Mashuko, the lake pictured in the first row, is supposedly the clearest lake in the world, one can see up to 200 ft down. It also has a form of plantlife called Marimo, which is a round-shaped algae that looks like a billiard ball covered with moss!

It's a very tranquil place, if you can arrive there when there isn't a bunch of bus tourists. Older Japanese women can be quite noisy in these situations but there are cases when there aren't many groups around. You can see in the background how the mountain behind blew its volcanic top.