Lake Misuzu, japanese lake

Lake Misuzu is a man-made reservoir in the mountains north of Matsumoto, sitting at approximately 1000 meters elevation with clear water reflecting the surrounding peaks and forest. A walking trail circles the shoreline and offers access to fishing spots and rest areas where visitors can view the landscape.

Ashino-da Pond was built around 1597 by the Matsumoto domain of Shinano to store irrigation water, and was enlarged in 1643 and 1698. After the drought of 1939, Nagano Prefecture began a major rebuild in 1943, completed in March 1951 at a cost of 25.66 million yen, ending disputes over water. It was renamed Lake Misuzu in 1953.

Renamed Misuzu Lake in 1953, the pond's name is explained in two ways: its outline is said to resemble a bell (suzu), or it comes from the old pillow word misuzu for Shinano. The lake is also the gateway to the Utsukushigahara plateau, and every late June the Tour de Utsukushigahara cycling race climbs the steep road from Asama Onsen past the water.

The lake lies about 3.5 km above the Asama hot-spring district, at the foot of the road up to Utsukushigahara; a bus from Matsumoto Bus Terminal toward the plateau stops at Misuzu-ko in about 40 minutes, though it does not run in winter. The climb from Asama is steep, and the Tour de Utsukushigahara cycling race is held on it each year at the end of June. A 2 km inner and 4 km outer walking path circle the water, with campsites, barbecue areas, fishing spots and a hotel around it.

The dam was lowered by one metre from the original plan after residents formed the Metoba River Danger Prevention League, cutting storage by about 10,000 tonnes; the loss was offset by enlarging neighbouring Bamba Pond, which was linked to the lake by a channel in 1943 and proved its worth as a firefighting water source during the 2002 Hongo forest fire.