Lake Hibara

Largest lake in the Bandai Kogen Highlands, formed when the catastrophic 1888 eruption of Mount Bandai triggered a landslide that dammed entire valleys. The eruption created around 300 lakes and ponds across the region. On the northern shore, a torii gate from Oyamazumi-jinja Shrine survived intact. A second gate from the same shrine sits submerged in the lake and occasionally breaks the surface when water levels fall. Small islets scattered across the lake are made of volcanic debris. The lakeside offers camping, walking, cycling, and seasonal boating. After winter freezing, ice fishing for smelt draws visitors to the ice.