Akan
Lake Akan, in Akan-cho, Kushiro City, Hokkaido, lies within Akan-Mashu National Park between Mt. Oakan (1,371 m) and Mt. Meakan (1,499 m) — a caldera lake of 13.3 km² with a maximum depth of 45 m. The spherical algae «marimo» found at its bottom occur naturally nowhere else in the world; designated a Natural Monument in 1921 and a Special Natural Monument in 1952, marimo are uniquely Japanese. The lakeside Akanko Onsen hosts one of Hokkaido's largest Ainu Kotan (settlements), where Ainu Old-Style Dance (a designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property) and wood carving are still practiced. Winter brings smelt fishing, an ice-covered lake, and stargazing, while summer offers the October Marimo Festival — the lake is a year-round destination for nature and culture photography.
Highlights
- Marimo Exhibition Observation Center (Churui Island) — reached by sightseeing boat; close-up views of the Special Natural Monument spherical algae
- Ainu Kotan — one of Hokkaido's largest Ainu settlements, with Old-Style Dance performances, wood carving shops, and living tradition
- Lakeside Promenade — a walking path past «Bokke» mud volcanoes, contrasting the lake surface with volcanic terrain
- Winter Ice Festival (January–March) — smelt fishing, snow sports, fireworks, and skies full of stars
- Marimo Festival (October) — an Ainu ritual returning marimo to the lake, a mystical subject for photography
