Biwako Oktoberfest 2026

Dates & time: October 17, 2026 (Sat) ・Otsu Port (main venue) 11:00–20:00
・Prince Hotel venue 11:45–19:00
・Ogoto Onsen Port venue 11:00–17:00
Price & booking: Free entry (food and drink, ¥1,000 day-bathing tickets and shuttle boats — ¥1,000 adults / ¥500 elementary pupils one way — are extra) Value tickets worth ¥1,200 for ¥1,000 (one ¥500 voucher plus seven ¥100 vouchers) are sold in advance only, in limited numbers — online or at the tourist information centres at Otsu, Ishiyama and Katata stations, Ogoto Onsen Tourist Park, Biwako Hotel, Biwako Otsu Prince Hotel and the Otsu Chamber of Commerce. No sales on the day. Online buyers exchange their QR code for paper tickets at the main tent at Otsu Port between 9:30 and 19:30 on the day. Tickets cover food and drink at all three venues, day bathing (swap for a bath ticket at the Ogoto Onsen Port main tent) and shuttle boats. No change is given and tickets are non-refundable, except for refunds at the point of purchase from 17 October to 17 November if the event is cancelled.
Venue & access: Three venues: Otsu Port (main), Biwako Otsu Prince Hotel and Ogoto Onsen Port The main venue is about a 5-minute walk from Keihan Biwako-Hamaotsu Station, or about 15 minutes on foot from JR Otsu Station. No parking is offered, and visitors are asked to use public transport.

There are 6 car parks within a 12-minute walk of Three venues: Otsu Port (main), Biwako Otsu Prince Hotel and Ogoto Onsen Port. The map shows each with its walking time.

Facility data comes from OpenStreetMap. It does not include opening hours, fees or availability.

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Why You Should Visit

A lakeside beer festival run by the Otsu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. On Saturday 17 October it spreads across three venues on the shore of Lake Biwa — Otsu Port, the Biwako Otsu Prince Hotel and Ogoto Onsen — and entry is free. The main Otsu Port venue has German beer and food, craft beer from 12 Shiga breweries and a stage of German music and drinking songs, while the Prince Hotel serves drinks with a 38th-floor view over the lake. At Ogoto Onsen, seven ryokan open their baths to day visitors for a special ¥1,000. Shuttle boats and free buses link all three.

Participating Shops

Shop List & Map

Stalls at the main Otsu Port venue.

NOTE

Otsu Port (main venue)

Otsu Port waterfront green and the Omatsuri Hiroba plaza in Otsu Lakeside Nagisa Park
Six food and drink stalls, eight food trucks, 12 Shiga craft breweries, Otsu local products and free Omi beef yakiniku (limited, numbered tickets on the day)
Stage: Hitomi Yamaguchi Unit, juggler Koki Kinoshita, Shiga Lakes PR
Kids' corner: bouncy play equipment and shooting challenge, street-performance workshop

Prince Hotel venue

Top of Otsu, 38th floor of the Biwako Otsu Prince Hotel
Hotel food and drink plus five Shiga craft beers

Ogoto Onsen Port venue

Ogoto lakeside green, Ogoto Onsen Tourist Park and seven day-bathing ryokan
Day-bathing tickets on sale at the main tent from 10:30 (flat rate for ages 3 and up, face towel included, bath towel ¥100 extra). Bathing hours differ by ryokan
Corolla Festa mini (11:00–16:00, Ogoto Onsen Tourist Park)

Getting between venues

Shuttle boats: Otsu Port ⇔ Ogoto Onsen Port (about 25 min), Otsu Port ⇔ Nionohama Port (about 20 min, 5-minute walk to the Prince Hotel)
Free shuttle buses: JR Ogoto-Onsen Station ⇔ Ogoto Onsen Port venue (about 10 min), Sakamoto Tourist Information ⇔ Ogoto Onsen Port venue (about 15 min), JR Otsu Station ⇔ Biwako Otsu Prince Hotel (about 10 min)
Boats have limited capacity and may be cancelled or changed due to weather or lake conditions

On the day

No smoking anywhere on site, and there is no smoking area
The venues differ from 2025

※Plans may change in severe weather. Cancellations are announced on the Otsu Chamber of Commerce website

Craft Beer Sake Gourmet Onsen Sento Sea Cruise Family

出典: 大津商工会議所

Kobe · Gluten-free

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FAQ

Is there an entry fee?

Entry to all three venues is free. Food and drink, day bathing and shuttle boats are paid.

Which venue should I go to?

Head to Otsu Port for beer, food and the stage, the Prince Hotel for the lake view, and Ogoto Onsen Port for hot springs and children's activities. Shuttle boats and free buses run between them.

Can I drive?

The organisers ask visitors to use public transport. Alcohol is served, and driving a car, motorbike or bicycle after drinking is prohibited.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes. Otsu Port has a kids' corner with bouncy play equipment, a shooting challenge and a street-performance workshop, and Ogoto Onsen Port hosts Corolla Festa mini from 11:00 to 16:00.