Lake Shikotsu

Lake Shikotsu is located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it is the second deepest lake in Japan after Lake Tazawa and the 8th largest lake by surface area. It is surrounded by three volcanoes, Mount Eniwa to the north and Mount Fuppushi and Mount Tarumae to the south, and it formed when the land between the volcanoes subsided. Despite its small surface area, the lake holds 3/4 of the volume of Japan's largest lake, Lake Biwa. The water temperature remains quite constant throughout the year due to its depth, making it the northernmost ice-free lake in Japan. The Bifue, Okotanpe, Ninaru and Furenai rivers feed into it, and its main outlet is the Chitose River.