[Zao Town, Miyagi Prefecture] The emerald green "Okama" lake is an explosion crater! Experience the power of life and death

Miyagi Prefecture is famous for its hot springs, skiing, and frost-covered trees. However, the most famous spot Okama .

It's not a rice cooker, but a giant natural kettle. It's a volcanic crater, and it's a rare place where you can see a beautiful emerald landscape

its resemblance to Lake Itomori, which appears in the hit movie "Your Name." Today we will introduce you to this kettle, which can be said to be a symbol of Miyagi.

What is Zao no Okama?

Okama is a crater lake formed by a volcanic eruption. Crater lakes are formed when rain and groundwater (hot springs) accumulate in the crater where magma erupts

This crater lake is so named because it is surrounded by the outer rim of the volcano and looks like a kettle. The water contains hot spring components, giving it a beautiful emerald green color. It has also earned the nickname Five-Colored Lake, or Lake of Five Colors, because the water changes color depending on the sunlight

The best spot to see Okama is the neighboring Mt. Katta

Zao is one of the "100 Famous Mountains of Japan." A five-minute walk from the parking lot at the top of Mt. Katta leads to an observation deck where you can see the Okama crater

The crater itself is located on Mt. Goshiki. However, you cannot see the whole picture from there. Therefore, the best place to see the crater is the summit of the neighboring Mt. Katta

How to access Okama (by car)

We will take the Zao Echo Line from Shiroishi City in Miyagi Prefecture, then take the Zao High Line, which branches off from there, to the summit of Mt. Zao Katta

The Zao High Line is a toll road. It costs 540 yen for a regular car. You can also take a bus from Shiroishi-Zao Station. In this case, it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes and costs 1,800 yen

It takes about two minutes on foot from Zao Katta Summit to reach Zao Summit Rest House. There are toilets, a shop, and a place to rest on the first floor, so we recommend taking a break here before heading to Okama

The second floor is a restaurant where you can also have a meal. Of course, the view is amazing. The recommended menu item is the "Kamakatsudon" (Pork Cutlet Bowl) served in a rice cooker

If the volcanic gas and fog are intense, wait patiently at the rest house

Zao is famous for being a living mountain where volcanic activity continues to this day. As a result, there is a lot of volcanic gas, which can turn into a thick fog that can cover the beautiful scenery of the Okama crater in pure white

In times like these, you need to be patient and wait. This rest house is a great place to come in handy. Enjoy the view of the kettle while eating a kamakatsudon and regain your energy

It is about a two-minute walk from the rest house to the observation deck, which is a great spot to view the Okama

How to access Okama (by lift)

From the Yamagata side, we recommend taking the chairlift. Take the Zao Echo Line to the Zao Kogen Karita Parking Lot. From there, take the Karita Lift to the summit of Zao Karita Mountain

You can take the chairlift to Okama while enjoying the spectacular view of Zao. A video of the view from the chairlift is available on the official website

Link: Trip to Yamagata – Zao Karita Lift

A round-trip lift ticket costs 750 yen. Souvenirs and the local specialty, ball-shaped konnyaku, are sold at Shimo Station. The dark brown ball-shaped konnyaku is known for its delicious taste

If you buy a round-trip ticket, you can have a commemorative photo taken of you on the lift. It will be placed in an original Okama frame, and you can buy it on your way back for 1,000 yen

It takes about 15 minutes on foot from the lift to reach the Okama Observatory. If you don't want to walk too much, it's better to go to the top of Mt. Zao Katta via the Zao High Line

Contrary to appearances, the sea of ​​death and the explosive crater are impressive

The emerald green lake surface is very beautiful, and it looks as if various creatures are swimming gracefully. However, in reality, the lake is acidic with a pH of about 3.5, so it is a dead lake with no living creatures

However, the surrounding mountains are still alive and magma continues to breathe from the bottom of the lake. It is called an explosion crater because it was formed by a volcanic eruption

As its name suggests, the cliffs surrounding the lake give the impression of the devastation caused by the eruption. Okama is a place where the beauty of nature, such as life and death, destruction and creation, leaves a lasting impact on the eyes

Okama is not a caldera lake but a crater lake

By the way, when you see a lake that forms in a crater like this, many people call it a caldera lake, but strictly speaking it is not a caldera lake but a crater lake

