Largest lakes & reservoirs in Japan by shoreline length
The length of the exterior shoreline around a lake is measured at the lake’s normal elevation. The shoreline length can be considerably shorter or longer when lake water levels are lower or higher than normal. A lake with many coves has a much longer shoreline than a lake of similar surface area that is nearly circular in shape.When known, the shoreline miles that we report in our statistics include only the lake’s exterior shoreline, and exclude the shorelines of islands located within a lake’s boundaries. In lakes with many islands, those islands’ combined shorelines may exceed a lake’s exterior shoreline.
You can find many of the world’s longest-shoreline lakes on LakeLubbers. Note: For some lakes, "Longest Shorelines" data is unknown or does not apply, so this table may display fewer lakes than the total 5 articles we have published for Japan lakes.
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Below are lakes within Japan > Compared by longest shoreline length in miles. This list does not represent all lakes in Japan, only the 5 Japan lake articles we have published on the LakeLubbers website.
Lake name  |
Shoreline length in miles |
Lake description |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Biwa, Japan (Japan, Kansai Region, Japan) |
146 mi | Also known as Biwako Lake Biwa, sometimes known as Biwa-ko, is Japan’s largest lake with more than 165,000 acres. Lake Biwa is located in Japan’s Kansai region in the Shig… |
| Lake Mashu (Hokkaido Region, Japan, Japan) |
12 mi | Also known as Lake Masyu, Mashu-See, Mashu-ko Akan National Park, established in 1934 on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, is a pristine and wild landscape. The park is known for its vibrant blue, cl… |
| Lake Ashi (Japan, Kanto Region, Japan) |
11 mi | Also known as Ashi-no-ko, Hakone Lake One of Japan’s most popular holiday destinations is Lake Ashi. Ashi-no-ko, as it is also called, is a crater lake nestled along the southwest wall of… |