Lake Tanzawa, Mountain reservoir in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Lake Tanzawa is a reservoir in the mountains of Kanagawa Prefecture, about 70 kilometers west of Tokyo. The shoreline runs between forested slopes covered mainly in cedar and pine, with several coves holding small gravel beaches in deeper sections.
The dam was completed in 1978 to secure drinking water for the Shonan region and Yokohama. In the following years, walking paths and rest areas were built around the water to open the area for visitors seeking recreation.
Anglers gather along the shore at dawn, setting up rods and traditional gear on rented wooden platforms. On weekends, families from Yokohama and nearby areas come to hike the marked trails that wind along the water, pausing at shaded picnic spots beneath evergreen canopies.
Access roads follow mountain curves with tight turns, so drive carefully in fog or rain. Marked parking zones lie at several points along the shore, with paths leading to viewpoints that include benches and tables.
A section of the dam houses a small visitor center with displays about water distribution and the habitat of endemic birds. Visitors can watch the regulation mechanisms from a platform that shows how water flows toward lower towns.
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