is a lake in Akita Prefecture in northern Japan. Its formal name is , but it is also called . At 4 meters below sea level, Hachirà Âgata is the lowest natural point in Japan.
Hachirà Âgata was the second-largest lake in Japan after Lake Biwa. Extensive reclamation began in 1957 for crop production, and à Âgata village was established on the reclaimed land on October 1, 1964. The remaining lake has an area of (18th largest in Japan).
Some regard the reclamation as a mistake, since Japan began to be bothered with surplus rice soon after the completion of the reclamation. Others lament the loss of the wetlands.
Fishery of shijimi shells (Corbicula japonica) was a thriving industry, but it decreased as the lake became less brackish. In the winter, people fish wakasagi (Hypomesus nipponensis) by hollowing out the frozen surface. Today, black bass fishing attracts tourists even outside the prefecture, though some suspect that indigenous species are threatened by the invasion of the extraneous fish.
According to a legend, a man called Hachirà  was transformed into a dragon and chose the lake for his home after wandering a long time. Thus, the lake was named Hachirà Â-gata (-gata means "lagoon"). Later, he was attracted to a woman who owned Lake Tazawa, another lake in Akita Prefecture, and moved to be with her. After that, Hachirà Âgata became increasingly shallower.