Kids vs 60 km! Can We Cycle Lake Biwa’s East Shore?

Kids vs 60 km! Can We Cycle Lake Biwa’s East Shore?

This is Shiga Prefecture. Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest freshwater lake, spans about 670 km²—roughly twice the size of Singapore. Our family of four will ride 60 km along the east shore with three bikes and one support car. Kiki: “How are you feeling now? We’re about to head off.” Jodie: “I’m still nervous, but I feel like we can do it!” Kiki: “Oh, you think you can make it?”
Jodie: “Yeah.” Kiki: “Let’s go!” Jodie & Nigel: “Let’s go, go!” “Someday we’d like to tackle the full 200 km loop. Today’s family ride is just the beginning.” “Setting off on our 60 km Biwa-ichi adventure!” Jodie: “Look—it’s like waves.” Jodie: “It really looks like waves.” Kiki: “So beautiful!”
Jodie: “I’ve never seen scenery like this.” Nigel: “How many minutes left?”
Kiki: “About 30 minutes.” Jodie: “I’m already tired.” Kiki: “What’s tired? Your legs?”
Nigel: “My arms.”
Kiki: “Your arms!?” Jodie: “My legs (are tired).” Kiki: “Fukui plums.” Jodie: “Fukui plums are delicious, right?” Nigel: “So sour!” Kiki: “The wind is strong!” Kiki: “Go, go, go!” Kiki: “Current temperature is 17°C.” Nigel: “Look, someone is riding—since Mentai Park.” Kiki: “Wow! That’s amazing—they’ve been riding the whole way!” Kiki: “A bit of an uphill now.” Kiki: “Soon we’ll go downhill.” This is Chomeiji Port in Omi-Hachiman City. Besides boats to Okishima, local elementary students board the “Uminoko” study cruise here. The view of Mount Hiei reflecting on the lake is stunning—perfect for a break. There’s a hot spring next door, but we ran out of time. Next visit! Kiki: “Amazing view!”
Jodie: “So pretty!” Kiki: “It’s beautiful.” Kiki: “Incredible! Like the ocean!” We aimed for a popular lunch spot, but there was a crazy line. Kiki: “I’ve got one rice ball—want it?” Jodie: “Almost there?”
Kiki: “15 more minutes.” Jodie: “Let’s go.”
Kiki: “Yeah, let’s go.” Kiki: “Look, we can see ‘Hikone’.” Jodie: “Oh, we’re almost there—great!” Kiki: “We did it… though we’re not done yet! (laughs)” Jodie: “What!? (laughs)” We accidentally took the advanced uphill route… Jodie: “Riding in the car is safer.” Nigel: “I wish I could have ridden in the car.”
Jodie: “Me too.” The kids were full of complaints. Kiki: “You’re not completely exhausted, right?” Nigel: “I’m totally exhausted.” Jodie: “I can’t do it!” Kiki: “But we can’t stop here, right?” Jodie: “I just want to get to the hotel.” Jodie: “I appreciate riding in the car now.” Kiki: “Yeah.” Nigel: “That downhill was pointless.”
Jodie: “Right.” Kiki: “That’s how mountains are.” Jodie: “Oh! Town! Town!” Kiki: “(laugh) I see the town.” Jodie: “Thank you!!!” Kiki: “Finally down the mountain.” Kiki: “One more minute! Go! You should see Famima.” Nigel: “Yes!” After skipping the long line at the popular spot, it took 50 minutes of hills… …before we reached FamilyMart—so hungry! Kiki: “Phew, we did well to get this far.” Jodie & Nigel: “Thanks!” Nigel: “It’s hot.” Because we were starving, this was the best treat. Kiki: “Tasty?”
Jodie: “So good!” Kiki: “Tired?”
Jodie: “Yeah, tired.” Jodie: “But we still ride more, right?” Jodie: “Be careful!”
Kiki: “You too!” Kiki: “Go for it!” Kiki: “You did great!”
Nigel & Jodie: “You did great!” Kiki: “That’s Tage Island.” Jodie: “Tage Island? That rock?” Kiki: “Okishima looks huge.” Jodie: “Huh? This?” The GPS device the kids carry recorded all of this. But we found an even better app later—coming up next. Kiki: “Look, Hikone Castle and Hikonyan!” Jodie: “Hikonyan is so cute!” Jodie: “Oh, I want to ride that!” We actually wanted to stop at Hikone Castle Road, but next time. Arriving at today’s lodging—Comfort Hotel Hikone. Here’s the app we regret not installing before departure—the Biwa-ichi official app. It lets you set your route, speed, and detours with GPS navigation. It also shows hazard points on the map. And it auto-records distance, elevation, and time. It’s free—download from the card above or link in the description. Comfort Hotel Hikone is a 3-minute walk from the station… …with cyclist-friendly amenities and ample parking, so the support car fit with no worries. We booked a plan where kids sleep free but… …it was impossible for all four of us to share one bed. Then Jodie noticed the painting of “That Bench” in our hotel room. She got so excited! Together, “Itadakimasu!” before the free breakfast buffet. Buffet breakfast—energy fully restored. Ethan: “See you!”
Kiki: “See you!”
Ethan: “We’re off!” Kiki: “Bye-bye!”
Jodie: “Be careful!” The wind died down today with perfect clear skies. About 15 km to go. Next stop: Nagahama’s Kurokabe Square. Ethan: “It’s so pretty!” Ethan: “Wow, so beautiful!” As expected from Biwa-ichi, the cycling route is well marked and scenic. Nigel: “Let’s play here later.” Jodie: “Sounds good!” Jodie: “But there’s no big waves here, so we can’t splash around.” Nigel: “Really? Then let’s make our own river!” Ethan: “This is such a recommend!” Kiki: “How are you feeling?”
Nigel & Jodie: “Not tired at all!” Kiki: “Not tired? Amazing!” Nigel: “Let’s keep going.” Building our own “river”—kids can play anywhere with their imagination. Jodie: “Collect shells to build a pretty house.” On the way, Nigel found a cool spot next to a café. An indescribable, breathtaking view. Arrived at Kurokabe Square! We completed 60 km! Kurokabe Square in Nagahama—a retro district of black-plastered townhouses and a restored Meiji-era bank. Glass crafts and cafés are popular, but it was crowded for Golden Week. Today we just took a quick walk-through. That concludes our Biwa-ichi ride. We loaded our bikes onto the car to go home, but don’t miss the bike-friendly “Cycle Train” next time. Now, enjoy the recap! Nigel: “Day 1 was tough, but Day 2 was a breeze.” Next up: the full 200 km Biwa-ichi loop!
“`

