Hachirōgata

Overview

Hachirōgata, formally called Lake Hachirō, is a lake in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan. It was once the second-largest lake in Japan after Lake Biwa, but extensive land reclamation turned most of its water surface into land. The remaining lake is now the 18th largest in Japan and lies in a low-lying area below sea level.

Highlights

• ●A remnant lake left after reclamation greatly reduced the original water surface
• ●A landscape shaped alongside Ōgata village, founded on the reclaimed land
• ●The Hachirō-gata regulating pond in the southeast, plus eastern and western channels
• ●Waters designated in 2007 as Lake Hachirō under water-quality protection legislation

History

The lake once covered about 220 square kilometres, ranking second in Japan after Lake Biwa. Extensive reclamation for crop production began in 1957, and Ōgata village was established on the reclaimed land in 1964. In its broad sense, Lake Hachirō refers collectively to the Hachirō-gata regulating pond and the eastern and western channels, an area designated a protected lake in December 2007.

Map

39.9139, 140.0208 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1View the traces of the former vast lake from the waterside of the remnant lake
2. 2Look out over the flat expanse of the reclaimed land on the Ōgata village side
3. 3Trace on a map how the regulating pond and channels form the surviving waters
4. 4Learn about the reclamation and natural environment at a nearby visitor facility

Did you know?

💡 Before reclamation it was the second-largest lake in Japan after Lake Biwa.

Nearby spots