The western coast of the Shizuoka Prefecture is the largest part of the Pacific Ocean in which the extremely beautiful Hamanako Lake is situated. It is the tenth largest lake of Japan. Its boundaries are extended to the cities of Kosai and Hamamatsu. Initially being a fresh water lake, the occurrence of an earthquake in the 15th century and a tsunami bust in the 16th century opened the lake thereby transforming it into a salt lake having a complex shoreline.
My visit to the Lake Hamanako was mainly concentrated towards the eastern coast named as Kanzanji-onsen Hot Spring which is a spring resort established in the 20th century. The three sides of the shore are linked with the ocean. Not only the beautiful and picturesque view is among its main attractions but, the place has great hotel facilities perhaps being the biggest on the entire shoreline.
Another great point of the Hamanako lake which I found to be the most attractive is that of the Hamamatsu City Flower Park where the quantity of plant grown exceeds 100,000 plants which have around 3,000 diverse species. The park is made in such a way so as to attract the people of the western world by having a big fountain as well as a big geometrically decorative flower bed in addition to having the features of attracting local people by including a Japanese patch having a stream and a pine woodland. Since I am a flower lover, this park was an excellent place to visit at any season of the year.
My other destination to seek leisure on the Lake Hamanako is the Pal Pal Amusement Park which has a large Ferris wheel. In addition to this, my other favorite rides such as roller coasters and water slides are also included. Moreover, even kids can enjoy in the park with the merry go round which allows people of every age to enjoy their visit on the lake. Although, most of the rides are used by paying for them individually however, I opted to go for the next option which was a 1-day free pass which was quite suitable for me.
I also visited the Kanzanji Ropeway which travels through the inlet in between the Pal Pal Amusement Park to the summit of Okusayama Mountain. At this point, I enjoyed the free observation point from where excellent views of the Hamanako lake and the town can be seen. If you want more, than the paid music box museum situated on the summit of the mountains at an elevation of 100 meters will certainly win your heart.
Although, I loved to watch the lake from a top view but, viewing it from sightseeing boats is another great enjoyment in itself. 30 minutes or one hour cruise ships allows to explore the Kanzanji inlet along with entering into the Lake Hamanako.
After spending a whole day exploring the lake from different, the best meal to eat is the Japanese Eel which is also the specialty of the place. I ate the dish served with rice however; you can also get it served broiled. Although, the dish is quite highly priced however, it is worth trying it out when you visit Lake Hamanako.