“BIWAICHI” Lake Biwa Cycling🚲
Two elementary-school kids tackle the beginner-friendly east-shore route (Moriyama, Shiga ▶ Nagahama／60 km)! Their parents swapped between riding bikes and driving the support car🚗
Battling headwinds and steep climbs, they crossed the finish at Nagahama’s Kurokabe Square. Along the way, they enjoyed the famous “That Bench” and the views of Tage Island and Okishima. Can the kids complete the ride?
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
📌 Please Subscribe to Our Channel!👍✨
https://www.youtube.com/@JapanNest-rn9sn
On this channel, we introduce beautiful Japanese landscapes, culture, and food from a family-friendly perspective. Don’t miss our latest videos!
We welcome your comments 💬

《Hotel reservation here》　https://www.booking.com/index.html?label=…&lang_changed=1
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
《Gear & Links》
・Biwaichi Official HP
https://en.biwako1.jp/
・Official Biwa‑ichi App
　📱iOS　https://apps.apple.com/us/app/biwaichi-cycling-navi/id1361478359
　📱Android　https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.navitime.local.cycle.shiga&pli=1
・Moriyama
https://www-city-moriyama-lg-jp.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ja
・Hikone
https://visit.hikoneshi.com/en/
・Nagahama
https://kitabiwako.jp/nagahama#
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
《SNS》 Please follow us:
X（Twitter）
https://twitter.com/jpnook255417 🐦
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/re_japan_travel 📸
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Re-Japan-Nook/61563409118436/📸
《Camera》
iPhone16Pro📱

🎵Music🎵
Tristan Barton – Cape of Good Hope
BalloonPlanet – Steady Hearts Stronger Roads
BalloonPlanet – Write Your Own Story – No Backing Vocals
Enzalla – Shy
Avni Vibes – Summer Groove
Man with Roses – Wait Loss

Chapter
0:00  opening
0:56  Day‑1 Start (9:30)
1:51 The Second Nagisa Park (10:00 / 5.7km)
4:57 Chomeiji Port (12:10 / 20.4km)
5:29 chalet mizugahama (12:30 / 22.4km)
7:26  Lunch at family Mart (13:30 / 29.0km)
8:09 restart (14:05)
9:32 That bench (15:00 / 39.5km)
11:17  Comfort Hotel Hikone (16:40 / 46.6km)
11:23 biwaichi app
11:47 Comfort Hotel Hikone
13:03 Day‑2 Start
14:36  Azuma Green Park (10:30 / 54.3km)
16:03 Finish at Kurokabe Square(11:50 / 60.7km)
16:58 Digest
17:29  ending