Tazawako
田沢湖39°42′ N 140°44′ ETownTohoku
Tazawako suits travellers who want Japan's deepest lake, a ski area that looks down on it and the old inns of Nyuto Onsen up the valley. The trade-off is that everything spreads out along bus routes from Tazawako Station.
Wildlife notice
Iwate, Aomori and Akita keep bear warnings in force through the autumn
Iwate has had a bear warning in force since 22 April 2026 after sightings ran far above the usual level, Aomori's warning runs from 20 April to 30 November 2026, and Akita's advisory covers October. Ride forest roads in daylight, carry a bell and keep to busier roads at dawn and dusk. Each prefecture's page lists the current sightings.
Checked 2026-10-11 · pref.iwate.jp
Photo 掬茶 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
Stay at Tazawako if you want a ski day with a lake view and a night in a mountain onsen inn, with Kakunodate one stop away for a slow day.
Eat in Tazawako
Drink in Tazawako
Things to do in Tazawako
Lake Tazawa is 423.4 metres deep, the deepest lake in Japan, and close to round, about 20 km in circumference. The Heibonsha encyclopedia notes that it does not freeze in winter. Legend makes the lake the home of Tatsuko, a girl who wished for lasting beauty and became its guardian, and her bronze statue stands on the west shore near Goza-no-ishi Shrine. In 1940 acid water from the Tama River was diverted into the lake for power and farming, which killed its native kunimasu trout, and neutralising work has since brought fish back.
The Tazawako area has four groups of hot springs. Nyuto Onsen-kyo has seven springs, each with its own source and many in thatched or old wooden buildings. Mizusawa Onsen sits close to the Tazawako ski area with hotels, pensions and minshuku, Tazawako Kogen looks over the lake toward Mt. Akita-Komagatake, and Tamagawa Onsen claims the biggest flow from a single source in Japan.
The Akita Shinkansen stops at Tazawako Station, where the Forake information centre opens from 8:30 to 17:15. Buses take about 15 minutes to the lake's main shore and about 30 minutes to the ski area, and the Nyuto line continues up to the onsen.
Worth knowing
- Akita Prefecture switched its bear warning to an advisory for October 2026 and asks walkers to make noise and check its Kumadas map, so read it before any lakeside or forest walk outside the ski season.
- Pick up bus timetables at the Forake desk inside Tazawako Station before you head for Nyuto.
Quick answers about Tazawakoよくある質問
How deep is Lake Tazawa?
Lake Tazawa is 423.4 metres deep at its deepest point, the deepest lake in Japan.
How do you get to Tazawako from Tokyo?
The Akita Shinkansen runs direct. Komachi 3 left Tokyo at 07:32 and reached Tazawako at 10:25 on 16 October 2026, for ¥16,760 in cash.
Does Lake Tazawa freeze in winter?
No. The Heibonsha encyclopedia notes that the lake stays unfrozen through the winter.
Is Tazawako a good place to stay?
Stay at Tazawako if you want a ski day with a lake view and a night in a mountain onsen inn, with Kakunodate one stop away for a slow day.
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby宿
Within 12 km
Places to eat and drink nearby食
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Sights nearby見どころ
In the journal and guides
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