Lake Tazawa & Nyuto Onsen — Akita HighlandsCircuit.
Distance
120 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
900 m
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
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The route.
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.
Tazawako TownEnd · End at Tazawako resort town on the east shore — ski resort in winter, hiking and cycling base in summer. Good soba and kiritanpo (local rice skewer) restaurants. Direct bus back to Kakunodate takes 20 minutes.
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