Lake Tazawa is the deepest in Japan at 423 meters, with water so clear the visibility runs to 15 meters. The bronze statue of Princess Tatsuko on the western shore — the woman who became the lake's dragon-spirit guardian — is the iconic photograph. Goza-no-Ishi Shrine on the north shore has a torii standing in the water. The real overnight draw is Nyuto Onsen up the mountain, a cluster of seven historic ryokan including Tsurunoyu, where the milky white outdoor bath has been continuously soaked in since the 1600s. Skiing at Tazawako Ski Resort sits between the lake and the onsen.
What Lake Tazawa is known for
Top-rated in Lake Tazawa
Shirahama: Lake Tazawa’s White Sand Beach
4.8beach
Shirahama beach stretches along Lake Tazawa’s eastern shore, located in the Haruyama district of Semboku City.
Lake Tazawa
4.4nature
Picture-perfect sapphire-blue crater lake, Japan's deepest at 423 meters with near-perfect circle shape.
Kyukamura Nyuto Onsenkyo
4.3onsen
Secluded hot spring ryokan with milky mineral waters nestled in beech forests near Lake Tazawa.
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