TOWADAKO (Japan), Dec 6 – From great tumult can come great beauty. We stand at the shoreline of Lake Towada, considered one of the Eight Scenic Views of Japan thanks to its brilliant blue waters.
Who could imagine that tens of thousands of years ago this was the site of terrifying volcanic eruptions?
That is perhaps the paradox of Japan’s most dramatic geography; Nature is both a dream and a disaster depending on the period.
And time is long here, numbered not in years but centuries and eras. It’s with this knowledge that we explore Lake Towada, and with respect and humility.
Lake Towada is the largest crater (or caldera) lake on Japan’s main island of Honshu. Known as Towadako in Japanese, the lake borders two northern prefectures – Akita and Aomori – famed for their agricultural produce, fresh seafood and harsh weather.
Yet thanks to its location as an inlet between two peninsulas called the Nakaumi, we are enjoying a far more temperate climate as we approach the pier.
Covering an area of over 60 square kilometres, the best and most convenient way to experience Lake Towada is by boat, of course.
As with most visitors, we take advantage of the sightseeing boats docked at the Yasumiya Pier. There are two cruise options: the longer Yasumiya-Nenokuchi water course, which departs from Yasumiya and terminates at Nenokuchi, near the Oirase Gorge; or a much shorter route, which begins and ends at Yasumiya.
Surely the second option is more of a taster for those short on time? And so we opt for the lengthier cruise. We have all day after all. And what better way to enjoy the sights than at an unhurried pace?
Our decision proves to be an excellent choice: We depart Yasumiya and our boat takes a slow route along the shore of the West Lake, then towards the Middle Lake with its cerulean depths, before finishing the journey at Nenokuchi.
There’s no water this blue, but here it is. We marvel at the mountains framing Lake Towada, the country’s 12th largest lake, not unlike a scene from a Japanese calligraphy painting.
We don’t see any fish but we are told there is an abundance of cherry salmon, carp, rainbow trout and princess trout. There are even eels in the lake, the freshwater variety that is more familiar to us as unagi when served after it has been filleted, glazed with savoury-sweet tare and grilled over a charcoal fire. (It’s clear now what we will be having for dinner later.)
Soon the boat arrives back at the pier. We disembark, eager to stretch our legs after all that time on the water. A leisurely stroll along the shore is just what the doctor ordered. A well-maintained pedestrian path spans about a kilometre along Lake Towada’s main stretch, with the sightseeing boat pier in the middle.
As we head east towards the Towada Shrine, where we could follow canopy-covered paths further into the deciduous woods full of beech and birch, we pass rental shops offering bicycles and swan-shaped boats, as well as cafés with great views of the clear blue waters of the lake. Once more we take in the surrounding mountains too; unlike before, when we were circling the lake, they now look both more distant and intimate when viewed from land.
At the end of our walk, we are greeted by the iconic Otome no Zo statue, considered by many to be the emblem of Lake Towada. The 2.1-metre high bronze sculpture is of two women facing each other, their left hands intertwined in celebration of life and love. There’s a story here, we tell ourselves.
This imposing bronze statue, also known as the Maidens, was created by the sculptor-poet Kotaro Takamura in 1953 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the lake’s designation as the Towada-Hachimantai National Park. It took an entire year to complete. Takamura apparently modelled the women after his wife, Chieko; even the kuromikage stone for the statue’s base was sourced from Fukushima where Chieko was from.
Beneath the statue’s timeless splendour and the romance of its construction, we detect an underlying sense of sadness. Later, we discover that Otome no Zo was the last work by Takamura. It remains a moving reminder that when we and our loved ones pass, nothing remains of us but the stories we tell, whether in words or in stone.
Lake Towada Excursion Boat Terminal
486 Towadakohanyasumiya Okuse, Towada City, Aomori, Japan
Open daily 8:15am – 4:50pm
Boat fees: Adults 1,400 yen (RM52) and children 700 yen (RM26)
