Sightseeing - Akan National Park area

Mrs. Yorozu wanted to take me to a new restaurant she had heard about and I was happy to drive because it was in the Akan national Park area. I had been to this volcanic park on two previous visits and its winding roads, rushing streams, charming lakes, and mist shrouded hills had lingered on my mind. Akan National Park is about the size of Hong Kong.

We stopped by at an observation point on the way and the photo shows Mrs. Yorozu and her daughter Miho enjoying the breeze.

We drove through lovely farms, pastureland, and forest. The fields were of potato, corn, soy beans, and other crops. Some fields were ripening and ready for harvesting, while many were still green. The roads were not crowded and many dirt roads led off into the forest. If I had a 4 x 4 vehicle, I would have liked to have explored them, but these forests have bears (there have been more than 30 fatal bear attacks in Hokkaido over the years) so I didn't want to venture on foot.

Another feature along the drive were these attractive farm signs, all of which featured a scene of the lakes or of the hills .

We glimpsed the "So-Ra" restaurant through the trees. It turned out to be an elegant French restaurant, recently opened, where even the menu was in French and Japanese. We enjoyed a leisurely meal (I tasted a sliver of whale meat!) and later strolled in the lovely green that spread out from the restaurant. I hope the restaurant attracts many customers because the cuisine and service are of the highest standard.

We drove on and reached Lake Kussharo, a popular tourist spot. (The Akan National Park is said to receive 6 million tourists per year, although the roads were not crowded with traffic.) Kussharo is a caldera lake, surrounded by greenery and hills.

We lingered for quite a while, enjoying the lovely scenery, the breeze, and the silence.

We later drove to the shore of lake Kussharo. As dusk approached, a light mist hung over the water. This shore area appeared to be popular with hikers and bikers. Many of them were camping nearby.

Our last stop was the incredibly beautiful Lake Mashu, which is said to have the most transparent water in the world. This is also a caldera lake. There is no inflow or outflow of water, yet the water level remains constant.