Lake Biwa | Japan's niche hot spring sanctuary

🚗After a two-hour drive, we arrived at Lake Hamana in Shizuoka Prefecture. The rooms are Japanese-style, and the nearby lake is nice and very quiet. At night, Japanese office workers dress neatly and fish by the lake. Walking out of this commercial area and onto the street, there are many convenience stores and izakayas. At night, it's mostly office workers walking on the street, each holding a plain umbrella, and almost no one uses a folding umbrella. In the late night, the streets are empty, and cars at intersections wait quietly for traffic lights. Even at intersections between sidewalks that are 3-5 meters wide, there are traffic lights. No pedestrians or cars will run the red light. This place belongs to the city, but there is a deep blue night sky and stars. You can strongly feel that this is Japan. Japan has many mountains and few plains, but the area around Lake Biwa is relatively flat. This is also a densely populated area in Japan, and the Japanese know how to enjoy life. Hot spring resorts and hotels are scattered around the lake, and soaking in hot springs is an essential part of Japanese life. Lake Biwa is mainly a leisure resort and a popular destination for Japanese people. Compared to the crowds of tourists in Hakone, many tour groups pass by here in a hurry, and there is a sense of tranquility here.