PLACES OF INTEREST:Lake Suwa
Our lovely hometown lies on Lake Suwa, Nagano Prefecture's largest lake, which has a circumference of 16km and an area of 13.3km square. Rich with many kinds of fish like carp, crucian carp and smelt, many people can be seen fishing both on and around the lake. Sports like windsurfing and boating are also very popular. In addition, we can say that Lake Suwa's poetic winter scene would not be complete without the coming of the swans. At the end of autumn many swans fly to Lake Suwa and amuse us with their elegant appearance during the winter season. During the very cold winter, the lake is covered with ice and a fantastic phenomenon called the Omiwatari occurs where the ice splits and rises along one line. This is a left over romantic superstition, which tells us of the male god of the Kamisuwa Shrine who crossed over this Omiwatari road of love to see the female god who lives in Shimosuwa Shrine.
A 20 minute walk from Okaya Station
