scissors.

Next is a tunnel aquarium that reproduced offshore of Lake Biwa.

You can see from freshwater fish such as Huna · Mass · Koi to Eel / Catfish.
Inside the tunnel tank, you can listen to "the sounds the fish are listening to", as if walking in the water of Lake Biwa.

Next I will head to the Aquarium Exhibition Room.
You can see the pool where ancient fish swim.

Here you can appreciate the appearance of swimming ancient fish.

There is a real fish replica fish.

On the body surface of the fish, there is a real slice "slime".

The Baikal seal which inhabits freshwater by the renewal of the museum is displayed in aquarium.

Please take a closer look at the cute and fascinating face of two baikal seal that became a topic.

There is also a corner where you can experience the odor of Lake Biwa specialty · Huna-sushi.

Next is a micro aquarium that introduces small creatures of Lake Biwa.


You can see the unknown ecology of micro-organisms by looking at the microscope on the counter.

On the 2nd floor A exhibition room there is a fossil of the elephant that was in the ancient Lake Biwa.

The whole body skeleton in the front is the fossil of the Yellow River Elephant, and the lower right is the skull fossil of Mie Elephant.

In the B exhibition room on the 2nd floor, there is a Maruko ship, the leading ship role
in the Edo period.

It is a wooden ship with a size of 100 masonry (rice bale of 250 bale).
In addition to this, you can learn how to fish Lake Biwa, the lives of fishermen, deep ties of people.

In the museum restaurant on the 1st floor, "Niho no Umi", you can taste the dishes with local ingredients from Shiga Prefecture, such as the bus bowork ¥ 930 using Lake Biwa's black bus.


The black bus that is damaging the native species of Japan with a specific alien species is a member of Suzuki, and it is delicious with white fish when you try it.

Tanigawa catfish acknowledged as a new species in Japan on August 17th this year will be held from 9/8 to 11/25 at this Biwako Museum
It will be exhibited along with three Japanese catfish native to Japan.

On this occasion, please go to the Biwako Museum.
that’s it.

Shinshu Atera emerald green valley

I would like to inform Atera valley of Okuwa village in Nagano prefecture.

Take the JR Chuo Line from Nagoya Station and head to Nojiri Station.

I walk to the west from Nojiri station for about 10 minutes and arrive at Atera Bridge.

The place where I crossed Aeda Bridge is the entrance to the Atera Valley.
From the entrance of the Atera River Valley, we are regulating vehicles during the summer(from July 21 to September 2, 2018) and should not be a car.
Since there is no cafeteria in the valley, we recommend that you purchase a box lunch in advance.

There is a guide bulletin board of the Aera Valley.

"Atera river," a tributary of the Kiso river flows, is a very deep valley, which has a valley floor and a maximum of 1,000 m of heading on both sides.

From here, it is a road for climbing to the north side.
While climbing the mountain stream of Atera, I climb the slope.
The water of the river is clear and the flow of emerald green is wonderful.



The side of the river is cool and very comfortable.
Hinoki beautiful forest, beautiful natural beauty which the distinguished rock creates, there are places where waterfalls are located, places where you can get down to riverbanks, there are signs in the sights.
The scenic spots of 'Tanukigafuchi', 'Inugaerinofuchi' and 'Ushigafuchi' are scattered.





Water flowing to Atera Valley has high transparency and beautiful emerald green.
The color of this water is also called "Atera blue", and it changes every time that the bluishness is strong due to the shimmering of light and the green is strong, and it attracts people as "everything is too mysterious!"

Because the water quality of the Atera River is very good, Yamato Iwana, Agime Dojo, Yamame, Amago, Ugai, etc. live.

As I climbed about 6 km from the entrance to the Aera River Valley, I arrived at Atera Valley Campground.

From Nojiri station, you can go to this campsite in about 2 hours.
We can accommodate day trip as well.
You can also do a barbecue.
If you want camping and barbecue, please make a reservation at the campsite in advance.

There is also a famous water called "beautiful face water" which has a legend that you can become a fair and beautiful girl when you wash your face. This water is chosen as a famous water and secret water of Shinshu, please wash your face.

Your face will be smooth.
You can also fish at the campsite.

Please enjoy the cool summer in the Atera valley.
that’s it.