Lake Chūzenji

Lake Chūzenji
Trung thiền tự hồ(Japanese)
Lake andMt. Nantai
Lake Chūzenji
Location	Nikkō National Park,Nikkō, Tochigi
Coordinates	36°44′26″N139°27′44″E
Basincountries	Japan
Surface area	11.62 km2(4.49 sq mi)
Average depth	163 m (535 ft)
Surface elevation	1,269 m (4,163 ft)

Lake Chūzenji(Trung thiền tự hồ,Chūzenji-ko),also calledSea of Happiness,is a sceniclakeinNikkō National Parkin the city ofNikkō,Tochigi Prefecture,Japan.It was created 20,000 years ago whenMount Nantai(2484 m) erupted and blocked the river.

The lake has a surface area of 11.62 km²and a circumference of 25 km. Its elevation at the surface is 1,269 m (4,124 ft), and the water reaches a depth of 163 m (508 ft). TheYukawa Riveris the principal source of water. It drains through theKegon Falls.

Chuzenji Lake was discovered in 782 by a priest named Shōdō when his group succeeded in climbing Mt. Nantai. Considered sacred, the mountain was closed to women, horses, and cows until 1872. In the middle of the Meiji period and early Showa period, many European embassies built vacation houses around the lake. The former Italian villa has been renewed and is now open to visitors. Other sites around the lake include Futara Shrine built in 790, Chuzenji Temple, and Kegon Falls.

In spring, cherry blossoms are blooming. In summer, people can escape the heat and enjoy bird watching and hiking. In fall of course, there are the famous beautiful autumn leaves and in winter there is the Snow and Ice Festival, plus winter sports like skiing and skating.

The lake was a favourite summer haunt ofSir Ernest Satowwhen he was Britain's envoy in Japan from 1895 to 1900, as his diaries of that time attest. He constructed a house by the lake which was used as a villa by the British Embassy for over a century.

Views of Lake Chūzenji

• 
  View from hotel Hana-an
• 
  Fall colors at the lake
• 
  Winter at the lake
• Sunny view of the lake

Sources

• Encyclopædia Britannica,Lake Chūzenji,accessed on September 20, 2009
• The Diaries of Sir Ernest Satow, British Minister in Tokyo (1895-1900),edited by Ian Ruxton, lulu.com, 2003