Tamagawa Lake and Campgrounds

An idyllic spot between Matsuyama and Imabari

Anonymous May 15, 2013 - 1 min read

The shrine on the peninsular at the west end of Tamagawa lake

One of the stone lion-dogs guarding the shrine

A little big-headed chap sits all alone in the woods behind the shrine

The woods behind the shrine conceal another shrine

The view west up the valley that leads to Matsuyama

Boats from the Matsuyama University rowing club are a common sight on the lake

You can walk across the top of the dam and imagine skateboarding down the overflow

The mountains around Tamagawa are also quite grand

Weeping willows line the river that leads into the lake from the west

In spring, the new leaves present every shade of green

Tamagawa Lake and campgrounds lie in a pretty valley in the hills between Matsuyama and Imabari. The lake is formed by a rather spectacular dam at its east end, and there are two places to camp, one on either side of the lake at the west end. A picturesque shrine stands on a peninsular that juts into the lake at this end of the lake. Lake Tamagawa is home to the Matsuyama University rowing club.

Anonymous @rod.walters__archived

I was born in Bristol, England, and I came to Japan in 1991 … which means I’ve lived half my life in this island nation on the other side of the world. The theme of my career in Japan has been communication. I started as an English teacher, and moved into translation as I learned Japanese....