mountain continued to erupt well into the historical period, with the last recorded eruption occurring in 915 AD in the Nakaumi caldera, devastating the surrounding area with pyroclastic flows and lahars, and covering most of the Tōhoku region of Japan with volcanic ash, leading to crop failures, climate change and famines. During the Heian and Kamakura Period, the area was a wilderness and a place of prayer and training for Yamabushi, including worship of Suijin, the kami of water, as being associated with the azure dragon, legendary guardian of the lake, hence the other name of the sanctuary: Towadasan Seiryū daigongen. The area around Lake Towada remained largely wilderness until towards the end of the Edo period, when the Nambu clan of Morioka Domain attempted large scale land reclamation projects at Sanbongihara (modern Towada) using the Oirase River for irrigation. In 1903, largely through the efforts of Wainai Sadayuki, princess trout were introduced into Lake Towada. The lake now also has rainbow trout, cherry salmon, carp, Carassius, Japanese eel. The surrounding forests are temperate deciduous, and are primarily Erman’s birch and Siebold’s beech. The lake was selected by the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun and Osaka Mainichi Shimbun as one of the Eight Scenic Views of Japan in 1927. In 1936, the lake and surrounding areas became part of Towada-Hachimantai National Park. In 1953, in order to popularize the lake and the park, a sculpture of two women titled “The Maiden Statue” by Kōtarō Takamura was dedicated at the lakeshore as part of the park's 15th anniversary celebration. It was the last work by that noted sculptor. A wartime Tachikawa Ki-54 aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force which crashed in 1943 was found at the bottom of Lake Towada on 13 August 2010. It was recovered on September 5, 2012 and has been placed on display. Activities Located in the central area of Yasumiya is the lake's symbol, the Otome-no-Zo statue, located. From there excursion boats arrive and depart. In Utarube visitors can canoe or camp. See also List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments Tourism in Japan References Southerland, Mary and Britton, Dorothy. The National Parks of Japan. Kodansha International (1995). External links Towada - Japan Meteorological Agency - Japan Meteorological Agency Towada - Geological Survey of Japan Lakes of Japan Calderas of Honshū Volcanic crater lakes Volcanoes of Aomori Prefecture