Recently, I was showing family members who were visiting from abroad around some of the key highlights of the Tohoku region in northern Japan. During our adventures, we stopped by the former samurai town of Kakunodate as well as Akita’s Lake Tazawa, a body of water that is officially the deepest lake in Japan. While on the bus back from the lake, I realized that, while I had covered most of Akita Prefecture before, I had never done a standalone piece on Lake Tazawa. Without further ado, allow me to rectify that former mistake.
If you haven’t heard of Lake Tazawa before, know that this roughly six-kilometer-wide body of water is insanely deep. With a maximum depth of 423.4 meters, Lake Tazawa is Japan’s deepest lake, with its bottom sitting well below sea level despite the surface being some 249 meters above it. Lake Tazawa’s almost perfectly circular shape hints at its volcanic origin, with this enormous crater lake occupying an ancient caldera that formed following a massive eruption roughly two million years ago. Though the volcano itself has long since gone quiet, researchers have even identified submerged lava domes beneath the lake, remnants of the volcanic activity that continued after the caldera itself was formed.
Beyond its geology, Lake Tazawa is also wrapped up in the legend of Tatsuko, a beautiful young woman who supposedly lived near the lake long ago. Fearing that her looks would eventually fade, Tatsuko prayed to Kannon for 100 days and nights, hoping to preserve her beauty forever. On the final night, she was instructed to travel north and drink from a sacred spring, but the more water she consumed, the thirstier she became. Eventually, Tatsuko drank so much that she was turned into a dragon and descended into Lake Tazawa, where she is said to remain as the lake’s guardian deity to this day.
All in all, when you consider that Lake Tazawa is also the jumping-off point for nearby Nyuto Onsen and the wider Hachimantai area, it really ought to be on your bucket list. The ancient crater lake and the Tatsuko legend give you plenty to dig into before you even start looking farther afield, while Nyuto Onsen puts a collection of storied hot springs just up the mountain. Throw nearby Kakunodate into the same itinerary and you’ve got the makings of a pretty damn good trip through this corner of Tohoku. With that out of the way, let’s get into the boring but necessary details of how to get there.
How to Get There
Let’s pause for some quick logistics. For most travelers, the easiest way to reach Lake Tazawa is aboard the Akita Shinkansen to JR Tazawako Station, which serves as the main gateway to the lake and the surrounding mountain areas. If you’re coming all the way from Tokyo, you can ride one of the Komachi services north for a little over three hours. Alternatively, if you’re already somewhere in the Tohoku region, you can hop aboard the Akita Shinkansen from Morioka and reach Tazawako Station in under an hour (check Jorudan or a similar service). Either way, the train portion is painless given how rural this part of the prefecture feels once you arrive.
From Tazawako Station, you’re going to be relying heavily on the local buses. These depart from directly outside the station and run toward the lakeside before continuing farther into the mountains toward places like the Tazawako Ski Area and Nyuto Onsen. As I noted in my guide on how to travel in rural Japan, don’t overcomplicate this by trying to memorize every route and timetable beforehand. Pull up Google Maps, search for wherever you’re trying to go, and follow the instructions it gives you. That said, this is very much rural Japan, so services are nowhere near as frequent as what you might be accustomed to in Tokyo or Osaka. Miss one, and you may be standing around for a while.
If Nyuto Onsen is also on your itinerary, I strongly recommend heading as far up into the mountains as you’re planning to go first and then gradually working your way back down toward Lake Tazawa as the day progresses. This is especially important because the final services can be surprisingly early, particularly once you’re up around Nyuto Onsen and the other attractions in the mountains. There is a very real possibility of getting stuck somewhere if you aren’t paying attention to the time, so always check the return schedule before disappearing into an onsen for several hours. The last bus waits for nobody, and a taxi out here is not something I’d want to be banking on.
I’ve done the entire trip up to Nyuto Onsen directly from Tokyo before, taking one of the first Shinkansens north in the morning and then immediately continuing onward into the mountains. It’s definitely possible, but by the time you’ve spent roughly three hours on the train, made the ride up, enjoyed the onsen, and worked your way back down again, you’ve burned through the better part of an entire day. Needless to say, that doesn’t leave much time to explore Lake Tazawa itself. If you have the flexibility, you’re much better off starting your day somewhere in Tohoku and then working Nyuto Onsen, Lake Tazawa, and the surrounding attractions into the same day at a much less frantic pace.
Cruise on Lake Tazawa’s Sightseeing Boat
With a circumference of roughly 20 kilometers, many of the main attractions around the lake are spread pretty far apart from one another. If you’re driving, getting around isn’t all that difficult, but trying to string everything together using relatively infrequent public transportation can quickly become a pain in the proverbial rear. Therefore, one of the easiest ways to explore Lake Tazawa is aboard one of the sightseeing cruises that operate on its waters. From the comfort of the boat, you’ll get a much better sense of just how enormous the lake really is while also passing Gozanoishi Shrine and making your way over toward Katajiri, where the famous golden Tatsuko statue stands along the shore.
