Lake Inawashiro
Lake Inawashiro is located in the middle of Fukushima Prefecture and is the third largest lake in the whole of Japan. From the lake looking north there is a beautiful view of Mount Bandai. The lake is also known as the "Sky Mirror Lake" which indicates how beautiful the blue hues of the lake are. Close to National Highway 49, which runs along the north shore of the lake, there are two historical houses open to the public; one is called the Tenkyokaku (Sky Mirror Villa) which was built by the Imperial Prince, Arisugawa Takehito as a country retreat in 1908. The other is the house where the renowned doctor, Hideyo Noguchi was born.
Around the lake there are a number of sandy beaches which are very popular in summer with swimmers and campers. From a pier on the northwest shore you can go on pleasure boat cruises to the lake's only island, Okinajima and enjoy the beautiful view of Mount Bandai from the lake.
Huge fireworks light up the night sky every August when there is a firework display by the side of the lake, while in winter the lake is famous for its flocks of swans. For the local people, their arrival signals the start of winter.