Crater lakes are formed in a similar way to caldera lakes, when water collects in a hole created by a magma eruption. The difference is in their size; crater lakes are smaller in both area and depth than caldera lakes

Things to note when going to the pot

Although it is easy to access the summit via the Zao High Line, Mt. Katta is 1,754 meters above sea level. The climate here is quite different from that of the lower reaches, and temperatures can drop suddenly. The wind is also strong

Don't forget to bring warm clothes, comfortable shoes, and rain gear

Don't forget to wear warm clothes. The roads leading to the rest house are paved and easy to walk on, but there are also bumpy roads. It's safer to wear comfortable shoes, preferably hiking boots. The weather can change quickly, so don't forget your rain gear

The sun is strong on top of the mountain, so it's a good idea to bring sunscreen

You can only go to Okama from summer to autumn

Okama cannot be reached in winter because the Zao Echo Line and Zao High Line are closed due to snow

The access period is from late April to early November. The exact start and end times vary from year to year due to weather conditions. In 2018, the trail opened on April 27th

Kattamine Shrine, where the deity moves between summer and winter

After about a 10-minute climb from the observation deck, you will reach the summit of Mt. Katta. There you will find Kattamine Shrine. Nearby is a monument to Date Munetaka, the seventh son of Date Masamune

Legend has it that when Okama erupted, Date Munetaka ascended the mountain with a fortune teller and offered prayers. He then calmed the mountain's anger and saved the people he ruled. For risking his life to climb the mountain and fulfilling his role, Munetaka is remembered as a wise ruler, along with the monument

Kattamine Shrine is located not only at the summit of the mountain, but also at Togatta Onsen at the foot of the mountain. The two shrines are paired, with the one at the summit called Okumiya and the one at Togatta Onsen called Satomiya

There are two reasons for this: the gods move. In winter, it is buried in snow and it is difficult to visit the inner shrine at the top. So people moved the deity to the village shrine (seasonal transfer) and visited there during the winter. Then, when summer came, they would move it back to the inner shrine

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

Is there a sacred object that keeps moving between the mountaintop and the hot spring town at the foot of the mountain? Kattamine Shrine in Miyagi Zao [Miyagi Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/34453

The Zao Mountain Range, part of the Ou Mountain Range, straddles Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures. Did you know that on the Miyagi side of the Zao Mountain Range, there is a shrine whose deity repeatedly moves between summer and winter? Kattamine Shrine, located at the summit of Mt. Katta and Togatta Onsen, is a shrine located in the hot spring town of Togatta Onsen, at the eastern foot of Mt. Katta, on the Miyagi side of the Zao Mountain Range. Kattamine Shrine is paired with the "Kattamine Shrine" of the same name at the summit of Mt. Katta, with the mountaintop side called "Okumiya" and the Togatta Onsen side called "Satomiya." Incidentally, there is another shrine in Zao Town called Kattamine Shrine (also known as Shiratori Daimyojin), but this one has a slightly different origin...

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The transfer of the shrine from Satomiya to Okumiya is currently being carried out in conjunction with the opening of the Zao Echo Line and Zao High Line, which is around the end of April

The transfer of the shrine from Okumiya to Satomiya is scheduled to take place on the first Sunday of October. It is carried out as a ceremony to bring the sacred object down from the mountain. Such a seasonal transfer that takes place every year is rare even nationwide. When it comes to seasonal transfers, Kattamine Shrine is the place to go

Summary of the crater lake "Okama"

This time, we have introduced Okama, a representative spot in Miyagi that is famous for its beautiful crater lake. The Zao mountain range has different expressions in each season and is loved by many people

Many people visit in winter to ski or see the frost-covered trees, but we also recommend heading to Okama in summer and autumn. The contrast between the beautiful emerald green lake and the rough-hewn explosive crater is very striking and interesting

There are also many other attractions to enjoy, such as the legend of Date Munetaka and the presence of Kattamine Shrine, which has the unusual custom of seasonal relocation. Be sure to visit Zao High Line before it closes

Okama <Information>

• Name: Zao Okama
• Address: Zao no Okama Crater, Togatta Onsen, Zao Town, Katta District, Miyagi Prefecture, 989-0916, Mt. Kuraishi National Forest
• Phone number: 0224-34-2725 (Zao Town Tourist Information Center)
• Official URL: Zao Town Tourism Association

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