Goshikinuma Lake, Tohoku, Japan

4.5 (608 reviews) Spent Ranking #1 in Tohoku Bodies of Water

Amazingly coloured lakes

This is a very nice hike with views of a number of lakes that have been turned unreal colours of blue and green by volcanic sediment. The hike itself is pretty easy. It's not a paved path or anything, but it's not difficult. The lakes are really impressive to see, and the hike is well worth the trip. The main thing to pay attention to here is logistics, as the hike begins and ends at different locations. There's a bus that runs between the two once every 1-2 hours, at 250 yen/person, or, when we went, an enterprising taxi driver waiting at the end who'd take you back immediately for about 1350 yen. The best lakes are closest to the Urubandai Visitor's Centre, so if you can arrange it to end up there, your hike will get better as you go - plus it'll be downhill overall.
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Address

Hibara, Kitashiobara-mura, Yama-gun 969-2701 Fukushima Prefecture

Current local date and time now

Monday, May 13, 2024, 3:20

User Ratings

4.5 based on (608 reviews)

Excellent
47%
Good
43%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%

Reviews

  • 5saikou 5:00 PM Oct 26, 2020
    the point of our trip and it didn't disappoint
    This and the sights along the Azuma Bandai Skyline are why we went. Neither disappointed. The colors of the many ponds are wonderful. The fall colors of the trees complemented perfectly. The water is incredibly clear.
  • 5mabei0123 5:00 PM Jan 14, 2017
    Magically Colored Ponds and Marshes Great for Hiking!!
    Goshiki-numa Walk or "Five Colored Pond Walk," is the most popular walking trail in Urabandai, literally "behind Bandai", also known as the Bandai Kogen(Highlands). It's a group of very picturesque lakes and ponds on a highland plain in Bandai-Asahi National Park, Fukushima Prefecture, about 3 km north of the foot of Mt. Bandai. They have existed only since 1887, when Mt. Bandai erupted. The eruption rearranged the landscape, creating the Bandai Kogen plateau damming local rivers and imparted mineral deposits to the Five Colored Ponds giving each of them their own delicate color, ranging from reddish green to cobalt blue. The colors of each lake mysteriously fluctuate throughout the year with the weather, making Goshiki-numa a popular tourist destination. A @4 km walking path from Lake Bishamon, the largest of the five lakes, to Lake Hibara affords people a view of all Five Ponds. I've visited these Ponds numerous times, since many of my ancestors had lived in the Aizu area of the Fukushima Prefecture. My grandfather created his second house on Lake Hibara near these ponds. It always is a beautiful hike for an hour!!

See also

More Things to do in Tohoku