Mashuko

Introduction

Lake Mashū in Teshikaga, Hokkaidō, Japan, lies within Akan-Mashū National Park, a caldera lake formed when a volcano collapsed roughly seven thousand years ago. It covers about 19.6 sq km, plunges to 211.4 m and sits 351 m above sea level, ringed by cliffs more than three hundred metres high. No river flows in or out — the lake is fed only by rain and snow — and with almost nothing washed in from outside, a transparency of 41.6 m was recorded in 1931, the clearest in the world at the time; on bright days the water shows the near-ink blue known as 'Mashū blue'. Thick fog so often fills the basin that it is called the lake of mist, and locals treat a clear view as good fortune. Kamuishu Island at its centre and Mt Mashū (Kamuinupuri) to the east are both dwellings of spirits in Ainu tradition. To protect the water, swimming and fishing on the shore are prohibited, so visits mean looking down from the First and Third Lookouts, superb amid autumn colour or winter frost.

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