Frequently Asked Questions

Biwako is the Japanese name for Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. Our area in northern Shiga Prefecture sits along the northeast shores of the lake. Shiga is also just north of Kyoto along the popular tourist route between Kyoto and Tokyo. The other half of our name, “Backroads,” reflects our love for the rural surroundings, which offer a refreshing sidetrack from larger tourist destinations as well as a chance to experience the nature and unique local culture and community of smalltown Japanese life.

We focus on places that would be difficult for visitors to access without a guide, so our routes don’t cover typical tourist spots. We believe this approach offers a more honest experience of everyday Japanese life. By bringing guests into our local community, our goal is to share unique local traditions and cultures, but also to help preserve and sustain them in the face of increasingly rapid modernization.

It depends on the specific tour. For example, bike tours are greatly affected by weather, so we stop conducting them from early December to mid-March. Brewery town tours are also paused during the winter (December to the end of February) due to brewing activities. All other tours are basically conducted year-round with a few exceptions, such as closing for the New Year holiday.

JR Maibara Station, our meeting point, is centrally located on Japan’s main island and serves as a junction connecting many nearby cities such as Gifu, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukui, and Kanazawa. The station is on the JR Tokaido line and has a bullet train (Shinkansen) stop. By bullet train, Maibara is just 20 minutes from Kyoto and under 30 minutes from Nagoya.

The tour takes place in the northeastern region of Lake Biwa. While some tour venues are near the station, we will also travel to various locations using short local trains or cars.

Most of our tours start at JR Maibara Station, where our guide will meet you just outside of the main ticket gate. For tours requiring a transfer, we will meet you at the transfer gate if you are arriving by bullet train. Depending on your exact itinerary, if there is any alternate meet-up location, we’ll be sure to confirm with you in advance.

There are two main options for traveling to JR Maibara Station from Kyoto or other regions:
　　　　　　　　　　　　

1. By Bullet Train (Shinkansen):
   The fastest option is to take the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kyoto Station to JR Maibara Station. The journey takes approximately 20 minutes. Once you arrive at Maibara, our guide will meet you just outside of the main ticket gate. If your tour requires a transfer, our guide will wait for you at the transfer gate.
2. By JR Biwako Line (Local Train):
   Another option is to take the JR Biwako Line (local train) from Kyoto Station to JR Maibara Station. This journey takes about 1 hour and provides a scenic route along the eastern side of Lake Biwa. For tours requiring a transfer, our guide will either meet you on the platform at Maibara Station or board the train there. If your tour is northbound and the train splits at Maibara Station, please ensure you are in the first or second car.

For any alternate meet-up locations based on your specific itinerary, we will confirm the details with you in advance.

Unfortunately we don’t provide our own baggage storage, but there are public coin lockers available inside JR Maibara Station. Your guide can assist in locating them when you meet up.

The level varies by tour, but typically include a light to medium level of physical activity. Our bike tours cover about 13-15km cycling distance. Walking tours cover a 3-5km distance. If you’re hoping for a more active workout, we also offer other customs tours such as mountain hiking, etc. Please inquire for more details.

Any comfortable, weather-approrpriate clothes and walking shoes are fine. For bike tours, however, we don’t recommend skirts or very short or flared pants. In case of rain, we recommend bringing your own rain gear, although ponchos are available as well for your convenience.

Children are welcome, but the minimum age varies by tour. We accept children 13 years and older for our bike tours and walking & hiking tour, but for the bike tours, children must also be at least 152 cm (5 ft) tall. For our brewery town tour or cooking workshop, children up to 12 years old are welcome. Please check the child prices for each tour.

All tours includes professional guides who speak English and Japanese, equipment (bikes, helmets, rain ponchos), entry fees to various facilities, and insurance. Half-day tours generally include light refreshments, and one-day tours sometimes include lunch in the tour fee. See specific tour pages for more meal details. Tour fee normally does not include train fees, either to the meeting point or during the tour.

We have a team of trained guides who are also local area residents, and can share their own knowledge and stories of the area with you. As they are fluent in both English and Japanese, the guides also help you bypass language barriers to better interact and connect with the local culture and community.

All guides are fluent speakers of both Japanese and English. We don’t currently have guides who speak any other languages.

Yes, we’re happy to give solo tours. However, our prices generally start from groups of two, so our solo customers may join by paying the fee for two.

Yes, all Biwako Backroads tours are private. This means we don’t combine groups together for any tours; your tour will include only the guide and your own group members.

We accept reservations from one year in advance up to 7 days before the planned tour date. However, please note that submitting a request does not guarantee a reservation, as we need to coordinate with our local community partners.

For last-minute bookings, depending on the tour, we may be able to accommodate your request if there are openings. Please feel free to contact us in such cases.

Please request reservations through our reservation form. We will then contact you to confirm within 48 hours. With our confirmation, your reservation will be finalized. Please be aware that your reservation request submission does not finalize your reservation.

We accept major credit cards or debit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, AmeEx, Diners, and Discover; as well as cash (in Japanese yen).

If your reservation is confirmed, we will send you a credit card payment link one week before the tour. Please complete the payment before the tour starts. If you prefer to pay in cash, please let us know at the time of booking. You will be asked to pay on site, directly to your guide, when you meet up and prepare to begin the tour.

Yes, we provide paperless receipts available online and delivered via email.

In adverse weather conditions, please refer to our Terms and Conditions for more specific cancellation information. For outdoor tours, such as bike tours, we generally proceed in light rain, but in moderate or heavier rain the bike portions may be exchanged with another means of transport (see next section below). Other tours are held rain or shine.

Yes. For a full-day bike tour, as the bike portion is only in the morning, it will automatically be converted to a walking and vehicle tour if the rain affects the experience. Biwako Backroads will make the decision regarding the alternate plan and notify you the evening before the tour. Rest assured, we will provide an itinerary that allows you to enjoy the same charming rural scenery, even without the bike.

For a half-day bike tour, the decision to cancel due to weather will also be made the day before. Generally, we proceed in light rain unless it is continuous. However, if you prefer not to ride in the rain, you can opt for the alternate plan. The itinerary can be decided with the guide on the day of the tour, and we will provide a vehicle for transportation. You can still enjoy the peaceful village scenery or nearby attractions such as Hikone Castle. If interested, please select the option to accept an alternate tour for weather cancellation when you request a reservation via our booking form.

No. Earlier than 7 days before the scheduled tour date, you may cancel your reservation for any reason, without any fees or charges. However, we do apply cancellation fees during the 7 days before the tour date, with rates increasing each day as the tour date approaches. See Terms and Conditions for exact cancellation fee rates.

Yes. There are many great places to visit and explore on your own. For example, Hikone Castle, which is over 400 years old and is now designated as a National Treasure, or the Kurokabe Square shopping district in Nagahama. Additionally, we offer unique experiences such as breathtaking hikes to medieval samurai battlefields, visits to mystical islands, and local fishing village boat cruises. Feel free to ask us for more suggestions before your visit!

Yes, there are a variety of accommodations available, ranging from budget hotels to full-service hot spring ryokan. Please ask for more information, and we’ll be happy to help you find the perfect place to stay!