Cycling Around Japan's Largest Lake: Lake Biwa Ride Day 1 (Full POV)

[Commentary caption available] Lake Biwa in Shiga prefecture is Japan's largest lake. It is also home to one of Japan's National Cycle Routes called Biwaichi. The full course is around 200 km, but doing just the northern part reduces it to about 150 km. Join me as we ride along the first half of the 150 km course just after the cherry blossom season. The wind is just so brutal that I have to stop multiple times to prevent a cramp. It's a headwind in the first half of the ride and only becomes a crosswind in the second half. My daypack's chest strap is blocking the camera in the first 50 seconds of the ride. Sorry about this. Date: 16 April 2026 Temperature: 15 - 23°C Wind: 19 km/h NW Day 2:    • Cycling Around Japan's Largest Lake: Lake ...   Chapters: 00:00:00 Overview 00:00:24 Toyoko Inn Hotel 00:00:51 Maibara Station 00:01:16 Ride start 00:10:41 First view of Lake Biwa 00:11:10 Asazuma-minato Port Ruins 00:30:36 Nagahama Castle 00:45:08 Anegawa-ohashi Bridge and Ane River 01:17:37 Katayama Tunnel 01:19:14 Weeping cherry blossoms 01:36:33 Countryside scenery of Kinomoto Town 01:42:00 Hill climb #1 01:46:01 Shizugatake Tunnel 01:48:13 View of Lake Biwa and Cape Tsuzura 01:48:41 Descent #1 02:06:30 Lunch break at Roadside Station Shiotsukaido Ajikama no Sato 02:07:55 Stopping by Lawson 02:08:16 Resuming ride 02:13:08 Hill climb #2 02:17:03 Weeping cherry blossoms of Yaai Shrine 02:18:10 Yanokuma Tunnel 02:20:26 Descent #2 02:27:01 Countryside scenery of Nishiazai Town 02:38:18 Cape Kaizu (cherry blossoms past peak) 02:54:59 Historic streetscape of Kaizu 03:00:11 Makino Sunny Beach Lake Terrace 03:03:47 Makino Sunny Beach 03:09:16 Pine trees 03:23:14 Detour to 7-Eleven 03:24:45 Back to route 03:45:43 STAGEX Takashima windmill 03:56:35 Funaki-ohashi Bridge and Ado River 04:19:04 Historical streetscape of Takashima 04:25:11 National Route 161 04:28:39 Shirahige Shrine Torii 04:29:11 Shirahige Shrine 04:29:53 Wireless mics run out of battery 04:51:28 Hotel Biwa Lake Otsuka 04:51:58 Private hot spring