This site is an online media that delivers all sorts of trivia about the six Tohoku prefectures, from sightseeing and gourmet spots to local customs, history, and more
Lake Tazawa is located about a 10-minute bus ride from Tazawako Station, a stop on the Akita Shinkansen Komachi line
Lake Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan
Lake Tazawa, with an area of 25.8 square kilometers, is the 19th largest lake in Japan, but it is the deepest lake in Japan , with a depth of approximately 423 meters . If you were to submerge the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest structure in Japan, the water would reach up to its second observation deck. Due to its great depth, unlike most lakes, it does not freeze even in the middle of winter.
Japan's 100 most beautiful landscapes, and the entire lake is included in a prefectural natural park. There are several tourist attractions nearby, such as Dakigaeri Gorge and Nyuto Onsen hot springs.
Lake Tazawa
The legend of Princess Tatsuko passed down at Lake Tazawa
Lake Tazawa is a beautiful cobalt blue lake, but there is a sad legend about it
Statue of Princess Tatsuko at Lake Tazawa
Are you familiar with the statue of Princess Tatsuko floating on the surface of Lake Tazawa? This statue was created based on the legend of Princess Tatsuko , a legend associated with Lake Tazawa. Let me tell you the story of Princess Tatsuko, a woman whose life was tragically sad because of her beauty
Tatsuko was a very beautiful girl. One day, she wondered, "Is there any way I can make this beauty last forever?"
Tatsuko then prays to Kannon Bodhisattva. After 100 days of praying, she receives a divine message from Kannon Bodhisattva
"Go over the mountain and you will find a pure spring. Drink from its water and your wish will be fulfilled."
Tatsuko hurried to the spring. When she got there, she drank the water. However, no matter how much she drank, she still felt thirsty. She put both hands into the spring and desperately drank water. However, her thirst would not go away
Finally, she put her face in the water and continued to drink, and in an instant, her body transformed into a large dragon
At that moment, a large lake appeared, and from that moment on, Tatsuko became the master of the lake
It is a sad and heartbreaking story. There is also a theory that Lake Tazawa became deep because Tatsuko turned into a dragon and lived in the lake
It is said that Princess Tatsuko married Hachirotaro, a dragon who lived in Lake Hachiro (present-day Ogata Village), another lake in Akita Prefecture
Saito Mokichi, a poet from Kaminoyama City, Yamagata Prefecture, wrote about the legend of Princess Tatsuko
"If the eternal cicada had a wish, it would have become pitiful. A legend at Lake Tazawa."
He wrote this in a song
Kansagu Shrine, a shrine on the shores of Lake Tazawa
Lake Tazawa today, developed as a tourist destination
Today, Lake Tazawa can be cycled or driven around. There are rest houses, hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops along the lakeside. There are also sightseeing boats that operate, allowing you to see the surrounding scenery from the lake
Why not take a tour of this place and think about the ancient legends?
![Odano Naotake "Shinobazu Pond" - Akita Museum of Modern Art](https://jp.neft.asia/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/607415f6ab92e9af3e5383631e9ca4ac-150x150.jpg.webp "Who was Odano Naotake, the samurai and genius painter who created Japan's first Western-style painting, "Akita Ranga"? [Akita Prefecture]")
