Hinata's Summer in Hokkaido #2/5 - Akan National Park

(This post is Part 2 of 5, Hinata's Summer in Hokkaido, August 2013.)

Hinata at Kaminokoike

So on the way to the next leg of our trip, we took a detour to somewhere that is a bit out of the way... to Kami-no-ko-ike (神の子池, literally, "God's child pond") at Kiyosato, somewhere northeast of Lake Mashu.

Kaminokoike

Formed from the underground water that feeds Lake Mashu, the pond is a clear blue-green, so clear that you can see right to the bottom as if through it was clear glass. The thing is... it is only one part of the pond that is this beautiful blue-green - the other parts aren't!

We then headed to Akan National Park (阿寒国立公園) in eastern Hokkaido. Akan National Park and Daisetsuzan National Park are 2 of Hokkaido's oldest national parks. Akan National Park is famous for Lake Akan, Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo -- the most famous being Lake Mashu.

Ezo deer donburi for lunch at the Ainu Kotan, Akankohan, Akan National Park.

Lunch was at one of the eating places in Ainu Kotan in Akankohan. I decided to try the Ezo deer donburi. It was delicious and actually, I don't see the issue or anything to be squirmish about; after all, we eat venison!

Koropokkuru (コロポックル) figurines at the Akankohan.

The streets of Akankohan are also lined with souvenir stores selling various craft, especially carved wood items.

What caught my eye was carved figurines of Koropokkuru (コロポックル). In the Ainu language, the name "Koropokkuru" means "people below the butterbur leaves".

According to Ainu folklore, Koropokkuru are a race of small people that lived in Hokkaido before the Ainu themselves. Koropokkuru were short but agile peoples that lived in pits with butterbur leaves as their roofs. In Ainu folklore, Koropokkuru used to leave food for the Ainu people, but would stay hidden from sight.

Lake Akan at Akan National Park, view from Churui Island.

Lake Akan (阿寒湖), like Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo, is a caldera lake formed by volcanic activity. Lake Akan is part of the Akan Volcanic Complex, a group of volcanoes around the Akan caldera, including Mt Meakan, Mt Oakan (the make counterpart of Meakan), and Mt Akan-Fuji.

Marimo, Akan National Park

Lake Akan is famous for its marimo colonies. Marimo (毬藻), or cladophora balls, is a rare form of the algae species Chlorophyta. Apparently they grow about 5mm per year. Marimo at Lake Akan grow up to 20-30cm. Apparently, if left alone for a few centuries, Lake Akan's marimo can reach the size of soccer balls.

Marimo, Akan National Park

Marimo is designated as a National Special Natural Monument in Japan, and have been a protected species since 1920. Several specimens of marimo can be seen at the Marimo Exhibition and Observation Centre at Churui Island, which is in the middle of Lake Akan.

Lake Mashu, Akan National Park

Lake Mashu (摩周湖) (Ainu: Kamui-to, "lake of the gods") is a caldera lake in Akan National Park that lies 315m above sea level. There are no inlets into the lake and no outlets from the lake - which is probably the reason for its mirror-like surface.

Lake Mashu, Akan National Park

Lake Mashu was famed to be one of the world's clearest, most transparent lakes. Wikipedia cited a 1931 transparency survey that recorded Lake Mashu's visibility to be 41.6m, exceeding Russia's Lake Baikal (at 40.5m). However, this is no longer the case now, as salmon and trout were introduced into the lake.

Delicious egg-and-curry bun - 超おいしい!!!

The lake is often shrouded with heavy fog and mist (likely because it is surrounded by steep cliffs and mountains), but on a sunny day, the waters of the lake are a mirror-like clear and deep blue.

I am rather relieved that we did not get to see Lake Mashu in its full sunny glory - because the local legend is that it is considered bad luck if a person can see the lake without fog.

The fog lifted enough for us to see the surface of Lake Mashu and the tiny island of Kamyush. In actual fact, Kamyush is the volcano's summit projecting out of the water.

Ate a bloody super-duper delicious egg-and-curry bun that we picked up at the cafeteria at Lake Mashu. I regret buying only one! There were also yummy pork sausages wrapped around bone.

Hinata enjoying the warm sand baths (sunayu) of Lake Kussharo

Tsukimi soba!

We also went to the other major lake in Akan National Park, Lake Kussharo (屈斜路湖). Its name originated from the Ainu language. It is Japan's largest caldera lake in terms of surface area. We spent some time on the lake's shores, on the sand baths (砂湯; sunayu), where the sand is naturally heated by ground water which is in turn heated by the underlying volcano.

We dropped by Koshimizu Gensei-kaen (小清水原生花園), a wildflower garden between Lake Tofutsu (濤沸湖) and the Sea of Okhotsk that is part of the Abashiri Quasi-National Park (網走国定公園).

We stopped by for a quick snack at the shops near the garden. I decided on tsukimi soba (月見蕎麦) while Hubby goes for udon. The Japanese are geniuses when it comes to creating delicious food with a handful of ingredients, treated and prepared simply.

Actually I've always had this secret desire to eat tsukimi soba during the mid-autumn festival while admiring the full moon (which the poached egg is supposed to represent!).

Late-blooming nadeshiko, Koshimizu Gensei-kaen

It is rather unfortunate that we were there out of season. Apparently the best time is between June and August where about 40 species of flowers blossom.

Hinata at Koshimizu Gensei-kaen

Hinata at Koshimizu Gensei-kaen

Hinata at Koshimizu Gensei-kaen, overlooking the Sea of Okhotsk

Hinata said it was a pity that we were there out of season. But she really loved the unkempt tumbling wildness of the place, and the cold, steel-grey view of the Sea of Okhotsk.

Lake Onneto

Lake Onneto

We also went to Lake Onneto (オンネトー湖) at the foot of Mt Meakan, the highest peak in the Akan Volcanic Complex in Akan National Park. It was formed by an eruption from the main summit of Mt Meakan.

Lake Onneto

Hinata at Lake Onneto

Apparently, Lake Onneto is one of the 3 great secret lakes of Hokkaido. In the Ainu language, "Onneto" means "old pond" or "big pond".

Lake Onneto with Mt Meakan and Mt Oakan in the background.

Apparently the surface of the lake changes colour (from green to blue) depending on the season or the time of the day. That said, there is already some lovely colour gradation.

Hinata's Summer in Hokkaido (August 2013)
- I. Shiretoko
- II. Akan National Park
- III. Kushiro
- IV. Furano & Biei
- V. Asahikawa, Otaru & Hokuryu