Museums in Shiga

Shiga Prefecture offers 36 museums, from the Rittō History Museum to the Nagahama Castle History Museum. Visitors can find a wide range of cultural and historical experiences across the prefecture.

Not sure where to start? Read our guide to the 20 best

Shiga Safari Museum

Shiga Safari Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

See a private collection of taxidermied animals from around the world.

Rittō History Museum

Rittō History Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore Ritto's rich history and cultural heritage at this museum and historic residence.

Nagahama Castle History Museum

Nagahama Castle History Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore a reconstructed castle keep housing a museum about its dramatic history.

Omi Hino Merchant Museum

Omi Hino Merchant Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore a merchant's historic home, showcasing unique collections and cultural properties.

Hyde Memorial Hall and Kyōiku Kaikan

Hyde Memorial Hall and Kyōiku Kaikan

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore two historic 1931 buildings by William Merrell Vories, including where Helen Keller lect...

Borderless Art Museum NO-MA

Borderless Art Museum NO-MA

SHIGA · MUSEUM

See Art Brut by disabled artists in a renovated traditional house.

Vories Memorial Hall

Vories Memorial Hall

SHIGA · MUSEUM

This museum in Omihachiman, designed by William Merrell Vories, showcases his life and work.

Setsuko Mitsuhashi Memorial Museum

Setsuko Mitsuhashi Memorial Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

A small museum in Otsu City, dedicated to painter Setsuko Mitsuhashi and her art.

Imazu Vories Museum

Imazu Vories Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore a historic bank building by William Merrell Vories, now a museum dedicated to his life.

Kunitomo Firearms Museum

Kunitomo Firearms Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore Nagahama's early firearms history and see antique weapons, including inventions by Kunit...

Azuchi Castle Museum

Azuchi Castle Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore Azuchi Castle's history and architecture through detailed models and exhibits.

Odani Castle Sengoku Historical Museum

Odani Castle Sengoku Historical Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

This museum and hilltop earthworks offer history and views of Nagahama and Lake Biwa.

Hikone Castle Museum

Hikone Castle Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore Hikone Castle Museum for a deep dive into local history and the Ii family's legacy.

Musée Narita

Musée Narita

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore a stunning collection of René Lalique's glass art in a contemporary museum.

Former Iba Residence

Former Iba Residence

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore a 1913 Japanese-Western style wooden house, now a local museum, designed by William Merr...

Ishibe Historical Museum

Ishibe Historical Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore Ishibe-juku's highway culture and history at this museum.

Kaiyodo Figure Museum Kurokabe Ryuyukan

Kaiyodo Figure Museum Kurokabe Ryuyukan

SHIGA · MUSEUM

The world's first figure museum, displaying Kaiyodo figures in dioramas.

Shiga Prefectural Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum

Shiga Prefectural Azuchi Castle Archaeological Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore Shiga's history from ancient times to castles at this archaeological museum.

Museum of Shiga Prefecture Biwako-Bunkakan

Museum of Shiga Prefecture Biwako-Bunkakan

SHIGA · MUSEUM

A closed museum, once Shiga's first, with a new facility planned for 2027.

Lake Biwa Museum

Lake Biwa Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Japan's largest lake museum, Lake Biwa Museum offers unique insights into the lake's natural his...

Shiga Museum of Art

Shiga Museum of Art

SHIGA · MUSEUM

See modern Japanese and international art in a renovated museum building.

Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park

Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park is a large park dedicated to ceramic art and culture.

Lake Biwa Rowing Song Museum

Lake Biwa Rowing Song Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Learn about the famous 'Lake Biwa Rowing Song' at this free museum.

Koka Ninja House

Koka Ninja House

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore a 17th-century ninja residence with secret passages and historical artifacts.

Samegai Woodcarving Art Museum

Samegai Woodcarving Art Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

This museum showcases woodcarvings by Daizo Mori in a scenic riverside setting.

Nagahama Railway Square

Nagahama Railway Square

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Nagahama Railway Square showcases Japan's oldest station building and climbable locomotives, det...

Kurokabe Glass Shop

Kurokabe Glass Shop

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Kurokabe Glass Shop: a historic bank building reborn as a glass art hub, worth visiting for its...

Miho Museum

Miho Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Stunning architecture and ancient art collection, mostly underground, designed by I.M. Pei.

Nakae Tōju Memorial Museum

Nakae Tōju Memorial Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Learn about Confucian scholar Nakae Tōju at this memorial museum.

Nagahama Hikiyama Museum

Nagahama Hikiyama Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

This museum showcases Nagahama's Hikiyama Festival floats and traditional arts.

Azai Folklore Museum

Azai Folklore Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

This folk museum offers hands-on activities and exhibits about Edo period life and the Azai fami...

Kampō Museum in Shiga

Kampō Museum in Shiga

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore calligraphy culture and Chinese art at this museum, a short walk from Gokashō Station.

Shigaraki Kotōkan

Shigaraki Kotōkan

SHIGA · MUSEUM

A former ceramics museum, now closed, that showcased Shigaraki ware.

Samegai Post-town Historical Folk Museum

Samegai Post-town Historical Folk Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore a historic post town's past through two preserved buildings, including a unique 1915 pos...

Gariban Denshōkan Museum

Gariban Denshōkan Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Japan's only public museum dedicated to preserving mimeograph printing technology.

Yanmar Museum

Yanmar Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

This museum offers interactive, game-based exhibits about technology and ecology, good for famil...

Otsu City Museum of History

Otsu City Museum of History

SHIGA · MUSEUM

This museum showcases Otsu's history as a transport and trade hub on Lake Biwa through local art...

Azuchi Castle Museum, the "House of Nobunaga"

Azuchi Castle Museum, the "House of Nobunaga"

SHIGA · MUSEUM

See a full-scale replica of Azuchi Castle's top floors, including gold-leafed paintings.

Ōtsu City Science Museum

Ōtsu City Science Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Science museum with Lake Biwa exhibits and a planetarium, good for families.

Sagawa Art Museum

Sagawa Art Museum

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Modern art museum in Shiga Prefecture, featuring Japanese artists and a National Treasure bell.

Kusatsu-Juku Honjin

Kusatsu-Juku Honjin

SHIGA · MUSEUM

Explore a large, historic inn where feudal lords and emperors once stayed.

Kusatsu-juku Kaidō Kōryūkan

Kusatsu-juku Kaidō Kōryūkan

SHIGA · MUSEUM

History museum recreating a post town, worth visiting for its detailed models and cultural insig...

Museums elsewhere

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