Lake Tazawa

Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture is the deepest lake in Japan at 423 meters, and that depth gives the water a striking sapphire color that shifts between cobalt and turquoise through the day. The nearly circular caldera lake is ringed by forested mountains with a 20-kilometer shoreline for cycling, boating, or walking. A golden statue of Princess Tatsuko stands at the water's edge, based on a local legend of a woman transformed into a dragon guardian of the lake. In winter, Tazawako Ski Resort operates on the surrounding slopes, and the nearby Nyuto Onsen village offers some of Tohoku's most atmospheric rustic hot spring bathing.