Kasumigaura is the Japan's
second largest lake after Lake Biwa, and is located at the south part
of Ibaraki Prefecture.
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism defines
Kasumigaura as an aggregation of Lake Nishiura (the largest lake), Lake
Kitaura (the eastern lake) and a few other lakes and rivers.
But we commonly call Lake Nishiura Lake Kasumigaura.
Kasumigaura was originally a bay.
From the 10th to 15th century, much sand carried by many rivers had
been deposited, so it became a brackish lake.
In the 1960s, purification of brackish water were done, then now it is
a freshwater lake.
Since old times, fishing industry was maneged in this lake, but the
fish catches are decreasing every year.
Now main method of fish catching is trawling. And the traditional
catching by pulling a net on a sail boat has gone.
But for visitors and for preserving the traditional fishing method, the
catching by the sail boat are performed on the weekend from late July
to mid-October.
To visit Kasumigaura, Tsuchiura city is convenient.
It is located at the western end of the lake, and the pleasure boats
leave from the port near JR Tsuchiura station.
From Ueno to Tsuchiura, about 45 minutes by JR limited express "Fresh Hitachi", about 1 hour 10 minutes by local train on Joban Line.
Run the Joban Expressway, and exit
at Sakura-Tsuchiura Exit. About 60 km from Tokyo.
About 6 km from there to central Tsuchiura.
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Itako
Kashima Shrine
Ushiku Daibutsu
Lake Kasumigaura
Mount Tsukuba
Mito
Fukuroda Falls