Discover Naka: Kawaguchi Dam Lake, Energy and Nature

A trip to Naka can focus on water activities, hands-on energy exhibits and seasonal nature. At Kawaguchi Dam Lake, Aqua Kawaguchi Base is a starting point for canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding. In the town, the Kawaguchi Dam Natural Energy Museum, its outdoor exhibits and the lakeside scenery add more options. You can focus on water activities, energy to see and learn about, or blossoms and forests.

Canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding

Aqua Kawaguchi Base is a starting point for canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding on Kawaguchi Dam Lake. Both activities take place on the same lake, so they can be a distinct focus when planning your trip. Usage rules and application requirements may change. Check these conditions in advance if you plan to take part in either activity.

Energy at the Kawaguchi Dam Natural Energy Museum

The Kawaguchi Dam Natural Energy Museum offers hands-on demonstrations of how solar power, hydropower, wind power, biomass and hydrogen fuel cells work. The museum adds a learning focus on different forms of energy to the lake activities.

Outside the museum are a Savonius wind turbine and a propeller-type wind turbine. Both are part of hybrid generators that use solar power, and you can see them rotating. You can compare the two designs directly: the turbine types differ, while solar power is part of both hybrid systems.

At the outdoor exhibits, you can also check how the amount of electricity generated varies with the weather throughout the day. This offers two questions to explore: How do the visible wind turbines differ, and how does the amount of electricity change with the weather during the day?

A digital artwork by teamLab is displayed on a large screen in the museum, depicting a nature-rich city. Alongside the energy exhibits, this work offers a visual connection with nature. Events listed by the museum include science shows and workshops involving hands-on creative activities.

A walk of about five minutes leads from the second parking lot to the museum; along the way, you can see outdoor exhibits such as a waterwheel and a small hydropower facility. Check the latest official information before you set out, as parking rules may change.

Blossoms and forests in the town

The blossoms around Kawaguchi Dam Lake vary with the seasons: cherry blossoms and forsythia bloom in spring, and hydrangeas in early summer. For travelers who value seasonal scenery, this means a clear difference in timing between spring and early summer.

A forest experience area is located in the town next to Aiai Land in Aioi Forest Culture Park. During events, it is used for forest thinning experiences, forest walks and woodworking. Alongside the lakeside blossoms, forest activities offer a separate theme, though access to them is tied to events.

Discover more destinations: Komatsushima, Naruto, Mima, Obatake, Tokushima, Anan, Miyoshi, Toyooka

For the regional travel overview: Tokushima Prefecture.