The area around Lake Hamanako is home to various sights including amusement parks, zoos, and beautiful flower parks, and it is popular as a family-friendly hot spring resort. There are also many wonderful foods including eel, fugu, Hamamatsu dumplings, and simple yet delicious "B-grade" cuisine all-year-round. Kanzanji Onsen, located on the eastern shore of the lake, is also the point for sightseeing boats that allow you to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the shore of Lake Hamana. You can take a ropeway over Lake Hamana to the observatory on the other side of the hot spring resort in about 4 minutes. It takes 90 minutes from Tokyo Station by Tokaido Shinkansen and about 35 minutes from Nagoya Station.