渡良瀬川の治水と、上流の足尾銅山から流れてくる鉱毒を沈殿させる目的で築かれた巨大な調節池です。かつてこの辺りにあった谷中村は輪中の水害多発地帯ではあったのですが、鉱毒の流出に対する抗議運動の中心地でもあったため、運動の弱体化を狙ったのではないかとも疑われています。 いまはラムサール条約に登録された野鳥の天国だとか、谷中村を飲み込んで造営された谷中湖がハートの形をしているから恋人の聖地だとか、そういう側面が強調されているものの、なかなかにダークな場所です。ちなみにハート形をしているのも、水没を肯んじなかった地権者がいたためです。 首都圏とは思えない開けた風景には驚かされるものの、景観に変化がないためわりとすぐに飽きます。景勝地ではなく、野鳥観察だとか釣りだとか、何かをするための場所と心得るべきでしょう。便所は簡易式、自販機もなし、ついでに言えば日陰もほとんどないので、夏場に谷中湖を歩いて横断するのは苦行でしかありません。 やりたいことのある人にはよいところなのでしょうが、ないと楽しめません。

埼玉、栃木、群馬県にかかるとても大きな遊水地です。自然豊かで、野鳥などの重要な湿地でもあり、行ってみて良さを実感する場所です。 サイクリングや走ったりゆっくり歩いたりと非日常を味わえて時間の流れをゆっくりと過ごせます。 夏はボートやカヌーなどをやっているサークルもあり貴重な体験ができるかもしれませんよ。 またハートの形をした池ですので若い人にも向いてますよ。

Visited on a Sunday in mid-September. There is a toilet. There are 3 or more parking lots. It's a very huge area. Although the area was prepared as a flood prevention measure, it has a historical background and extremely rich natural resources. The area is so vast that a car is highly recommended for access. (At least there is a strong need to access it by means of mobility) There are no remains left of the abandoned village, so from the perspective of touring historical structures, it might be rated at about 2 points. However, if you see the site and learn about the explanations of the surrounding museums, you will become more impressed. (Related to Shozo Tanaka and others) On the other hand, in terms of being a treasure trove of nature, it probably deserves a 5 star rating. It also appeared that people were able to enjoy various leisure activities related to water, and there were several people enjoying themselves in tents. Since it is a water play area, there are almost no stores in the area, so don't expect much from it. It would be better to buy it, leave it there, and then go to the location. As a means of transportation, rental bicycles were operated at the same price as shown in the photo. One final note: Although I was able to travel by car, I was unable to see the surface of the lake. That being said, there was a considerable distance from the road and plaza to the area where the water was located. (It seems that some spots are close to the lake surface.) Please keep in mind that the lake surface is far from the parking lot in the abandoned village area.

Visited for a triathlon competition. From autumn to winter, you can sometimes see morning mist, which is beautiful! It's a great place for cycling, jogging, and walking.

(Translated by Google) The best cycling spot. You can ride a bicycle inside for free. There is nothing around, so the scenery is very good. You can see Mt. Tsukuba, Mt. Akagi, and the mountains on the west side. On the other hand, on a windy day, you are likely to be hit by a crosswind and bring your steering wheel. The roads are well maintained, so it's a very easy place to drive on days when the wind is weak. It has become a little cyclist's sanctuary where you can run with high-end road bikes and TT bikes. In the direction of the Watarase Reservoir Station (south block), the gate is closed and you cannot go around. On the other hand, the north block is an interesting place where you can go around and cross the prefectural border many times while driving. (Original) 最高のサイクリングスポット。 入場料無料で中を自転車で走行出来ます。 まわりに何も無いので、景色がとても良いです。 筑波山や赤城山、西側に広がる山脈などがよく見えます。 その反面、風の強い日は横風にあおられて、ハンドルを持っていかれそうになります。 道が整備されているので、風が弱い日はとても走りやすい場所です。 高級ロードバイクやTTバイクの方と走ったりすることができる、ちょっとしたサイクリストの聖地と化しています。 渡良瀬貯水池機場がある方面（南ブロック）は、門が封鎖されていて一周回ることが出来ません。 一方、北ブロックはぐるっと一周回ることができ、走行中何度も県境をまたぐことができる面白い場所です。

This was my first visit to Watarase Reservoir in the former Yanaka Village, which was mentioned in textbooks a long time ago. Shozo Tanaka was born in Konaka-cho, Sano City in November 1841, and after working as the editor-in-chief of the Tochigi Shimbun (currently Shimotsuke Shimbun), he became a member of the prefectural assembly. He was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in the first general election in 1890, and raised the issue of mineral poisoning at the Ashio Copper Mine, which was causing great damage to fish and crops in the Watarase River, in the Diet, and made efforts to save the people along the Watarase River. . As a result, the Ashio mine poisoning incident became a social issue. In 1901, he resigned from the Diet and appealed directly to the Emperor. Afterwards, he worked on issues such as Ashio mine poisoning, including protests against the conversion of Yanaka Village into a water retarding area, but he passed away at the age of 72 in September 1913. The Watarase River, which flows into the Watarase Reservoir, originates from Mt. Kokai (2,143 m) on the border between Gunma and Tochigi prefectures, joins several mountain streams, leaves the mountain gorge at Omama, and later flows into Kiryu City, It flows southeast from the center of Ashikaga City, passes through Tochigi City, and empties into the main stream of the Tone River at the tip of Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture. It is the largest tributary of the Tone River system, with a basin area of ​​2,602 km² and a channel length of 107.6 km. Watarase Reservoir is located at the southern tip of Tochigi Prefecture, and is Japan's largest reservoir with an area of ​​33 km² and a total water storage capacity of 200 million m³, spanning the four prefectures of Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, and Ibaraki.

