Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time, I went on a bike tour to Lake Kamakita in Saitama Prefecture. Lake Kamakita is an artificial lake completed in 1933 as an agricultural reservoir, with a circumference of approximately 2 kilometers, a depth of 20 meters, and a storage capacity of 300,000 cubic meters. Also known as “Maiden’s Lake,” the lake is beautiful with cherry blossoms in the spring and autumn leaves in the fall, and is also the entrance to the Oku-Musashi Nature Trail. You can also enjoy casual fishing. This time I would like to tell you about its charm.
Lake kamakita is a lake located in Moroyama Town, Iruma District, Saitama Prefecture, and its official name is Yamane Tameike. It was completed in 1935 as one of the public works projects carried out in response to the Great Depression that occurred in the United States in 1929. Initially it was called Yamane Reservoir, but after World War II, the Moroyama Town Tourism Association named it “kamakita Lake.” The name Kamakita comes from the fact that this area was once the northern domain of the Kamakura Shogunate. The dam is a central core earth dam, and is managed by the Iruma Daiichi Drainage Land Improvement District. It is surrounded by the Soto-Chichibu Mountains and is within the Kuroyama Prefectural Natural Park.
This tour started from central Tokyo. Introducing the route he took on his beloved Harley-Davidson FLSB Sport Glide.
First, take Shuto Expressway Route 6. From Hakozaki IC, take the Mukojima Line and transfer to the Shuto Expressway City Loop Line at Edobashi JCT. At Takebashi JCT, transfer to Shuto Expressway No. 5 Ikebukuro Line and head north. At Bijogi JCT, change to the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway and head west. At Oizumi JCT, change to the Kanetsu Expressway and continue west. At Tsurugashima JCT, change to the Ken-O Expressway and head south. Get off at Ken-o Tsurugashima IC and enter the public road.
On the general road, take National Route 407 towards Ogose. On the way, turn left onto Prefectural Route 74 and proceed toward Hidaka. Turn right at the Minami Hirasawa intersection and enter Prefectural Route 30. After passing Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, turn left following the signpost for Lake kamakita . Turn left at the first intersection with a traffic light, and when you reach Prefectural Route 186, turn left and continue along the road. Turn right at the Y-junction with the information board for Lake kamakita and you will arrive at your destination, Lake kamakita .
The distance of this route is approximately 75 kilometers and the journey time is approximately one and a half hours.
When you arrive at Lake kamakita , first enjoy the scenery along the lake. The colors of the mountains and sky reflected on the surface of the lake are beautiful, and the scenery changes with each season. In spring, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and the rows of cherry blossom trees along the lake are spectacular. In autumn, the leaves change color and the reds and yellows reflected on the lake look magical. In winter, the snowy landscape spreads out and there is a quiet atmosphere. In the summer, the scenery is bright green and cool.
You can also take a boat on the lake and enjoy the view from the lake. A boat launch is located on the south side of the lake where you can rent rowboats and pedal boats.
When you are on a boat, you may come across creatures such as waterfowl and fish.
For those who like fishing, flat fishing is recommended. You can enjoy good fishing at Lake Kamakita throughout the year. The fishing spot is located on the north side of the lake and can be fished from the pier or land.
You can take home the crab you caught, or you can have it cooked for you at the nearby restaurant Setsugekka.
You can also walk the Oku-Musashi Nature Trail around Lake kamakita . The Oku-Musashi Nature Trail is a 60-kilometer promenade that traverses the Soto-Chichibu Mountains on the border between Saitama Prefecture and Tokyo. From Lake kamakita , you can climb mountains such as Mt. Tenran and Mt. Takashi. The trailhead is located immediately after taking the branch at the back of the parking lot and proceeding to the Gongendo Forest Road on the left. As you continue along the forest road, there are trailheads along the way towards Kitamukai Jizo, Ebigasaka, and Yugate. If you want to enjoy hiking in the mountains, please prepare hiking shoes and warm clothing.
There are several motorcycle parking lots around Lake kamakita . The closest parking lot is Kamakita Lake Daiichi Parking Lot. This is a free parking lot on the south side of the lakeshore, where you can park not only motorcycles but also cars. There are 80 parking spaces. There is also a toilet.
The next closest parking lot is Kamakita Lake 2nd Parking Lot.
This is a free parking lot on the west side of the lake, where you can park not only motorcycles but also cars. The number of parking spaces is 50. There are no toilets.
A little further away is the Kamakita Lake Third Parking Lot. This is a paid parking lot on the north side of the lake, where you can park not only motorcycles but also cars.
This time we introduced Harley touring to Lake kamakita in Saitama Prefecture. Lake Kamakita is a man-made lake with cherry blossoms in the spring and beautiful autumn leaves in the fall, where you can enjoy fishing, boating, and the Oku-Musashi Nature Trail. If you use the expressway, you can get there from central Tokyo in about an hour and a half. There are several motorcycle parking lots, so you can visit with peace of mind. This is a recommended spot for those who want to fully enjoy the nature of Saitama Prefecture.
