Teshikaga, Hokkaido / 摩周湖

Lake Mashu

A caldera lake about 20 km round and up to 212 m deep, among the clearest in the world, ringed by 150-350 m cliffs; its deep "Mashu blue" and summer fogs are seen from three viewpoints.

A wide deep-blue lake with a small island, surrounded by snowy cliffs and a snow-capped peak on the right — Lake Mashu in winter (photo taken February 2020)Photo: Suicasmo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized) · License · Source

Last official check

26 Sept 2026

Traveler reports

Reports open in Phase 2

Next scheduled check

25 Dec 2026

Decide before you go

A short summary made from the official facts below. Check the rows for details.

Getting there: Train / Bus / Car

Before you go

Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.

Opening hours: 8:30-17:00 (Lake Mashu Rest House; varies by season).
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Closed: Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
Admission: Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
Getting there: About 25 minutes by bus from JR Mashu Station; about 120 minutes by car from Ashoro IC.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Parking: 140 paid spaces.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Payment: Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
Accessibility: Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.

Found wrong or outdated information? Let us know

Address: Teshikaga, Hokkaido (Japanese address: 北海道川上郡弟子屈町原野)

Official site: https://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/spot/detail_10052.html

Location

Smaller pins are other spots nearby.

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Nearby spots

Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 (resized)Lake Kussharo (Sunayu)Hokkaido16 km away (straight line)

Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances.

Crowds

Crowd level: Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
Best time to visit: Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
Peak time: Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
Busiest days: Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
Busiest season: From June to July, white fog often covers the lake.
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site
Latest traveler report: None yet

Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).

You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps

Verification log

26 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/spot/detail_10052.htmlHours, access, parking, description and coordinates read from a tourism organization's site.