Statue of Maidens

A pair of bronze statues standing on the lakeshore of Yasumiya at Lake Towada. Built in 1953 to mark the 15th anniversary of Lake Towada’s designation as a national park, the statues honor three key figures who helped introduce Lake Towada and Oirase to a wider audience and contributed to the national park designation: writer Keigetsu Omachi, then Aomori Governor Chiyosaburo Takeda, and local village mayor Koichi Ogasawara.

The artist was sculptor and poet Kotaro Takamura, and the work is also known as his last. Two nude female figures, 2.1 meters tall, face each other with their left hands joined, and their faces are said to be modeled after his wife, Chieko, who was in poor health. The pedestal is made with black granite from Fukushima, Chieko’s hometown, hinting at Takamura’s feelings for her. Also worth seeing is the stone monument engraved with his poem “Towada Lakehans no Razou ni Ata(u),” written for this statue.

A symbol of Lake Towada, it’s also a popular photo spot for capturing the lake through the bronze figures. If you visit in winter, check road conditions in advance, as snow can affect travel.