The Shirahama Area at Lake Tazawa

“Which part of Lake Tazawa do you recommend?”

 

Some day-trippers to Lake Tazawa, Shirahama (白浜）would be our choice of recommendation. It is also known as Haruyama　（春山） area which is most convenient in terms of transportations, restaurants, and recreational activities.

 

Access from JR Tazawako Station-- Take a Ugo Kotsu bus on any of the following lines:

•  Komagatake Sen (駒ケ岳線)
•  Nyuto Sen (乳頭線)
• Tamagawa Sen (玉川線)
• Tazawako Isshu Sen （田沢湖一周線）

 

“Tazawakohan” is the bus stop-- hard to miss. Most bus lines connect here. It will take you a center with  where souvenir shops, restaurants, rental services, and hotels are located.

 

Souvenir shops like Kyoei Paresu and Tazawako Rest House are right off the stop. Kyoei Paresu is a souvenir shop where you can see Akita dogs. Tazawako Rest House is another souvenir shop on the corner which manages Tazawako Yuransen (Pleasure Boats). To-Go food stand is there also.

 

Across from the parking lot is the beach known as Shirahama-- literally meaning “white beach”. The beach sand is rich in quartz and used to be famous for its rare attributes, nakisuna, “crying sand (singing sound)” – a sand that produces a high pitch sound under pressure of steps. Due to the environment shift for whatever reason, the sand is not “crying” any more.

 

The lake water comes from the river systems of surrounding region. The water level changes seasonally and susceptible to the precipitation. Driftwoods, pine-cones and chestnuts could be readily found in the beach.

 

Recreational activities in Shirahama include paddling boats, swimming, cycling, and walking.

 

Restaurants in Shirahama serve teishoku (or set meals), noodle soups (ramen, udon, soba, etc), fast-foods (charcoal-broiled chars, ice-creams, kiritanpo).

 

Restaurant ORAE is located on the northern edge of Shirahama area. ORAE’s unique foods— fusion of Akita’s regional delicacies cooked in western style. ORAE's microbrewery, Kohan No Mori Beer is awarded internationally a number of occasions.

 

To the south of Shirahama area is Kenmin No Mori, where you can ride around your bike and see a panoramaic view of the Lake Tazawa and Mt. Akita Komagatake.