Sayama Lake - Tokorozawa

Awesome awesome ... Awesome lake near tokyo.... Pond is awesome in big areas...

Enjoying a bike riding alongside of the Sayama lake while seeing beautiful Mt. Fuji,

Best place to visit you can have family picnic I want to visit again and again and again I always got Lôšt with nature.

should go in the morning or afternoon

I did'nt plan to visit here, but the view is stunning..i actually wanted to visit Totoro Forrest, but it too far away, so I ended up here

This place is worth visiting! Its view is pleasing to the eye and so relaxing. I wrote about this on my blog (thepinayajumma.com). Please check it out. I would have given it a 5-star rate if it wasn’t for the accessibility. It’s accessible by train but tricky to get there from the station. I think more English signs should be put up for clear guidance.

It is indeed a neat place to go to unwind and escape the busy city. Either you go early in the morning or during sunset, the view will still be interesting. You can also bring some snacks and drinks if you will be chilling around! (ig: @tamasiro)

Sayama Lake, originally called Yamaguchi Lake, is a man-made reservoir that was built using an earthen dam, which was completed in 1929. Due to a lack of heavy earth-moving equipment in Japan at that time, the dam was constructed mostly by farmers who used picks and shovels. The majority of the workers were farmers hired to do the work after the growing season had come to a close. A total of 1,720 villagers were forced to leave their homes to make way for the dam as demand for fresh water increased with a population explosion in Tokyo. During WWII, the embankment of the dam was reinforced with ballistic-resistant concrete and the towers were reinforced with a bullet-proof exterior as measures against the Tokyo air raids. The design of the intake towers was heavily influenced by the trends of western architecture that were poplar in Japan in the early 20th century, as can be seen by the use of red bricks on the exterior, copper roofing, and artistic design elements above the doorway to the tower's interior. Although the bridge is currently painted white, early color photos from many decades ago show a bridge painted in a copper-red coat of paint, which makes it look like a miniature version of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. On the occasion that the reservoir is partially drained for maintenance work on the water intake towers, remnants of the villages that were submerged can still be seen. Since the reservoir is used to provide fresh water to the residents of Tokyo, the lake itself is off limits to any human activity in the water: no swimming, no boating, no fishing, etc. The hills surrounding the lake are also off limits. Except for the promenade running across the top of the dam, high fencing with several bands of barbwire encircle the rest of the hills that feed water into the lake. The lack of human access has created a small oasis of natural habitat where various species of insects, birds, mammals and flora can flourish. ★★Check out the Pix4Japan YouTube channel for a short video highlighting the vibe of this location.★★