Tazawako
From Kakunodate, we headed to Tazawako; Lake Tazawa. The funny thing was that a foreign couple we saw at the hotel and a few samurai houses in Kakunodate, had visited Lake Tazawa as well:) What a coincidence!
Lake Tazawa is a caldera lake, and the deepest lake in Japan at 423 metres (1,388ft). When I was a child, I visited there with my family as a summer holiday. I boarded a swan-shaped pedal-boat with my father. I remember that I had got scared a bit with waves, especially when a big ferry passed by.
This area is a popular for a holiday. There are several hot spring resorts and also ski resorts near the lake.
By the lake, there is a statue of the legendary maiden of beauty, Tatsuko, who wished for undying youth and beauty. It is said that she visited a shrine to make a wish night after night. And she received a divine prophecy, and she found the holy spring and sipped water. Then she have been turned into a dragon, a lake-goddess after that.
The hotel we stayed at was standing by the lake. I booked the room on the internet, but suddenly I became anxious about our booking, after I saw the guide book saying that the hotel is closed to business between November and the middle of April. It was still the beginning of April! I wondered if it opened.
In fact, the hotel was open. But we were only the customers! It was a middle sized hotel, but only we were the guests. It was interesting experience as if I was bewitched by animals or mythical creatures from a local folk take or something. I conceived of a story 'Chuumon no Ooi Ryouriten' which is written by Kenji Miyazawa. It's a story about two young British hunters who get lost in the woods and discover a strange restaurant. Like that, this area is isolated and surrounded by mysterious atmosphere. I was sorry for hotel staff, but we had a nice experience with their good services.
The view from the hotel room was a perfect! At night, we enjoyed seeing total lunar eclipse from the room as well.
After the moon was covered by the shadow, the weather had started to change. I really felt the strength of nature by these views.
Next day was miserable weather, but the hotel's shuttle bus drove us around the beautiful lake and then to the nearest station. It was a great holiday in Japan.
