Lake Kasumigaura

Lake Kasumigaura

Lake Kasumigaura is a lake located in the southeastern part of Ibaraki Prefecture to the northeastern part of Chiba Prefecture in Japan. According to the definition by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Kasumigaura refers to the collective body of water composed of Nishiura, Kitaura, Sotonasakaura, Kitakalinokawa, Kaburagawa, and Hitachikalinokawa, among others. Among these, Nishiura is the largest lake, covering an area of 172 square kilometers, so sometimes Kasumigaura specifically refers to Nishiura.

The total surface area of Lake Kasumigaura is 220 square kilometers, making it the second-largest freshwater lake in Japan after Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. It is also a well-known tourist lake in the Kanto region. Famous for its iconic landscape “Sails on Kasumigaura,” it is hailed as “a summer poem of scenery” and is popular among tourists from around the world. In the 1970s, due to factors such as industrial production and overfishing, the water quality of Lake Kasumigaura was heavily polluted. In 1984, the Japanese government enacted the Special Measures Law for Lake Water Quality Protection. The first phase of the Kasumigaura Water Quality Protection Plan began in 1986 and spanned four phases, continuing until 2005. The fifth phase started in 2006. Although restoration efforts are still ongoing, the water quality of Lake Kasumigaura has greatly improved, and the clear lake has once again become a beautiful tourist destination.

Lake Kasumigaura

Why go: One of Japan’s major lakes

Continent where the attraction is located: Asia【Asia】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Japan[Japan]

Prefecture/State where the attraction is located: Ibaraki Prefecture [Ibaraki Prefecture]