Visited 19.05.2016 (Thu)
Deepest. Tazawa-ko 田沢湖 (or Lake Tazawa) is the deepest caldera lake in Japan, measures 423.4 m in depth and 20 km in circumference. If you plan to visit Tazawa-ko by public transport, I will recommend utilising Ugo Kotsu Tazawa-ko one round trip line 羽後交通田沢湖一周線 bus service (have tried it personally as well). Departing from Tazawa-ko JR Station 田沢湖駅, this dedicated bus service cruises along the circumference of Tazawa-ko and makes two extended stops at (1) Katajiri 潟尻 for 20 minutes and (2) Goza no ishi 御座の石 for 10 minutes, each providing a different perspective of this beautiful caldera lake. The entire round trip by bus takes approximately 1.5 hours.
Everlasting beauty. 30 minutes after departing from Tazawa-ko JR Station, the bus arrived at Katajiri. From here, we made our way towards the bronze statue of Tatsuko-hime たつこ姫, an iconic symbol of Tazawa-ko. The statue was first unveiled in 1968 and its origin is related to a legend that made reference to Tazawa-ko. Once upon a time, a beautiful young lady named Tatsuko, wished for everlasting beauty and drank water from a holy spring under the direction of Guanyin. She was later transformed into a dragon and became the guardian of Tazawa-ko ever after. The glittering statue stands by itself in the calm waters and looked amazingly outstanding with the mountain ranges in the background. Nearby the statue, there is a small shrine named Kansagu 漢槎宮 (also known as Ukiki Jinja 浮木神社) which is supported on stilts in the waters and connected to the water side by a bridge. I have to admit that I did not have high expectation for this attraction originally as it was lake viewing at ground level. However, upon arriving at this spot, I began clicking my camera away, trying to capture the statue of Tatsuko at various angles and was truly captivated by this stunning lake and its surroundings.
Torii. Alighted from the bus again at the second extended stop where Goza no ishi Jinja 御座の石神社 is situated. "Goza no ishi" means seat for a noble person and the name came about when the feudal lord of Akita, Satake Yoshitaka 佐竹義隆 visited the lake in 1650 and took a break at this spot. Here, the giant red gate (torii) of the shrine is erected near the waterside, creating a picturesque scenery with Tazawa-ko and the mountain range in the background. As there are no railings installed at this area, I could inch forward to the edge of the lake and see the clear, azura blue waters.
Alternatives. Apart from cars (self drive or taxi) and public buses, there are other ways to explore Tazawa-ko. At Tazawa-ko han 田沢湖畔, which I refer it as the starting/ending point of Tazawa-ko round trip by bus, you can find souvenir shops, eateries and Ugo Kotsu ticket counter for buses and sightseeing cruise. The boat makes a round trip; departs from here for Katajiri where the statue of Tatsuko-hime is situated, and returns to its disembarkation point. Bicycles are also available for rental here and it will take 2 hours and more to cover the entire circumference of the lake at a leisure pace.
Sightseeing cruise: https://ugokotsu.co.jp/tazawa/yuransen
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Tazawa-ko / Lake Tazawa 田沢湖
https://www.city.semboku.akita.jp/sightseeing/spot/04_tazawako.html
How to get there?
(1) By Ugo Kotsu Tazawako one round trip line bus 羽後交通田沢湖一周線バス
There are a total of three bus services per day with the above mentioned itinerary.
Fare for round trip = 1,190 yen
Bus schedule: https://ugokotsu.co.jp/wp1/wp-content/jikoku/latest/around-tazawako.pdf
Deepest. Tazawa-ko 田沢湖 (or Lake Tazawa) is the deepest caldera lake in Japan, measures 423.4 m in depth and 20 km in circumference. If you plan to visit Tazawa-ko by public transport, I will recommend utilising Ugo Kotsu Tazawa-ko one round trip line 羽後交通田沢湖一周線 bus service (have tried it personally as well). Departing from Tazawa-ko JR Station 田沢湖駅, this dedicated bus service cruises along the circumference of Tazawa-ko and makes two extended stops at (1) Katajiri 潟尻 for 20 minutes and (2) Goza no ishi 御座の石 for 10 minutes, each providing a different perspective of this beautiful caldera lake. The entire round trip by bus takes approximately 1.5 hours.
Everlasting beauty. 30 minutes after departing from Tazawa-ko JR Station, the bus arrived at Katajiri. From here, we made our way towards the bronze statue of Tatsuko-hime たつこ姫, an iconic symbol of Tazawa-ko. The statue was first unveiled in 1968 and its origin is related to a legend that made reference to Tazawa-ko. Once upon a time, a beautiful young lady named Tatsuko, wished for everlasting beauty and drank water from a holy spring under the direction of Guanyin. She was later transformed into a dragon and became the guardian of Tazawa-ko ever after. The glittering statue stands by itself in the calm waters and looked amazingly outstanding with the mountain ranges in the background. Nearby the statue, there is a small shrine named Kansagu 漢槎宮 (also known as Ukiki Jinja 浮木神社) which is supported on stilts in the waters and connected to the water side by a bridge. I have to admit that I did not have high expectation for this attraction originally as it was lake viewing at ground level. However, upon arriving at this spot, I began clicking my camera away, trying to capture the statue of Tatsuko at various angles and was truly captivated by this stunning lake and its surroundings.
Torii. Alighted from the bus again at the second extended stop where Goza no ishi Jinja 御座の石神社 is situated. "Goza no ishi" means seat for a noble person and the name came about when the feudal lord of Akita, Satake Yoshitaka 佐竹義隆 visited the lake in 1650 and took a break at this spot. Here, the giant red gate (torii) of the shrine is erected near the waterside, creating a picturesque scenery with Tazawa-ko and the mountain range in the background. As there are no railings installed at this area, I could inch forward to the edge of the lake and see the clear, azura blue waters.
Alternatives. Apart from cars (self drive or taxi) and public buses, there are other ways to explore Tazawa-ko. At Tazawa-ko han 田沢湖畔, which I refer it as the starting/ending point of Tazawa-ko round trip by bus, you can find souvenir shops, eateries and Ugo Kotsu ticket counter for buses and sightseeing cruise. The boat makes a round trip; departs from here for Katajiri where the statue of Tatsuko-hime is situated, and returns to its disembarkation point. Bicycles are also available for rental here and it will take 2 hours and more to cover the entire circumference of the lake at a leisure pace.
Sightseeing cruise: https://ugokotsu.co.jp/tazawa/yuransen
======
Tazawa-ko / Lake Tazawa 田沢湖
https://www.city.semboku.akita.jp/sightseeing/spot/04_tazawako.html
How to get there?
(1) By Ugo Kotsu Tazawako one round trip line bus 羽後交通田沢湖一周線バス
There are a total of three bus services per day with the above mentioned itinerary.
Fare for round trip = 1,190 yen
Bus schedule: https://ugokotsu.co.jp/wp1/wp-content/jikoku/latest/around-tazawako.pdf
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