Lake Ikeda — Giant Eel and Volcano Cone

Lake Ikeda (池田湖) is a volcanic caldera lake — the largest lake in Kyushu at 15km circumference — with Mt. Kaimon (開聞岳, 924m), a perfectly conical volcano, rising from the shore. The lake is famous for two things: giant eels (up to 2 meters long, weighing 20kg) that inhabit the deep water, and persistent rumors of a lake monster called Issie (à la Loch Ness Monster).

The lakefront has rental swan boats, eel observation tanks, and flower fields (nanohana in January, sunflowers in summer).