Oonuma Kokuteikoen

Introduction

Ōnuma Quasi-National Park in Nanae, Hokkaidō, Japan, was designated in 1958 around three lakes — Ōnuma, Konuma and Junsainuma — created when mudflows from Mt Komagatake dammed the valleys. More than 120 islets dot the water, linked by a dozen bridges and footpaths into an 'island circuit' walk of about fifty minutes, with the volcano mirrored at almost every turn. In 1915 the scenery was chosen, alongside Matsushima and Yabakei, as one of the 'new three views of Japan', and it became one of Hokkaidō's earliest resorts. Water lilies wake in late April; summer suits rowing, canoeing and cycling the shore; and in the second half of October autumn colour spreads across the water. When the lakes freeze, ice fishing for smelt, snowmobiles and snow rafting take over. Barely twenty minutes by train from Hakodate, it is southern Hokkaidō's easiest half-day trip and the gateway to Komagatake hikes and the Nanae ski slopes.

✨ Highlights

🛈 Practical Info