Seeing Lake Biwa from a planeup to 5 ★
Japan's largest lake, about 260 square miles, and one of the oldest on Earth at roughly 4 million years. It waters Kyoto and Osaka; look for the long blue lake just over the hills northeast of Kyoto.
4 of our routes pass it. Japan · rated 5 of 10
The easy pick
Osaka to Tokyo: sit on the left, on the climb, 8 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Hiroshima to Tokyo | Left Best seat for the whole flight: right | 25 min after takeoff |
| Osaka to Tokyo | Left | on the climb, 8 min after takeoff |
| Tokyo to Kumamoto | Right | 31 min after takeoff |
| Tokyo to Matsuyama | Right | 32 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day. Where the best seat for the whole flight is on the other side, you'd trade this sight for more elsewhere.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Lake Biwa from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (2 of 4). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Lake Biwa from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Kyoto Nagoya Osaka Castle Osaka Mount Haku Tokyo (HND) All routes