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Shiretoko NP, Hokkaido
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The lakes sit in hollows among hummocks left by a huge debris avalanche from nearby Mount Shiretoko-Iozan. Radiocarbon dating places the mountain’s collapse at about 4,000 years ago.
Local legend says a god pressed five fingertips into the Shiretoko Peninsula, leaving the hollows that became the Five Lakes—a mythical twist on their dramatic geological origin.
Ornamental water lilies were planted in Lake 1 around 1953 to attract tourists. By 2023, they made up nearly 90% of its aquatic plants; removal efforts now bring volunteers onto kayaks.
The 800-m boardwalk stands 2–5 m above ground, with a 7,000-volt bear fence beside it. Its step-free route is wheelchair-accessible—but leads only to Lake 1.
The lakes lie on Iwaobetsu’s once-farmed plateau, where rocky ground made settlement difficult. The last farm operated until 1973, and the boardwalk was built across former pasture land.
Shiretoko, the Five Lakes’ wider home, comes from the Ainu name sir.etok. Shari’s local museum explains it as “the dead end of the land”—an evocative name for this remote peninsula.
A complete record of trail-side flowers was still missing until 2021. In 6 surveys, 3 Shiretoko Foundation staff logged 172 plant species, including 4 classed as Vulnerable on Japan’s 2020 Red List.
The forest keeps its own field notes: brown bears leave claw scratches, while black woodpeckers leave feeding marks. Both are signs of the wildlife living around the lakes.
