To all travel agencies
Please be aware of the following points when creating a tour of Lake Shirakawa's submerged forest
Thanks to all of you, the "Submerged Forest of Lake Shirakawa" is quickly becoming one of Yamagata Prefecture's leading tourist spots. We would like to express our sincere gratitude.
Please read on as we would like to point out some things you should keep in mind when developing various travel products that use submerged forests.
*Large and medium-sized tourist buses (9m to 12m) are not recommended to take the Kawanishi Oguni Line, commonly known as "Suganuma Pass." This road is particularly popular as a shortcut from Kitakata to the submerged forest, but there are several narrow spots where oncoming vehicles cannot pass each other. Large and medium-sized tourist buses should consider taking Prefectural Route 4 south from Tenoko to Shirakawa Lakeside Park.
Large buses cannot be parked in the park.
但し、一定の条件をクリアすることにより4/18～5/18の期間は最大３台まで白川荘前に駐車することが可能となります。事前の電話予約にご理解とご協力をお願いいたします。詳しい資料はこちらからダウンロードして下さい。
尚、観光バスの乗降についても白川荘は私有地であるため乗降料金が必要です。詳しくは上記資料をご覧ください。
Please refrain from getting on or off the bus on the street as this will obstruct traffic.
Regarding the timing of the construction of the Lake Shirakawa Submerged Forest Tour
The submerged forest at Lake Shirakawa is a fantastical landscape that only exists for one month every year, when white willow trees appear in the lake from mid-April to mid-May. More visitors have come than in previous years, and the area is bustling with visitors during the Golden Week period.
If you are planning to create a travel product that uses the submerged forest, we recommend that you avoid setting it during the Golden Week period as much as possible. We hope that you will use the information below, which will be useful when setting up the plan, as we will provide you with the usual information on the budding status of the white willows and the ground conditions in the park.
[Around early April]
Although the area has started to flood, there is a possibility that a significant amount of snow remains, so we do not recommend setting up a park. Depending on the year, there may be cases where the remaining snow makes it impossible to enter the lakeside park.
[Around mid-April]
This is the time of year when there is still snow remaining and new buds are sprouting.
The ground in the park may be a little muddy in some places.
[Around late April]
It's a time when the ground is nice and sunny and there are lots of tourists visiting.
In the early morning, the area is bustling with amateur photographers taking pictures of the submerged forests covered in lingering snow and morning mist.
[During Golden Week]
Although the scenery is beautiful during this time of year, the area remains crowded and we do not recommend it for development.
[Around May 10th]
You can enjoy the most beautiful views of the lush submerged forest.
This is the time when we can push for construction as customers are settling down.
[Around May 20th]
The water in the lake may be decreasing as rice planting begins in the flats.
We do not recommend setting this option to avoid the situation where there is no water in the lake at the time of the event.
For more information, please contact the tourist association.
Parking for tourist buses and park facilities
The parking lot for tourist buses will change depending on the time of the Submerged Forest Tour. Please also check and understand the facility information within the park before visiting.
[All buses including medium-sized buses / April 20th until end (around May 15th)]
Genryu no Mori Center Parking lot for large tour buses (No parking space reservations accepted, max 9 spaces)
For inquiries, please contact the Iide Town Tourism Association.
[Park facilities]
Toilets, kitchen, free site (paid), auto camping site (paid), park golf course (paid)
When you make a reservation for lunch at Shirakawaso (meals from 3,600 yen), you can also reserve the bus parking lot in front of Shirakawaso. Please feel free to contact Shirakawa Onsen Shirakawaso .
0238-77-2124 (Shirakawaso Front Desk)
Accommodation and lunch/snack options
There are many activity spots around Shirakawa Dam Lakeside Park, where the submerged forest of Lake Shirakawa is located. You can try out kayaking, SUP, auto camping, park golf, and more.
In addition, "Iide Shirakawaso," which manages and operates the park, offers a wide variety of menu items using authentic Yonezawa beef and wild vegetables. Please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to serve you.
Sales staff: Please contact the front desk
Phone number: 0238-77-2124
Our association is taking great care to reduce congestion during Golden Week and hopes that as many visitors as possible will be able to see the submerged forest. We understand that there may be some areas where we are unable to do everything we can, but we ask for your understanding and cooperation.