Here is a picture of the lake from a lookout point. Lake Towada (Towaka-ko in Japanese) is a caldera formed when Mt. Towada erupted and covered most of the Tohoku region with a deep layer of volcanic ash. As a result, the soil up here is very deep and black. The roads through this area are prime tourist destinations and during the post snowfall months feature 20 foot high ice walls where the giant snow plows have literally carved out the road from packed snow. Watch out for road ice and be careful.