流石の大きさです（笑） この日？この年？はヘラブナが大量に上がっていて臭いが気になりました。。。 走ったり、レンタル自転車借りてサイクリングも良いです🚴‍♂️ 連休に行きましたが、混む事予想して早めに着いてレンタルサイクル借りて良かった。 戻ってきたらレンタルサイクルに行列できてました。 釣りもできるので🎣一日中楽しめますね。

良いですね。広々していて。 サイクリングの人が多い。 近くの人が散歩している。 谷中湖にTの字に道があるので、体力に合わせて歩ける。途中、展望台がいくつかあり、眺望を楽しめる。 貸し自転車は休日借りられるとか。 好みに合った楽しみ方ができ、一日中遊べる。 また、四季折々の自然の変化があり、動植物全てに興味が尽きない。

A magnificent sight far away from Japan spreads out. A lake that stretches to the horizon, endlessly clear blue skies, and beautiful green grass and trees. When you get familiar with such scenery, you will feel as if your soul is being cleansed. It is hard to imagine that such a beautiful place is steeped in historical darkness. This area was the place where Shozo Tanaka, who was active in the Ashio Copper Mine Mine Poisoning Incident, struggled. As a result of his efforts, Watase Reservoir was constructed as a countermeasure against mineral poisoning. There are almost no historical sites left from that time, but there are occasional signboards with explanations. The beautiful nature that he tried to protect even at the cost of his life. What would he think if he saw this scene stretching out forever?

I visited here for the first time. It's very spacious, isn't it? I was able to take a walk on a sunny day and refresh myself. It was wide and far away, so I couldn't see it well, but the national rowing competition was being held.

There are several parking lots. There are vending machines and toilets. You need permission to do something. There are many things that are prohibited, such as barbecuing and swimming. There are no cars other than those under management, the roads are wide, and the distance is long. There were many people riding road bikes, walking, and bringing their dogs. We saw many different kinds of birds. Perfect for bird watching.

I can only say this is a great open place to visit. Utterly wonderful and the scenery is even surreal or somewhat foreign in some parts. You can enjoy walking, running, cycling, skateboarding, inline skating, birdwatching, fishing (with a proper permit under regulations) or doing whatsoever (other than camping or granping related activities that are pretty restrictive), whilst appreciating the true hybrid beauty of old grand man-made flood control works and the nature’s self assertion in details. Oh, beware of wild boars and Japanese deers, do not provoke them for your safety, as well as the open hours of the parking lots so as not to be locked in.

It's a wonderful view, but bicycle etiquette is bad. They don't care about slowing down or paying attention to the roadside lanes, causing fear to pedestrians.

2023年2月7日散歩，風の無い暖かい日，最高気温15℃ 中央エントランスに車を停め，東谷中橋　旧谷中村　谷中湖展望台　中央エントランスに戻る遊水池一周コース。合計9キロ，15000歩，途中弁当を食べ4時間。 此処は，風が無い事が絶対条件！ 見晴らし良く、カモ多数，猛禽類もまとめて6羽発見，ただし白鳥はエサの関係なのかいなかった、ラムサール条約登録地。 広々として気持ちが良い。 ⭐️5つは条件が良い1日だったから，風が吹いていたら、⭐️1つ。

遊水地なのにダムカードがもらえます。唯一❗平地にあるダムらしいです。 遊水地利用ルール&マナー ☆自転車、ランニング、インラインスケート、ローラスケート で貯水池内道路を走行する際は「反時計回り、左回り」とし 左側通行を心掛ける。 ☆走行する際は、常に歩行者、他の通行者及び作業者両に注意 すれ違いや追い越しの際は急な飛び出しにも対応できる速度で走行する。 ☆球技を行う際は、安全上十分な広さをとり、道路上では行わない事。 利用時間　9時30分～17時 毎週月曜日、年末年始は休み。

(Translated by Google) Anyway, it's wide. You can see various wild birds and it is a perfect place for a walk. However, many people are riding road bikes, and they are speeding up moderately, so be careful with small children. (Original) とにかく広いです。 いろいろな野鳥を観ることもでき、お散歩にはもってこいの場所です。 ただ、ロードバイクに乗っている人が多く、そこそこスピードを出しているので、小さいお子さん連れは注意が必要です。

Wonderful scenic place for visit & for fishing without charge

地内の歩道をぐるっと1周しようと、時計の9時のあたりからスタートして反時計回りに進みましたが、6時あたりで歩道が途切れていました。いったん地外に出れば外周があるので大丈夫でした。3時のあたりからまた地内の歩道があるので戻れました。道中には売店はおろか自販機も無いので夏場は水分補給に注意が必要と思います。

とても広い空間が広がってるとても素敵な場所！ 駐車場も各エリアにあるので、車で行きやすい。 バーベキューも出来るから、ご家族連れも沢山来てる。

ハート型の遊水池です。広々とした原っぱです。 大水の時はこの原っぱ全てが水が水に浸かり周りに水が行かないようにここで水を溜め込むそうです。 行った日はイベントで賑わってました。

ハート❤️の形をした遊水地で、ウィンドウサーフィン、カヌーが盛んです。バードウォッチングをしている皆さんも多いです。1周約10㎞のランニングコースもあり、第1回ハートフルマラソン大会に参加した想い出の地です‼️

Great place to visit for couple 😍😍