Shiga: Children Experience Lake Biwa Study Voyage; Aiming at Learning about Environment, Ecosystem

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:56 JST, May 10, 2025

TAKASHIMA, Shiga — This year’s “study voyage” program for elementary school students has started in Shiga Prefecture.

As the first group, 96 students set sail from Imazu Port in Takashima on April 21 for an overnight stay on Lake Biwa.

This study program, which is open to all fifth graders in the prefecture, is unique to Shiga. Aboard the Uminoko, a prefectural environmental study ship, students will travel around Lake Biwa for two days, stopping by the lake’s Chikubujima and Okishima Islands.

With the aim of learning about the lake’s environment, among other topics, they will observe the lake’s surface, view cityscapes and study the water quality and species inhabiting the lake. They will also stop at Otsu Port for a walk and games like tug-of-war to deepen friendships.

This fiscal year, a total of 102 voyages are planned for about 13,000 children. The program has taken place since fiscal 1983, meaning many of these children’s parents also once took part.

“I will spend my time thinking about what we can do to protect the environment and living creatures,” said a boy serving as student representative at the ceremony on the vessel. “I want to talk with new people and for us to become friends.”

After the ceremony, the children went out on deck and waved colorful scarves to their parents and others seeing them off.