Best Rivers, Lakes & Canyons Spot List

Lake Kawaguchiko is known for offering the one of the best views of the beautifully symmetrical Mount Fuji.

Lake Yamanakako is the largest and highest of the Fuji Five Lakes, and the closest one to Mount Fuji.

Take a stroll on the pathway with views of this beautiful gorge

Tour around the beautiful marshlands

Enjoy the Sight of Mountains and Beautiful Fall Foliage Reflected off the Waters of a Lake

A caldera lake formed by an eruption from Mt Oakan, Lake Akan rests among a rich natural environment and is famous for the marimo growing in it.

Historic stone warehouses and gaslit water make Otaru's canal one of Hokkaido's most atmospheric evening strolls

Lake Toya is the second largest caldera lake in Japan, having a circumference of about 40 km. Enjoy a walk along the lakeside or take a cruise on one of the pleasure boats.

Five mystical lakes cradled in primeval forest, the symbol of UNESCO World Heritage Shiretoko — explore via a free boardwalk or a seasonal guided trek.

Both selected as part of Japan's 100 best waterfalls

Japan's northernmost ice-free lake

Aptly named, this mysterious hot spring transforms an entire river

Overwhelming in scale

Picked as one of Japan's top 100 waterfalls

Keep an eye out for plentiful wildlife

Plumes of steam and the scent of sulfur rise from this hot spring pond

A milky, ethereal blue pond that's most stunning at sunrise — and turns magical again after dark with a winter light-up near Biei, Hokkaido

Japan's clearest lake, famed for its deep ”Mashu blue” surface and the mystical sea of clouds that sometimes drifts over it at dawn

Experience the earth's energy in the remains of a volcanic crater

A snow-white curtain of water falls into a blue river