The Power of Nature and Humanity in Japan’s “Lake District”

Like the Lake District in the United Kingdom, the Urabandai area of Fukushima Prefecture is sometimes called the “Lake District of Japan.” This area is part of Bandai-Asahi National Park. It is known for mountains, scenic lakes and a group of colorful ponds called Goshikinuma.

“Goshikinuma” means “five colored ponds” in Japanese, so I thought that there were only five ponds, or only five colors. However, there are actually about eight large ponds, and several small ones. Also, they have many colors that change with the weather and the seasons. I rented a rowboat and went out on Bishamon-numa, the largest pond. This pond is at one end of a trail※1 that passes the main ponds. It takes about an hour to walk.

Each pond was a different color. Some of the colors were so vibrant that they did not look real. For example, the pond called Ao-numa was a deep turquoise color. A few of the ponds were bright green or red. I enjoyed comparing them.

The next day, I visited a large lake called Lake Hibara. I went on a hike and a cruise to admire the lake's natural beauty. Later, I stopped by a local museum to learn about the history of Goshikinuma and Lake Hibara.

Mt. Bandai, a nearby volcano, erupted in 1888. The eruption caused the landscape of the area to change. Forests and villages were destroyed. Hundreds of lakes and ponds were created, including Lake Hibara and Goshikinuma. One village is now at the bottom of Lake Hibara. Some of the ponds got minerals from the volcano, which gave them unusual colors. These ponds are now known as Goshikinuma.

Because of the eruption, Urabandai became a hard place for people, animals and plants to live. However, in the early 1900s, a local man named Genmu Endo was successful in restoring the area. Endo and others planted more than 100,000 trees, many of which still stand today. He also helped to rebuild roads and promote Urabandai as a tourist destination.

The lakes and ponds of Urabandai look very old. However, they were created less than 140 years ago by a natural disaster※2. Also, although the forests look old, many of the trees were planted by people only around 100 years ago. The power of nature dramatically changed Urabandai in the blink of an eye※3. The power of humanity helped to rebuild it※4. My visit to Urabandai reminded me of how impressive both nature and humanity can be.