Lake Towada
十和田湖
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Arrange stays, experiences and transport on external booking sites.
A Mirror in the Mountains — Japan's Storied Caldera Lake
Lake Towada is a place worth a visit. We've gathered 2 videos so you can explore it across the seasons on screen.
Lake Towada is a large double-caldera lake straddling Aomori and Akita, ringed by forested crater rims and famous for its mirror-clear water. It is the source of the Oirase Gorge and is loved for boat cruises, vivid autumn foliage, and quiet lakeside scenery.
Source: Wikipedia「ウィキペディア」 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Best Season
- FebWinter lakeside illumination festival
- OctPeak autumn foliage around the lake
Autumn leaves usually peak in mid-to-late October — earlier than most of Honshu due to the elevation.
History & Culture
A Double Caldera Lake
Lake Towada formed inside the collapsed caldera of the Towada volcano after a series of massive eruptions tens of thousands of years ago, the youngest and largest of which created the caldera seen today.
Takamura Kōtarō's Bronze Maidens
On the lakeshore at Yasumiya stands the Maiden Statue (Otome-no-Zo), a pair of bronze figures cast in 1953 by the sculptor-poet Takamura Kōtarō to mark the national park's 15th anniversary — one of the lake's most photographed landmarks.
Yasumiya, Towada, Aomori (lakeside)
- JR Bus 'Mizuumi' Line from JR Aomori / Hachinohe / Towada stations to Towadako (Yasumiya), about 2–3 hr
- About 1 hr from Towada–Hachinohe IC via the Oirase Gorge road
Grounds open at all times
Free
Hours and fees are a guide and may change — please check official information before your visit.
