Lake Okutama — Attraction in Tokyo

I hiked up to the lake from Okutama station, took about 3 hours, then had lunch and a beer on the other side of the dam. The views were absolutely stunning!

I then ventured around the lake. My target was the pontoon bridge, which I reached after about 3 hours of walking. All flat, so not challenging, but I was already tired from the hike. I ran out of water about halfway through, and there was no opportunity to get some more, all of the taps along the way weren't fit for drinking. I think taking a 2 litre bottle should be enough for a hot day.

Last bus from near the temple is about 5:30 I think, so I was in a bit of a rush at the end, and unfortunately, I didn't get to explore the temple.

Still, keep an eye out for monkeys, the newborns can be spotted in late...

Imagine going to a quiet, peaceful, and beautiful place that is just a few hours away from Ueno, Tokyo. A place where you can quickly get away from the noise.

Lake Oku-tama is one of those hidden gems that you would want to keep as a secret. The view from the lake itself is truly beautiful. The lake is clean and pure. There's also a souvenir shop and restaurant near the lake so you wouldn't have to worry about your appetite.

I would honestly spend at least half a day just relaxing by the lake. But there's more:

Just a few stops after Lake Oku-tama (by bus), you can walk on the floating bridge. It's the closest thing you can get to the lake.

Trust me when I say this, the trip to Lake Oku-tama is worth it. Words can't do enough justice to describe this...

Definitely an must visit place if you are Japan. One of the beautiful places I visited. Prefered time to visit is autumn. You can get busses from Okutama station to Lake Okutama. The journey with mountains valleys and autumn colours will be amazing to see. Get down at the dam and spend sometime there. But the real view comes later take the bus from the dam again and get down at Ideno bus stop. This place seems like no where but if you walk a little 100m from the bus stop you can find a opening that will lead you down hill and directly to the bank of the lake. You can get the best view of Lake and the surrounding mountains from here. It was stony and dangerous but also exciting...