The sightseeing boats depart from Shirahama on the eastern side of Lake Tazawa, directly in front of the Tazawako Rest House. The standard round trip takes around 40 minutes, with the standard timetable listing departures at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM, though additional sailings may operate depending on the day. Tickets cost ¥1,500 for adults, while children ride for half price, and the boats generally run from late April through early November. The normal route travels from Shirahama past Gozanoishi Shrine to Katajiri before returning, and you can also board or get off at Katajiri if you want to combine the sightseeing boat with a closer look at the Statue of Tatsuko.
Of course, taking the sightseeing cruise is hardly the only way to get yourself out onto Japan’s deepest lake. During the warmer summer months, there are also opportunities to rent everything from kayaks and canoes to SUP boards and paddle boats, with several operators clustered around the more developed eastern shoreline. For those who want something a little more involved, there are even wakeboarding, wakesurfing, and other tow-based activities available on Lake Tazawa. If you’d rather remain on dry land, cycling around the lake is another option and gives you access to a number of lakeside viewpoints along the roughly 20-kilometer circuit.
Gozanoishi Shrine & the Statue of Tatsuko
Located along the northern shore of Lake Tazawa, Gozanoishi Shrine is one of the area’s main cultural attractions and is closely tied to the Tatsuko legend mentioned earlier. Interestingly enough, the shrine’s name comes from an entirely separate bit of history. In 1650, Satake Yoshitaka, the 2nd lord of the Akita Domain, visited Lake Tazawa and supposedly stopped to rest on a flat rock along the shore, with the spot thereafter becoming known as Gozanoishi. Today, the shrine is dedicated to Princess Tatsuko and the grounds contain several sites connected to her legend, including the spring from which she supposedly drank before turning into a dragon, the mirror-like Kagami-ishi said to have reflected her image, and Nanairogi, or the Seven-Colored Tree.
On the southwestern side of the lake, meanwhile, you’ll find the golden bronze Statue of Tatsuko, which has become something of the de facto symbol of Lake Tazawa. Princess Tatsuko supposedly wished for eternal youth and beauty before drinking from a sacred spring, being transformed into a dragon, and becoming the guardian deity of the lake. The bronze statue depicts her in human form and was created by sculptor Funakoshi Yasutake before being unveiled in 1968. Standing right at the edge of the water with the surrounding mountains providing a backdrop, the Tatsuko statue is easily the most recognizable sight around Lake Tazawa and the place where the local mythology suddenly becomes a lot more tangible.
The Lake Tazawa sightseeing boat is the easiest way to take in both Gozanoishi Shrine and the Statue of Tatsuko without wrestling too much with public transportation. The regular cruise passes Gozanoishi Shrine and continues across to Katajiri by the statue, where passengers on the standard service can also get on or off. If you want to set foot inside the shrine grounds, however, you’ll need to make use of the Tazawako Isshusen loop bus, a rental bicycle, or your own wheels, as the sightseeing boat doesn’t stop there. The loop route serves both Katajiri and Gozanoishi Shrine, but given the relatively limited departures around Lake Tazawa, this is another instance where you’ll want to have Google Maps and the day’s timetable handy before setting off.
Nyuto Onsen & the Tazawako Ski Area
One of the great things about Lake Tazawa is that the same general transportation corridor that carries you out to the lake also continues farther into the mountains toward the Tazawako Ski Area and Nyuto Onsen. Along the way, you’ll pass Alpa Komakusa, a useful mountain base that combines an onsen facility with the Akita-Komagatake Information Center and a volcanic disaster-prevention station. During the summer hiking season, this is also where many travelers transfer onto the seasonal buses heading farther up Akita-Komagatake toward the 8th Station trailhead, though mountain weather is something you’ll want to keep an eye on. Come winter, meanwhile, the nearby Tazawako Ski Area takes over as the main attraction, with the ski resort’s slopes overlooking Lake Tazawa and the surrounding mountains.
Farther into the mountains lies Nyuto Onsen, a collection of seven hot springs scattered around the foot of Mt. Nyuto inside Towada-Hachimantai National Park. Of these, Tsuru-no-Yu is by far the most famous and also the oldest inn in the area, with records connecting the hot spring to Satake Yoshitaka as far back as 1638. The ryokan is particularly known for its thatched-roof Honjin buildings and its milky outdoor bath, while four separate sources on the property supply hot spring waters with different compositions. Day-trip bathing is also available from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM for ¥700, making Tsuru-no-yu entirely doable even if you’re not staying overnight. If you’re only going to make time for one onsen around Lake Tazawa, this is the one most travelers come looking for.
