Ashi ( 芦 ﾉ 湖 Asi-Noko ) - a crater lake in the central part of Honshu Island ( Japan ), is one of the main attractions of the Hakone area. With a diameter of 20 kilometers, the lake formed in the mountains attracts both Japanese and tourists from other countries, and the abundance of all kinds of fish attracts fishermen.
| Lake | |
| Asi | |
|---|---|
| jap. 芦 ﾉ 湖 | |
 Mount Fuji in the background, Tori of Hakone Temple in the foreground | |
| Morphometry | |
| Absolute height | 723 m |
| Area | 7.1 km² |
| Deepest | 43.5 m |
| Average depth | 15 m |
| Hydrology | |
| Transparency | 7 m |
| Swimming pool | |
| Flowing river | Hayakawa |
| Location | |
| A country |
|
| Region | Kanagawa |
The lake was formed 400,000 years ago, but got its present form 3,000 years ago. It is famous for not freezing all year round. The water temperature in the lake ranges from 14-18 degrees Celsius, the oxygen content is 7-8 mg / l. Black perch and trout are found in the lake, attracting many fishermen. In the holiday season, it is strewn with colored boats with fishermen and water ski lovers. Along the northwestern shore of the lake, an 11.7 km long Ashinoko Skyline Drive highway has been laid along the crest of the mountains, connecting Kojiri with Moto Hakone . From the observation platforms of the mountain road, magnificent views of the lake on one side and Shizuoku, Mount Fuji and Sagami Bay on the other. The Kojiri-Togendai Valley north of the lake is the transportation hub of the area, along which many roads are laid.
Pleasure boats and boats run along the lake between the northern cities of Togendai and Kojiri and the southern Moto-Hakone and Hakone-mother. There are two routes: the first from Togendai to Moto-Hakone , the second from Kojiri to Hakone-Mati with a stop at Moto-Hakone.
Fukara Yoshui Water Tunnel
The water tunnel coming from Lake Asi is called Fukara Yoshui (深 良 用水). It was built in 1671 by the head of the village of Fukaro (now it is the city of Susono ) in Shizuoka Prefecture , located west of Lake Asi.
In the village of Fukara, many rice farmers lived. But their fields often suffered from drought in the hot season. A village leader named Gemmojo Oba felt that it was absolutely necessary to bring water from Lake Ashi to the fields - by whatever means. The problem was that between the village and the lake there were high mountain ridges, the only path through which lay along the Kodziri pass . Then a plan was devised to break through the tunnel in the mountain.
In those days, many believed that it was impossible to do this. The water in Lake Asi was then administered by the Hakone Temple . The head of the village talked with the main monk of the temple, and he gave permission to take water from the lake for Shizuoka province. The Japanese government ( Tokugawa Shogunate ) also gave permission to build a tunnel. Probably both believed that such a resolution is inexpensive, since the task was impossible.
Turning to local builders for help, Both began digging a tunnel on both sides of the mountain at the same time. It took 5 years and 830,000 person-days to work. It is noteworthy that both brigades digging a tunnel from the east and from the west met halfway in a precisely designated place under the mountain. Probably, the calculations were very accurate and performed with great care. The length of the tunnel was 1280 meters. The peasants of the village of Fukara breathed a sigh of relief, since Lake Asi always provided an abundance of water for their fields. And the chief of the village was worn almost in his arms.
During and after the construction of the tunnel, the Tokugawa government had suspicions about both. It was believed that he was building a tunnel specifically for those travelers who, although passing through Hakone secretly, bypassing the outpost. In those days, all travelers had to go along the Tokaido road and be noted at each outpost, putting stamps on the road. Passing outposts was punishable by death. The Tokugawa Shogunate was afraid that the tunnel could be used to secretly infiltrate the conspirators into the Edo Valley. Both were convicted and executed on charges of espionage and conspiracy against the government. Information about the years of his birth and execution was not preserved.
Interestingly, Shizuoka Prefecture is still the only consumer of water from Lake Ashi. Neither the city of Hakone Mati , nor other cities in Kanagawa Prefecture, have the right to use this water, and therefore they take water from the Hayakawa River, which flows from the lake.
The Fukara Tunnel is located in the northwestern part of the lake. It is included in the tourist route going from Kojiri to Hakone-Mati .