Lake Towada
Encyclopedia
is the largest crater lake
in Honshū
island, Japan
. Located on the border between Aomori
and Akita
prefectures, it lies 400 meters (1,800 ft) above sea level
and is 327.0m (1,073 ft) depth, and is drained by the Oirase river
. With a surface area of 61.1 km², Towada is Japan's 12th largest lake, its bright blue color is due to its great depth. The lake is roughly circular, with two peninsulas extending from its southern shore approximately one-third into the center of the lake.
The lake is a popular tourist destination.
of an active volcano, with large scale volcanic eruptions occurring approximately 55,000, 25,000 and 13,000 years ago. The most recent eruption left traces of pyroclastic flow
s as far away as the modern city of Aomori
. The lake is a double caldera in that the inlet between its two peninsulas (called the “Nakaumi”) is the remnant of a secondary caldera which erupted and collapsed approximately 5400 years ago. The mountain continued to erupt well into the historical period, with the last recorded eruption occurring in 915 AD, devastating the surrounding area with pyroclastic flows, and covering most of the Tōhoku region
of Japan with volcanic ash
, leading to crop failures, climate change and famines.
The area around Lake Towada remained largely wilderness until towards the end of the Edo period
, when the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain
attempted large scale land reclamation
projects at Sanbongihara (modern Towada
) using the Oirase River
for irrigation. In 1903, largely through the efforts of Wainai Sadayuki
, princess trout
were introduced into Lake Towada. The lake now also has rainbow trout
, cherry salmon, carp
, Carassius
, Japanese eel
. The surrounding forests are temperature deciduous, and are primarily Erman’s birch
and Siebold’s beech
.
In 1936, the lake and surrounding areas became part of Towada National Park
.
In 1953, in order to popularize the lake and the park, a sculpture of two women titled “The Maiden Statue” by Kotaro Takamura
was dedicated at the lakeshore as part of the park's 15th anniversary celebration. It was the last work by that noted sculptor.
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...
in Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
island, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Located on the border between Aomori
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
and Akita
Akita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu....
prefectures, it lies 400 meters (1,800 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
and is 327.0m (1,073 ft) depth, and is drained by the Oirase river
Oirase River
The is a river located in eastern Aomori prefecture, Japan.The Oirase River is the only river draining Lake Towada, a large caldera lake on the border of Aomori and Akita Prefectures. The river flows in a generally eastern direction, through the municipalities of Towada, Rokunohe, Oirase and...
. With a surface area of 61.1 km², Towada is Japan's 12th largest lake, its bright blue color is due to its great depth. The lake is roughly circular, with two peninsulas extending from its southern shore approximately one-third into the center of the lake.
The lake is a popular tourist destination.
History
Lake Towada occupies the calderaCaldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
of an active volcano, with large scale volcanic eruptions occurring approximately 55,000, 25,000 and 13,000 years ago. The most recent eruption left traces of pyroclastic flow
Pyroclastic flow
A pyroclastic flow is a fast-moving current of superheated gas and rock , which reaches speeds moving away from a volcano of up to 700 km/h . The flows normally hug the ground and travel downhill, or spread laterally under gravity...
s as far away as the modern city of Aomori
Aomori, Aomori
is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...
. The lake is a double caldera in that the inlet between its two peninsulas (called the “Nakaumi”) is the remnant of a secondary caldera which erupted and collapsed approximately 5400 years ago. The mountain continued to erupt well into the historical period, with the last recorded eruption occurring in 915 AD, devastating the surrounding area with pyroclastic flows, and covering most of the Tōhoku region
Tohoku region
The is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....
of Japan with volcanic ash
Volcanic ash
Volcanic ash consists of small tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcanic eruptions, less than in diameter. There are three mechanisms of volcanic ash formation: gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions; thermal contraction from chilling on contact...
, leading to crop failures, climate change and famines.
The area around Lake Towada remained largely wilderness until towards the end of the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, when the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain
Morioka Domain
The was a han or feudal domain that encompasses present-day the middle-northern part of Iwate Prefecture and eastern part of Aomori Prefecture. It is sometimes colloquially called . The domain was tozama daimyo and was governed by the Satake clan. Its income was 100,000...
attempted large scale land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
projects at Sanbongihara (modern Towada
Towada, Aomori
is a city located in central Aomori in Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 65,818 and a density of 90.7 persons per km². Its total area was 725.67 km², making it the largest municipality in Aomori Prefecture in terms of area.-Geography:Towada is located in...
) using the Oirase River
Oirase River
The is a river located in eastern Aomori prefecture, Japan.The Oirase River is the only river draining Lake Towada, a large caldera lake on the border of Aomori and Akita Prefectures. The river flows in a generally eastern direction, through the municipalities of Towada, Rokunohe, Oirase and...
for irrigation. In 1903, largely through the efforts of Wainai Sadayuki
Wainai Sadayuki
was a pioneer known for his contributions to the development of Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture.-Biography:Wainai was born in what is now Kazuno, Akita in 1858. He initially began his career in 1881 in the mining industry, then the backbone of Kazuno's economy, working at Kosaka Mines, which worked...
, princess trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
were introduced into Lake Towada. The lake now also has rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, cherry salmon, carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, Carassius
Carassius
Carassius is a genus in the ray-finned fish family Cyprinidae. The species in this genus are commonly known as Crucian carps, though this term often specifically refers to C. carassius. The most well known is the goldfish , which was bred from the Prussian carp...
, Japanese eel
Japanese eel
The Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, is a species of eel found in Japan, Korea, Vietnam the East China Sea and the northern Philippines. Like the all the eels of its family, it is catadromous, meaning it lives parts of its life in both freshwater and saltwater. The specific spawning grounds have...
. The surrounding forests are temperature deciduous, and are primarily Erman’s birch
Betula ermanii
Betula ermanii, or Erman's Birch, is a tree species belonging to the family Betulaceae. It is an extremely variable species and can be found in Japan, Kuriles, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, and Korea. It can grow to be 20 m tall...
and Siebold’s beech
Fagus crenata
Fagus crenata, known as the Japanese beech, Siebold's beech, or buna, is a deciduous tree of the beech family Fagaceae. It is native to Japan where it is widespread and often one of the dominant trees of Japan's deciduous forests. It is found from the Oshima Peninsula in Hokkaidō south to the Ōsumi...
.
In 1936, the lake and surrounding areas became part of Towada National Park
Towada-Hachimantai National Park
Towada-Hachimantai National Park is a national park in the Tohoku region, Honshū, Japan. The park covers Lake Towada, most of the Oirase River valley and the nearby Hachimantai plateau.-External links:...
.
In 1953, in order to popularize the lake and the park, a sculpture of two women titled “The Maiden Statue” by Kotaro Takamura
Kotaro Takamura
was a Japanese poet and sculptor.-Biography:Kōtarō was the son of Takamura Kōun, a renowned Japanese sculptor.He graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1902, where he studied sculpture...
was dedicated at the lakeshore as part of the park's 15th anniversary celebration. It was the last work by that noted sculptor.
See also
- List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments
- Tourism in JapanTourism in JapanTourism in Japan attracted 8.3 million foreign visitors in 2008, slightly more than Singapore and Ireland. Japan has 16 World Heritage Sites, including Himeji Castle and Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto . Kyoto receives over 30 million tourists annually...