Lake Ashinoko

 
Overview

Lake Ashi, also referred to as Hakone Lake or Ashinoko Lake, is a scenic lake in the Hakone area of Kanagawa Prefecture in Honshū, Japan. It is a crater lake that lies along the southwest wall of the caldera of Mount Hakone.

Description

The lake was formed by the steam explosion of Kamiyama around 3,100 years ago. It is a caldera lake with an altitude of 724 meters, circumference of 19 kilometers, size of 6.9 square kilometers, and a depth of 43.5 meters at its deepest point. A caldera lake is a lake that is made by rainwater accumulating in a depression or a part of a depression made by volcanic activity. The lake is surrounded by the mountains of Hakone, and there are popular sightseeing spots nearby such as the Hakone Sekisho (checkpoint) and Hakone Shrine, as well as hot springs. You can go for a drive or a stroll by the lakeside, or enjoy the view from the lake on the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise or Pleasure Cruise that connects Togendai Port, Hakone-machi Port, and Moto-hakone Port. The colorful Hakone mountains and Mount Fuji that can be seen from the lake is an excellent view. To get to Togendai Port for the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise, take the Hakone Tozan bus for 35 minutes to Togendai bus stop from Odakyu or Hakone Tozan Railway Hakone-Yumoto Station.