The largest lake in Nagano Prefecture, Suwa Lake is 759 meters above sea level and has a circumference of about 15.9 km.
The lakeside area has a park and jogging path,
Canoeing, wakasagi fishing, sightseeing boats, and amphibious sightseeing buses can be enjoyed on the lake.
The Suwa Lake Festival Fireworks Display is held on Suwa Lake on August 15, and is one of the largest fireworks displays in Japan.
In the vicinity are the head office of Suwa Shrine and Tateishi Park, famous for its movie locations, as well as numerous art galleries and museums.
Totally frozen over
In the past, thick ice covered the surface of the lake every year, and before World War II, tanks were driven on the ice and aircraft were trained to take off and land on the ice.
Ice skating as well as wakasagi angling were once practiced on the lake, but in recent years, the ice has become thinner and less frequent, making skating dangerous.
In addition to hole fishing for wakasagi, the lake is also visited by land fishermen and boat fishermen.
15 minutes drive from Suwa IC [4km].
8 min. walk from JR Chuo Main Line Kami-suwa Station