The area around Mt. Bandai and Lake Inawashiro is a year-round resort where all kinds of leisure activities can be enjoyed. Lake Inawashiro is representative among the more than 300 smaller lakes in the Bandai highlands. Throughout the year, participants can go on outings to learn about geographical and historical features as well as the wonderful forces of nature. You can experience the grandeur and importance of nature in the deep, ancient forests of Aizu or discover the wonders of the ocean at Aquamarine Fukushima overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean.
Lake Inawashiro-ko, located almost in the center of Fukushima Prefecture, is the main entrance to Bandai-Asahi National Park. It is the fourth largest lake in Japan, and is also called Lake Tenkyo-ko, or heaven’s mirror lake, because its surface reflects the shape of Mt. Bandai-san like a heavenly mirror. Lake Inawashiro in the south of Inawashiro Sta., is a popular summer resort with several fine beaches. Many swans come to the lake in the winter. Pleasure boats operate from Nagahama, on the northwest side of the lake.
Tenjin Beach (Tenjin-hama) is a recreational beach on Lake Inawashiro in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. On August 18, 1925, Tenjin Beach was the site of the first Boy Scouts of Japan camping trip. Members of the Imperial Family, including Crown Prince Hirohito and Prince Chichibu, attended the event. In winter, strong winds and waves form natural ice sculptures on shoreline vegetation, attracting many amateur photographers to a 1 kilometer stretch of Tenjin Beach.
Kobirakata shrine (Kobirakata Tenman-gu), located at Tenjin Beach, is a Tenjin shrine of scholarship, dedicated to the deified Sugawara no Michizane. It is one of three major Tenjin shrines in Japan, the other two being Dazaifu Tenman-gu in Dazaifu, Fukuoka and Kitano Tenman-gu in Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto.
The view changes in every moment as tourists drive along the lake side, which is recommended for driving fans. At the lake, various activities such as swimming, water sports, and camping can be tried, and tourists can appreciate the grand view of Mt. Bandai covered with snow and Shibukikoori – the frozen water droplets on trees or the beaches created by the wind and waves. From late fall through early winter a number of swans fly in to Inawashiro lakeside to pass the winter.
In mid-winter, enjoy the mysterious sight of “Shibuki-gori” (frozen mist) along the shores of Lake Inawashiro. Lake water blown in sprays by winter’s strong winds stick to twigs and foliage and become frozen forming alluring frozen works of art, enhancing the scenic beauty of the lake. An exciting downhill from Mt. Bandai to Lake Inawashiro can be enjoyed by skiers of all levels.
In the depths of winter, if you head from Tenjinhama beach on Lake Inawashiro through the trees at its south towards the mouth of the Nagase river, you will see the “shibuki-gori” natural ice sculptures. Lake water is picked up by strong winds from the west, and meets the trees on the coastline, where it creates a very unusual phenomenon with a beauty that rivals the “juhyo” (ice-covered trees) seen at the tops of mountains, and people never tire of these sights. Here, you can also see other shapes formed by ice, with ice drifts, and the prominent “Omiwatari” cracked, rising ice on the beach and lake surface. *Shibuki-gori are natural ice sculptures, therefore their appearance and size change by the day.
Tenjin Beach (Tenjinhama) Auto Camping Ground
There are many attractions nearby, such as lakes and marshes of the Urabandaiarea, Noguchi Memorial Museum, Aizu Folk Museum, Kamegajo Park, Tenkyokaku, the monument of Sanchu-hi, Hanitsu Shrine, Lake Inawashiro, pine forest and Kobiragata-Tenmangu Shrine.
Tenjinhama beach is dotted with pine trees, located at the mouth of Nagase River on the north shore of the Lake Inawashiro. Lake Inawashiro itself has a high degree of clearness, it is also called Tenkyou Lake – the lake that reflects the heavens. The beach becomes alive with campers in summer, but is quiet in other seasons. It is rather popular with photo lovers and painters for the view of Mt. Bandai and the Lake Inawashiro.
Essential Info:
- Municipality: Inawashiro Town
- Parking: Avilable (Passenger car: ¥525, Camping trailer/ bus: ¥2,100)
- Contents of the facilities: Bungalow, Rental boat, Cooking area, Toilet, Water supply, Souvenior shop, Firewood, Bath
- Number of accommodation: 2,000 people capacity.
- Admission fee:
- Jet ski (car-boat trailers): ¥1,050 – ¥2,100, Jet ski (Outdoor storage for 1 month): ¥2,100, Jet boat (Outdoor storage for 1 month): ¥4,200, Jet ski (Indoor storage for 1 month): ¥5,250, Jet ski (Indoor storage for 12 month): ¥50,400.
- Lodge: 3.3 square meters with loft, one car: ¥7,350 – ¥17,000, 3.3 square meters in one car: ¥4,725 – ¥12,600
- Bike Camp (One person): ¥1,050
- Campsite (One person): ¥1,050 (elementary school)
- BBQ House: ¥525 – ¥3,150 (accommodate up to 60 people with a roof. There is also a barbecue house in the forest.)
- Location: 1959-2, Nakakomatsu, Inawashiro Town (Inawashiro-machi), Yama District (Yama-gun), Fukushima Prefecture (Fukushima-ken) 969-2271 Japan [Geo Coordinate: 37.521481000000001,140.116569]
- Utilizable season: July 20th to August 31st
- Access: Bus from JR Banetsu West Line Inawashiro Station to Katada, then 20 minute walk. Banetsu Expressway Inawashiro-Bandaikougen IC.
- Reference: Tenjin Beach (Tenjin-hama) Visitors Bureau TEL: 0242-67-4133
Email: kanr…@tenjinhama.com
Website: http://www.tenjinhama.com/