6 Lakes in Akita worth your time

A former massive brackish lake transformed into a freshwater body and agricultural village through Dutch-assisted land reclamation technology.

What it is

• A freshwater lake in Akita Prefecture that was once Japan's second largest body of water.
• The site of a massive land reclamation project completed between 1957 and 1977.
• A designated special water quality conservation lake currently ranked as the eighteenth largest in Japan.
• The location of Ogata Village, which was established on the newly reclaimed land in 1964.

What to see

• The intersection point of the 40th parallel north and 140th meridian east.
• The Funakoshi Waterway, which serves as the only outflow river for the lake.
• Expansive agricultural lands created using technical cooperation from the Netherlands.
• Local fishermen catching wakasagi on the water during the colder months.

When to go

• Winter is the primary season for visitors interested in wakasagi fishing.

Read more about Hachirōgata

A volcanic crater lake near Mount Hachimantai summit famous for a unique snow melting pattern known as the Dragon Eye.

What it is

• A crater lake formed when water filled a volcanic depression near the summit of Mount Hachimantai.
• The site straddles the border between Iwate Prefecture and Akita Prefecture.
• A shallow body of water sitting at an elevation of approximately 1,613 meters.
• The location received the Cool Japan Award in 2019 for its natural beauty.

What to see

• A funnel-shaped lake with a circumference of about one kilometer.
• The Hachimantai Dragon Eye formed by a specific pattern of melting snow.
• Views of the surrounding Towada-Hachimantai National Park landscape.
• A circular body of water with a diameter of about 50 meters.

Getting there

• The lake is a 10-minute walk from the Hachimantai parking lot.

Read more about Lake Kagami

A former lagoon where sixty islands now sit in rice fields, famously visited by the poet Matsuo Basho.

What it is

• A national natural monument and scenic spot located in Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture.
• A former shallow lagoon created by the collapse of Chokai Mountain around 466 BC.
• The northernmost point of the journey described in Matsuo Basho's Oku no Hosomichi.
• A site where an 1804 earthquake raised the land and permanently dried the lagoon.

What to see

• Approximately sixty islands remaining scattered across the local rice fields.
• Historical artifacts and local exhibits at the Kisakata Kyodo Shiryokan museum.
• The preserved islands saved from agricultural development by the priest Kakurin.

When to go

• Springtime when seawater-filled rice fields recreate the appearance of the original lagoon.

Read more about Kisakata

A deep double caldera lake and national park offering scenic boat tours and a historic shrine on the shoreline.

What it is

• A double caldera lake located on the border of Aomori and Akita prefectures.
• Japan's third deepest lake reaching a depth of over three hundred meters.
• Designated as a national park in 1936 and a Special Scenic Spot.
• The twelfth largest lake in Japan by surface area.

What to see

• The Oirase River which is the only river flowing out of the lake.
• Two distinct peninsulas named Nakayama and Ogura extending into the water.
• The bronze Statue of Maidens standing on the lakeshore.
• Towada Shrine established at the Nakayama Peninsula.
• Sightseeing boats that operate across the water.

When to go

• Sightseeing boats are available to board except during the winter season.

Read more about Lake Towada

A rare volcanic explosion crater lake and National Natural Monument offering unique geological insights from the Hachibodai observation point.

What it is

• A freshwater lake formed as a water-filled explosion crater known as a maar.
• Designated as a National Natural Monument and part of the Megata Volcano Group.
• The first site where mantle-derived xenoliths were discovered within andesite rock.
• A circular body of water with a diameter of approximately 600 meters.

What to see

• Panoramic views of the crater lake from the Hachibodai observation point.
• Xenoliths from the site displayed at the Akita University Mining Museum.
• A deep volcanic basin reaching a maximum depth of 44.6 meters.

Getting there

• Accessible via the Showa-Oga-Peninsula Interchange on the Akita Expressway.

Read more about Lake Ichinomegata

Japan's deepest freshwater lake, featuring a golden statue and a museum dedicated to the once-extinct indigenous trout.

What it is

• A freshwater caldera lake located in Semboku City, Akita Prefecture.
• The deepest lake in Japan with a maximum depth of 423.4 meters.
• Part of the Tazawako-Dakigaeri Prefectural Natural Park formed by volcanic activity.
• A site of environmental recovery following the acidification of its waters in 1940.

What to see

• A golden statue of Tatsuko located on the western shore of the lake.
• The Tazawako Kunimasu Future Museum which opened on the lakeshore in 2017.
• Clear waters covering two lava domes situated on the lake floor.
• Exhibits regarding the indigenous Kunimasu trout that once became extinct here.

Read more about Lake Tazawa