If you’re tackling Nyuto Onsen as a day trip, pay very close attention to the clock. The bus from Tazawako Station takes just under 50 minutes to reach the upper end of the Nyuto Onsen area, and services back down the mountain thin out considerably once evening rolls around. The final Nyuto Line bus on the published timetable leaves Ganiba Onsen at 6:15 PM and reaches Tazawako Station at 7:01 PM, so there really isn’t much room for screwing around once the day gets late. Tsuru-no-yu also requires a separate reserved pickup from Alpa Komakusa rather than stepping off the regular service at the ryokan itself. If you’re staying overnight, none of this is particularly stressful. If you’re not, plan the return journey before you start soaking, lest your relaxing mountain excursion suddenly become considerably less relaxing.
Drop by the Town of Kakunodate
Since you’re already in this part of Akita Prefecture, you’d be remiss not to make time for nearby Kakunodate. Originally founded as a castle town in the early 17th century, Kakunodate is best known today for its well-preserved samurai district and is often referred to as the “Little Kyoto of Tohoku.” The town was historically divided into separate samurai and merchant quarters, a layout that reflected the rigid social hierarchy of the Edo period (1603–1868). Much of that original urban structure still survives, making Kakunodate one of the better places in Japan to get a sense of how a provincial Japanese castle town was organized.
The samurai district is very much the main event. Its broad streets are lined with imposing black fences, old gates, gardens, and former residences that once belonged to Kakunodate’s warrior families, several of which are still open to visitors today. While Kakunodate Castle itself is long gone, the surviving homes remain some of the best examples of samurai architecture in the country. If you’re willing to put in a little extra effort, you can also hike up Furushiroyama to the former castle site, which overlooks the city and the nearby Hinokinaigawa.
The neighboring merchant district offers a different look at Kakunodate’s past. This was once the commercial side of town, and its streets still contain traditional storefronts, wooden warehouses, and other buildings connected to the merchants and craftspeople who lived outside the samurai quarter. Kakunodate is particularly associated with Kabazaiku, a form of woodworking that uses the bark of cherry trees to create everything from tea containers to decorative pieces. Put together, the two districts give you a much broader look at the old town than you’d get by walking past a few preserved samurai homes and calling it a day.
Kakunodate is also one of those places where the time of year dramatically changes the experience. During late April and early May, hundreds of cherry trees bloom around the town, including the famous weeping varieties that hang over the samurai district and the rows of blossoms along the riverbanks of Hinokinaigawa. Come late October and early November, many of the same trees turn red, orange, and gold instead, making autumn another excellent time to visit. That said, Kakunodate works year-round and only takes around half a day to properly explore, which makes it an especially easy addition to a trip centered around Lake Tazawa.
Other Nearby Attractions
If you’re not quite ready to leave Akita Prefecture behind, one obvious option is to continue west toward Akita City. While the prefectural capital is hardly overflowing with blockbuster attractions, there are still several worthwhile stops around the center, including Senshu Park, which occupies the former site of the Satake clan’s castle, as well as the nearby Akita Museum of Art. The city is also famous for the annual Kanto Festival held in summer during early August, when enormous bamboo poles strung with dozens of lanterns are balanced by performers through the streets. Even if your timing doesn’t line up with the celebration itself, there is also a museum dedicated to the festival near Senshu Park that gives you a much better idea of just how ridiculous the balancing act really is.
From Akita City, those with another day or two to spare should seriously consider continuing onward to the Oga Peninsula for the Namahage. These fearsome masked figures are one of the prefecture’s most distinctive traditions, with locals historically dressing as the demonic-looking visitors and going from house to house to admonish lazy or badly behaved members of the community. Today, the easiest way to dig into the tradition is at the Namahage Museum and neighboring Oga Shinzan Folklore Museum, where reenactments offer a look at how the annual custom plays out and why it occupies such an unusual place in Japanese folk culture. If you have the time, I would also suggest staying overnight around Oga Onsen rather than trying to cram the entire peninsula into a rushed day.
Alternatively, you can retrace your steps east to Morioka, which is only a short ride away on the Akita Shinkansen and makes for one of the better logistical hubs in northern Tohoku. I covered the city in depth before, but the highlights include Morioka Castle Site Park, the 380-year-old Ishiwari-zakura cherry tree, Morioka Hachimangu, and Hoon-ji with its collection of 500 Rakan statues. More importantly for the food-inclined cohort, Morioka is famous for its three great noodle dishes of jajamen, reimen, and wanko soba. From there, the Tohoku Shinkansen also makes it extremely easy to continue farther north toward Aomori or head back south, making Morioka a convenient place to end your Lake Tazawa detour and figure out where the hell you’re going next.
Finally, if you’re heading back toward Morioka, Koiwai Farm is another worthwhile stop to consider along the way. Located at the foot of Mt. Iwate in neighboring Shizukuishi, this enormous working farm has been operating since 1891 and today covers roughly 3,000 hectares, with part of the property opened to visitors as Makiba Park. In addition to the pastoral scenery and animals, you’ll find restaurants, shops selling Koiwai dairy products, and a number of hands-on activities depending on the season. It’s especially convenient if you’re traveling by car, and it makes for an easy final detour before continuing onward to Morioka.
Until next time travelers…
