Lake Okutama

Lake Okutama is an important source of water for Tokyo, providing around 20% of the water used by Tokyo’s inhabitants. The Lake is a man-made reservoir straddling the boundary between Okutama Town, Nishitama District, Tokyo, and Tabayama Village, Kitatsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture; its official name is Ogochi Reservoir. Lake Okutama is surrounded by mountains, and has beautiful scenery in all seasons: cherry blossom in spring, verdant greenery in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and spectacular snowscapes in winter. There are two pedestrian pontoon bridges, colloquially known as “steel drum bridges,” which are one of the most famous tourist sights in the Okutama area. Originally, actual steel drums were used for the bridge construction, but these have since been replaced with plastic pontoons.