Areas
Hamanako
A large brackish lake on the Pacific coast of western Shizuoka, known for farmed eel, lakeside hot springs and calm water.
- Character
- Lake Hamana lies about 10 km west of central Hamamatsu. It was a freshwater lake until an earthquake in 1498 opened it to the sea. Most visitors stay at Kanzanji Onsen on the eastern shore, a hot spring town from the late 1950s with lakeside hotels, a ropeway and an amusement park.
- Why it stands out
- Oku-Hamana, on the northern shore, is described as off the beaten track and sparsely populated, while the Kanzanji area is the most popular part of the lake.
- Getting there
- Tokaido Shinkansen (Hikari) from Tokyo to Hamamatsu: about 85–90 minutes. From Shin-Osaka: about 85 minutes. From Hamamatsu Station, a bus to Kanzanji Onsen takes about 40–50 minutes. Bentenjima Station is about 12 minutes from Hamamatsu by JR local train. Nearest airports: Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport and Chubu Centrair.
- Seasons
- Summer is the busiest season for boating, windsurfing and kayaking, and eel is in season. Spring brings cherry blossoms and tulips at Hamamatsu Flower Park. From about November to January the sun sets between the pillars of the Bentenjima torii. Kanzanji Temple holds a fire festival on December 15.
- Watch-outs
- Kanzanji Onsen is about 40–50 minutes by bus from Hamamatsu Station, and outlying spots such as Oku-Hamana need a car or the Tenryu Hamanako Railway. Bath prices rise on weekends and in high season. The ropeway closes for several days in some months.
- Neighbourhoods
- Kanzanji Onsen: Hot spring town on an eastern inlet, with most of the hotels, the ropeway and the amusement park. / Bentenjima: Southern shore near the sea, with a beach, sunsets and the torii in the lake; it has its own JR station. / Oku-Hamana: Wooded northern shore with old temples, mandarin orange picking and Ryugashido Cave.
- Nearby
- Kanzanji Ropeway / Hamamatsu Flower Park / Hamanako Garden Park / Bentenjima Seaside Park / Hamanako sightseeing boat / Ryugashido Cave / Hamanako Pal Pal / Unagi Pie Factory
Hamanako condotels and hotel condos for sale
A condotel (hotel condominium) is a hotel room you own outright, which the hotel rents to guests when you are not using it. These are the Hamanako buildings and resort clubs this site tracks, with their current asking prices.