Lake Tazawa & Nyuto Onsen — Akita HighlandsCircuit.

Distance

120 km

Duration

1 day

Climb

900 m

Clone in App Share

Curated by Rider · Updated Jun 2026

Overview

Lake Tazawa & Nyuto Onsen — Akita Highlands Circuit.

Lake Tazawa is Japan's deepest lake at 423 m — so deep its vivid sapphire-blue colour never changes regardless of season. Ringed by the 1,637 m Akita Komagatake volcano, the 20 km circuit road is one of Tohoku's finest single-day rides. Nyuto Onsenkyo, tucked into beech forest above the lake, is among Japan's most celebrated hot spring clusters — Tsurunoyu's milky sulphur waters have drawn visitors for over 350 years. Begin the day in Kakunodate, Tohoku's best-preserved samurai town.

Quick facts

SurfacePaved

Distance120 km

Days1

Total climb900 m

DifficultyEasy

Loading map...

Day-by-day

The route.

ROUTE

6 stops

Kakunodate Samurai DistrictStart · Start in Kakunodate's bukeyashiki — a 1 km boulevard lined with 150-year-old weeping cherry trees and well-preserved samurai residences open to visitors. Fuel available in town before heading north to the lake.

Lake Tazawa North ShoreScenic Point · First views of the lake as you descend to the north shore. The water's sapphire-blue colour — so deep it never changes season to season — is unlike any other lake in Japan. Akita Komagatake fills the eastern horizon.

Tatsuko StatuePhoto Spot · The golden bronze statue of Tatsuko — a legendary local beauty who prayed for eternal youth and was transformed into the lake's guardian spirit. Located on the west shore near the lakeside shrine. The most photographed spot on Tazawako; best in morning light.

Nyuto Onsen — TsurunoyuRestaurant · Nyuto Onsenkyo is a cluster of seven traditional ryokan in dense beech forest above the lake. Tsurunoyu, the oldest, features outdoor konyoku (mixed-gender) baths over milky white sulphur springs — it has looked this way since the Edo period. Day-use bathing available; a 45-minute soak is mandatory.

Akita Komagatake TrailheadScenic Point · The east-shore road skirts the foot of Akita Komagatake (1,637 m) — the volcano that originally formed the caldera now filled by the lake. The mountain is a moderate summer hike from the trailhead if time permits. Great views back across the lake from here.

More routes in Japan

Tsuwano & Iwami Ginzan — Shimane Heritage Highland LoopJP · 155 km Sado Island Circuit — Niigata Gold Mine & Senkaku BayJP · 270 km Mt Daisen & Sakaiminato — Tottori Sacred Mountain LoopJP · 115 km Aizu Wakamatsu & Mt Bandai — Lake Inawashiro Caldera LoopJP · 165 km Echizen Coast & Tojinbo — Fukui Sea of Japan CliffsJP · 190 km Shodoshima Island Circuit — Olive Island & Kanka-kei GorgeJP · 85 km

Save this ride. Open the app.

Clone it to your planner, customize dates and stops, then ride. All free.

Get the app More routes →

Open in MotoVault

Navigate this route with GPS

Open