Yasu Onsen Shiga

Yasu, on the southeastern shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, is known for its Lake Biwa windsurfing culture, the Yasu River delta where reed marshes support important migratory bird populations, and the traditional lakeshore fishing culture of the Biwako communities that has sustained this coastal settlement across many generations of Japanese history. Yasu Onsen Shiga draws on sodium and bicarbonate thermal waters from the geothermal resources of the Lake Biwa basin, providing restorative baths in a lakeside setting where views across Japan's largest freshwater lake and the distant Hira Mountains create a profoundly serene natural panorama. The Lake Biwa Museum in nearby Kusatsu, the historic Karasaki pine tree of Otsu's Tanka poetry tradition, and the easy access to both Kyoto via the Biwako Line and the Shiga nature trail cycling network make Yasu an attractively located spa destination on Lake Biwa's southern shore.