Director


Tour du Lac Biwa, Hiromi Kawaguchi

  In 2014, we began to host small tours on the west side of Lake Biwa, Shiga prefecture. With your warm assistance, we were blessed to receive so many wonderful guests from around the world. 

 

 Our tours are focused on experiencing and learning about local people and their culture through activities such as farm to table cooking with the elders of beautiful villages and visiting a quiet local shrine together to feel the belief of the inhabitants. We were honored to receive numerous local awards for offering such tours that are both unique and original. 

 

 However, in this day and age, it is truly a great challenge to preserve those beautiful countryside sceneries that so charm us. Mountain villages are suffering from decreasing populations and, subsequently, abandoned fields increase each year. 

 It is immeasurable how much history and culture are lost once a house, a village or a field are left and forgotten. As we know, in many cases, local wisdom handed down over generations is far more sophisticated and interconnected than many modern technologies.

 

 Your choosing to visit this area and finding value in the life of the locals provides us with an opportunity to rethink how and why we need to continue making efforts to keep the environment, history and culture that form the foundation of their pride and enable them to continue to find value in their way of life. 

 The tour also made us realize that it is our important mission to shed light on the daily activities and pure hearts of the many nameless villagers who existed behind the cultural customs that have been passed down from our ancestors in this region. 

 We have witnessed many times guests from all over the world being deeply touched by the humble people of these nameless villages.

 We have seen the joy of acceptance and felt a little sliver of hope for the future, in addition to the remuneration we have received from our guests.

 We do not know to what extent this small tour will contribute to the sustainability of the region, but we hope that it will at least offer a beacon of hope for those who live and work here with pride.

 

 Therefore, we would like to offer our sincere gratitude for choosing to spend a day with us in a small countryside village instead of visiting a famous tourist attraction.

 We wish to remain a socially and ecologically responsible tour company. It has been our great pleasure to receive many comments from our guests that the tour they have taken with us was the highlight of their trip to Japan. 

 We would like to extend our invitation to you all to spend an unforgettable day in this beautiful Shiga prefecture and for this we will continue to make great efforts. 

 

 We are eagerly awaiting your visit.

Hiromi Kawaguchi (Director)

Your tour conductors

Tour du lac tour conductor Keiko Burkholder

Keiko Burkholder

Hello ! I'm Keiko. I live on the West side of Lake Biwa and really enjoy the nature here.  

I can present energy breathing & meditation workshops on the beach by request. Your energy will be revitalized and you'll feel completely refreshed.

Tour du lac has many unique and heart-warming tours. We are looking forward to seeing you soon. 

Misako Deegan

 Hi, I'm Misako Deegan. I am a very experienced Hair stylist & Make-up artist for brides as well. I am happy to assist you in the correct way to wear a Japanese Kimono for a very special experience; Kimono dressing & Lakeside Photo Session.  

 I am most happy to show you around this lovely area of rural Japan in Shiga. You will meet charming local farmers and receive their warm and generous hospitality.

 Looking forward to seeing you in Shiga!


Shino Matsumoto S.

National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter

 Warm greetings! My name is Shino. I was born into a Sento

(public bathhouse) family in Tokyo but have lived in and loved Shiga and Kyoto for the last 14 years.

 I am a Certified Guide and eager to assist you in coming to understand Japan, its culture and people. Also, having worked

for an environmental NGO, I am passionate about environmental and social issues. It is my pleasure to be part of your trip to Japan and I will surely do my best to make your visit an extra-special one..!

saori okada

 Hello! My name is Saori.

 I and my family moved to this beautiful area surrounded by mountains and the lake and are enjoying everyday living.  Normally, I am teaching pottery at a school for special needs children. I would love you to see and experience people's life based on the wisdom of life and Japan's unique culture. I can guarantee that you will come to like Japan more and more as you learn about it!

 


Asami Yakushigawa

Local tour guide licensed by Takashima city in Shiga Prefecture

Hello, my name is Asami. I was born and raised here in Shiga. 

I have been practicing the Japanese tea ceremony and flower arrangement for over 20 years. I also enjoy growing vegetables and flowers with my children and am fascinated by nature-based cultures and ways of life. 

On any of our tours, you will share in the warm hospitality and lifestyle of the people in Shiga whose lives are blessed with abundance, gifted from the mountains and Lake Biwa.
I would be honored to be your guide!

 

Emi Yoshida (Tour Designer)

Hello, I'm Emi. Over the years, I have experienced many international business and personal trips. I then realized firsthand that the most memorable things were the warmth of the people I met and the modesty and kindness of the local culture. 

In this area, we have many wonderful elements that will remain in the minds of those who visit. We hope that you will have a chance to experience the gentle culture of the Japanese countryside, which we wish to be passed down to the future generations.



Office

Company

Tour du lac Co.,Ltd.  

 (Shiga Prefectural Registered Travel Agency: Regional Limited No. 273)

Address

385-4 Wani-Takashiro, Otsu, Shiga 520-0528 Japan

Tel

+81-77-575-4117

Regional Travel Service Supervisor

Hiromi Kawaguchi

Office hours

Mon-Sat. 9:30-17:30

Closed on national public holidays.

 


Cover photo: ©Biwako Visitors Bureau