Lake Inawashiro

Lake Inawashiro

Japan's fourth-largest freshwater lake, Lake Inawashiro is situated in Bandai Asahi National Park. It is also known as the “Heavenly Mirror Lake” and has a surface area of 104 square kilometers! The combination of Lake Inawashiro and Mt. Bandai form one of Aizu's representative landscapes. And being less than three hours from Tokyo by shinkansen and local train means that you have easy access from a major transport hub.

The lake offers year-round fun. Enjoy cherry blossoms in spring at Iwahashi Shrine, one of Aizu’s five famous cherry trees. Summer at Lake Inawashiro is slightly cooler than the rest of Fukushima, so take advantage of camping by the lakeshore, and a wide variety of marine sports. Colored leaves and hikes are the popular thing to do in autumn, view the fiery hues and take in the crisp air. In winter, visitors can enjoy fresh powder snow and winter thrills in the form of skiing and snowboarding; and you can even catch a glimpse of migrating swans on the shores.

It’s truly a beauty no matter when you decide to visit. There are also a wide range of scenic spots from where visitors can take photographs and soak in the view. It’s a great place to escape from the stress of work and life or just to experience Japanese nature and landscapes.

Lake Inawashiro's size means that it is accessible from a number of sightseeing spots, including Tenkyokaku stately house and Hideo Noguchi Memorial Museum (a museum dedicated to the life and work of a Japanese scientist famous for his research on yellow fever). There’s plenty more to do nearby: view some amazing works by international artists at the Morohashi Museum of Modern Art, or visit the rainbow-colored Goshiki-numa Ponds.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttps://bandaisan.or.jp/ib/en/
Best SeasonAll Year
ParkingAvailable (parking areas can be found around the lake perimeter – please check the official website for exact locations)
Access Details
AccessMinamieboshi-639 Osada, Inawashiro Town, Yama District, Fukushima Pref. 969-3283
View directions
Getting there

Northern Side

  • The closest train station is Inawashiro Station (JR Ban-etsu West Line), which can be reached directly by train from Aizu-Wakamatsu Station or Koriyama Station
  • From Inawashiro Station, the northern side of the lake is between a 5km-7km walk, or a taxi ride.
  • By car, the northern side of the lake can be reached in around 45 minutes from either Koriyama City or Aizu-Wakamatsu City.

Southern Side

  • The easiest way to reach this area is by car, as there are no nearby train stations.

Useful Links

Visiting Inawashiro in Summer

Lake Inawashiro Sightseeing Boat

Shibuki-gori (Naturally-forming ice sculptures)

Salvador Dali Art Museum in Stunning Japanese National Park

Inawashiro's Nature and Spirituality

Related trips

  1. Nature

    Inawashiro's Nature and Spirituality

    Feeling a little tired of high-pace tours that are taking you this way and that? Why not slow down and enjoy the nature of Inawashiro and get in a side of spiritual cleansing while you’re at it? That’s exactly what this one-day side trip is for. Experience Inawashiro at a pace that suits you, during spring, summer, or autumn. You can travel minimally by train and bus to take away the stress of having to drive. Start out at Inawashiro Station and make your way to Lake Inawashiro. This lake is the 4th largest in Japan and its pristine, sparkling surface will definitely ease your worries away. Let yourself be transported into the heart of beautiful nature. Take advantage of everything that the lake has to offer; water sports, camping, and fishing are among the popular things to do here. So just relax and breathe in that fresh, crisp air. From Lake Inawashiro, gain even more solitude and clarity at Hanitsu Shrine. This beautiful shrine is especially lovely in autumn when the crimson leaves blanket the grounds. You’ll have an experience of introspection all to yourself as you walk the quiet shrine grounds.

    Inawashiro's Nature and Spirituality

Nearby

The World Glassware Hall
History & Culture

Aizu Hanko Nisshinkan

Aizu Hanko Nisshinkan was the highest-level learning institution of its time. It was established in 1803 by the Aizu Domain to foster Japan's next generation of talented samurais.Children of samurai families entered this school at the age of ten and worked on academic studies and physical exercises to instill both physical and mental discipline.The property, covering about 26,500 square meters in area, used to house such facilities as a martial arts training hall, an astronomical observatory, and Suiren-Suiba Ike, Japan's oldest swimming pool.During the late Edo Period, the school turned out a great deal of excellent talent, including the legendary group of young warriors, the Byakkotai. The facilities, which were burned down during the Boshin War, have been rebuilt faithful to their original design. They now function as a hands-on museum that features exhibits of the magnificent architecture of the Edo Period and dioramas of school life as it used to be.Visitors can enjoy practicing some of the essential disciplines of the samurai, including tea ceremony, Japanese archery, meditation, and horseback riding, as well as experiencing hand painting an akabeko (red cow), a traditional good-luck charm of Aizu.Make a reservation : https://nisshinkan.jp/reservation*Since the website is in Japanese, we recommend that you use Google Translate or other translation functions to make reservations. 
The World Glassware Hall
Hot Springs

Atsushio Onsen

Atsushio Onsen – which means ‘Hot Salt Onsen’ – gets its name because of the high salt content and hot temperature of its source water (70 degrees). For generations, this onsen has been hailed by local people as having healing properties. Also known as ‘Kodomo Takara no Yu’ (‘The Sanctity of Children Onsen’), Atsushio Onsen is home to a Buddhist statue dedicated to the act of raising children. Here you often see mothers paying their respects to deities after their wishes have been realized.

The World Glassware Hall
Gourmet & Shopping

Suehiro Sake Brewery Kaeigura

Suehiro Sake Brewery was founded at the end of the Edo Period, in the mid 19th century. The Kaeigura (the building where the sake is brewed) has been designated as an important historical building by Aizu-Wakamatsu City. Here, visitors can take a guided tour of the sake-brewing process, as well as of old Japanese-style rooms which were built during the Meiji Period. The brewing process takes place from October to March every year. During this time, visitors can see the process and conditions inside the fermentation tanks. Visitors may try between six and ten different kinds of sake for free year-round. Suehiro sake and other Aizu products are available for sale on-site. On the left side after entering the gate stands a café called Kissa Ann. The architecture of Kissa Ann was remodelled from the Kaeigura's oldest storehouse. Here, you can enjoy coffee made with water prepared especially for making sake, and cake made using high-quality sake.
The World Glassware Hall
Nature & Scenery

The Great Gingko Tree of Akai

Standing 95 feet tall and nearly 100 feet wide, the Great Gingko Tree of Akai looms above a small neighbourhood to the west of the great lake at Inawashiro. At over 650 years old, this is one of Japan's oldest gingko trees and an iconic symbol of the area for many local people.In particular, the tree is most impressive in autumn, when its changing leaves become a vibrant yellow that can be seen for miles around.The best time to see the great tree is early to mid-November, which is also when the tree is illuminated in the evening. Although there is no official car park, there is plenty of open space in which to park.
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