is the biggest of the Fuji Five Lakes

Fuji Five Lakes

is the name of the area located at the base of Mount Fuji in the Yamanashi prefecture of Japan. It has a population of about 100,000. and sits approximately 1,000 meters above sea level. The name Fuji Five Lakes comes from the fact that there are five lakes formed by previous eruptions of Mount Fuji...

. Located in Yamanashi Prefecture

Yamanashi Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Kōfu.-Pre-history to the 14th century:People have been living in the Yamanashi area for about 30,000 years...

 near Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji

is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, the lake is used for boating, fishing, water-skiing, windsurfing, sightseeing and swimming. If the wind comes from the west, the lake provides a smooth lift for paragliding at Mount Myouyama

Myouyama

is a grassy area on a mountain ridge in Japan, east from Mount Fuji and south-east from Lake Yamanaka, off of road 147. The area is suitable for hiking and paragliding.-Gliding at Myōjinyama:...

. There are also small cabins and sites available for camping. It is specified for the National park

National park

A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...

 (Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park

is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands....

).

Access

Early in the morning, when traffic is light on the Tomei

Tomei Expressway

The is a national expressway on the island of Honshū in Japan. It is operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company. It is a part of Asian Highway Network -Naming:The word Tōmei is an acronym consisting of two kanji characters...

 and Chuo Expressway

Chuo Expressway

The is a national expressway in Japan. It is owned and operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company.-Naming:Officially the expressway is designated as the Chūō Expressway Nishinomiya Route , the Chūō Expressway Nagano Route , and the Chūō Expressway Fujiyoshida Route The (lit. Central...

s, traveling between Tokyo and Lake Yamanaka takes an hour. The traffic becomes heavy later in the day, and the trip takes correspondingly longer.

See also

• Fuji Five Lakes
  Fuji Five Lakes
  is the name of the area located at the base of Mount Fuji in the Yamanashi prefecture of Japan. It has a population of about 100,000. and sits approximately 1,000 meters above sea level. The name Fuji Five Lakes comes from the fact that there are five lakes formed by previous eruptions of Mount Fuji...
  
  
• Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
  Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
  is a national park in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, and Kanagawa Prefectures, and western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands....
  
  

External links

• http://yamanakako.info/ , more pictures of the lake.
• http://watchizu.gsi.go.jp/watchizu.aspx?b=35260&l=1385230 , map of the lake