Lake Kussharo

Lake Kussharo, Japan

Sunrise light spreads across the wide waters of volcanic Lake Kussharo with Nakajima island rising in the midground.

Lake Kussharo is a wide volcanic caldera lake in eastern Hokkaido, quiet and open, with hot sand on the shore and a frozen surface in deep winter.

The place

Lake Kussharo sits in the eastern part of Hokkaido, inside Akan National Park, filling a volcanic caldera at about 121 metres above sea level. It is the largest caldera lake in Japan by surface area and the sixth largest lake in the country overall. Like many place names in Hokkaido, its name comes from the Ainu language, and some maps and older writing use the variant Kutcharo.

The lake is broad and open. Its western shore is long and low, and much of the rest of the circuit is ringed by mountains. In the middle rises Nakajima, a stratovolcano that is also a large island in its own right. The water is acidic because of gases from the volcanic system, so few fish live in it, except where inflowing streams dilute the lake. Rainbow trout, which tolerate acid better, have been introduced.

What sets the shore apart is the warmth underfoot. Several outdoor hot springs sit along the edge, and the sand beach is naturally heated, with hot groundwater rising beneath it. In the coldest part of winter the surface freezes over. The lake is the largest in Japan to do so completely, and the ice cracks into ridges as it contracts and expands.

The surrounding region is the most sparsely populated in all Japan, a vast area of nearly 40,000 square kilometres. The eastern end is flat grazing land, with cattle pastures stretching toward the horizon, while the rest of the circuit is walled in by hills and peaks. Visitors come for quiet rather than nightlife, and the lake rewards a slow pace.

Its story

The lake's history is less about grand events than about the things people have found in it. The most famous of these is a monster. From 1973 the Japanese press reported sightings of a creature in the water, and the name Kusshii was coined for it. The stories earned the lake its nickname as Japan's Loch Ness, though no photograph or sample has settled the question.

The cicada tells a quieter tale. In 1951 a rare insect, Hyalessa maculaticollis, known as the minminzemi, was recorded in the area. It is now protected by the government, which gives the shoreline a scientific interest that the monster stories never had.

Birds keep their own timetable. Whooper swans pass over the lake on migration, and many stop on the water and the sand, especially in winter. Their arrival turns the shore into a meeting point for photographers and for anyone seeking a quiet morning.

The coldest winters bring a different kind of record. When the ice covering the lake contracts under extreme cold, water is exposed and freezes into fresh ice. Then, as daytime temperatures rise, the ice has nowhere to expand, and the pressure pushes the surface into raised ridges. This happens only in the deepest part of winter, so it depends on timing and luck. The open landscape holds these stories, whether or not the monster ever surfaces.

What to see

Culture

Lake Kussharo sits inside Akan National Park, on land that Ainu people have known for a long time, and the name itself comes from the Ainu language. Ainu communities in Hokkaido keep their own history, language and crafts, and visitors who learn a little about that history often find local people more willing to talk.

Hot springs are a daily habit here, as across Japan, so bathing follows set customs. Wash thoroughly at the washing stations before entering the water, keep towels out of the bath, and expect separate bathing for men and women in most public onsen. Many lakeside baths are open-air and busy in the afternoon, so keep voices low and phones away from the pools.

Winter brings whooper swans to the shore, and people arrive with cameras to watch them. Photographing the birds from a distance is fine, and so is asking before photographing people in the bathing areas. Do not feed the swans, do not approach them on the sand, and keep to marked paths so the protected birds and insects are left alone.

What to wear

Traditional dress around the lake belongs largely to Ainu culture. Ainu people traditionally wove a plain cloth called attush from the inner bark of the elm tree. Garments were decorated with appliqué and embroidery in curving, geometric patterns, often along cuffs, hems and collars. They were worn for ceremonies and special occasions, and today they appear mainly at cultural events, festivals and museums, where weavers and embroiderers keep the techniques alive.

Everyday dress around Lake Kussharo is practical and modern. Locals wear outdoor jackets, fleece, sturdy trousers and rubber boots in winter, and people heading to the lakeside baths arrive in towel wraps and sandals. Few people dress up for a day by the water.

A visitor should plan for a climate that swings from warm summer days to bitter winter cold. In summer, bring a light waterproof, a sun hat and shoes with grip for gravel and sand. In winter, wear insulated layers, thermal socks and boots with proper traction, because paths and car parks can freeze. Hot-spring bathing needs only a small towel and a change of clothes, and modest, covered clothing suits any shrine visit in the region.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. Late July to August suits the warm shore and walking, though mornings at the lake can still be cool. January and February bring the frozen surface, the ice ridges and the swans, but the cold is severe and roads need care.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Kushiro Airport is the nearest regional airport, with a rental car or bus for the last leg to the lake. Check the official site for current bus timetables, as services are infrequent.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources