[Fukushima] Lake Inawashiro, the fourth largest lake in Japan

NEFT Editorial Department
2016.10.18
Last updated: 2022.02.16

Lake Inawashiro is located in the central part of Fukushima Prefecture, south of Mt. Aizu Bandai, which is compared to Aizu Fuji, and is known as the fourth largest lake in the country.
It is said that this lake was formed as a basin by a fault around 23 million years ago, and then it took tens of millions of years to form.
The eruption of Mt. Bandai destroyed 52 surrounding villages and sank to the bottom of the lake, leaving only Okinawa Island in the northwestern part of the lake, and legends surrounding the formation of Okinawa Island have been passed down in the Aizu region.

Photo by M Murakami – R1019202 / Size-adapted.

Before the war, the water was used for agricultural purposes, but now it has flourished as a tourist destination, with sightseeing boats operating and tourists often seen camping and having barbecues on the lakeshore.
The excursion boat tour to Okinajima is operated every day, and the boarding time is 35 minutes from Nagahama via Okinajima.You can fully enjoy nature by cruising the lake while admiring the majestic scenery of Mt. Bandai and its majestic figure reflected on the surface of the lake. can.
For tourists with children, you can also cruise around the lake on humorous sightseeing boats such as the swan-shaped ``Hakuchomaru'' and the turtle-shaped ``Kamemaru.''
We also accept reservations for parties, boat weddings, etc. for Akasaki/Koshin tour (90 minutes boarding time), private cruising between Nagahama and Funatsu.

Lake Inawashiro is a relatively transparent lake with a depth of 94 meters at its deepest point and a transparency of 12 to 13 meters.
Because the source of the Nagase River that flows into the lake is volcanic acidic water, it is an oligotrophic lake and has high transparency because plants and algae do not grow in the water.
Even so, Sphagnum moss lives at a depth of 3 meters near the north shore of Lake Inawashiro, and the ``Lake Inawashiro Sphagnum community'' has been designated by the government as a natural monument.
This area is famous as a visiting place for swans, and has been designated and managed by the national and prefectural governments as a protected area to protect the swan ecosystem.
People who come to see the swans gathering on the surface of Lake Inawashiro can be seen holding cameras and taking videos and natural scenery.