Lake Ikeda

Ikeda is a caldera lake on the Satsuma Peninsula, nearly round, about 15 km around and 10.9 square kilometers, and 233 meters deep at its deepest point, which puts the bottom well below sea level. It is the largest lake in Kyushu. The view most people stop for is across the dark blue water to Mount Kaimon, the 924-meter cone that has its own entry, with flower beds along the shore in front; the city lists the lakeside as a spot for cherry blossoms and rapeseed. Two creatures come up in every conversation about the lake. One is real: giant eels, a natural monument designated by the city, grow here to about 2 meters long and 50 cm around. The other is Issie, a lake monster named after Nessie that people have reported since the early 1960s; about 20 residents of the Ikezaki district said they saw it in 1978. IKEDAKO PAX, a lakeside building with a cafe and a deck over the water, opened in 2022. The free car park has 109 spaces. Without a car it is harder: the hop-on, hop-off Nottari Oritari My Plan bus from JR Ibusuki Station ends here, but runs only three round trips on weekdays and two at weekends. By car it is about 20 minutes from Ibusuki Station and its onsen.