
- September 18th, 2014
- Nature
- TouristSpots
- EasternArea
[Coral Grass Colonies around Lake Saroma] Coral Grass Colony Called Red Carpet
CONTENTS
Coral Grass Colonies around Lake Saroma
Lake Saroma (サロマ湖) is a brackish water lake among Kitami city, Saroma town and Yubetsu town, and is the 3rd largest lake after Lake Biwa (琵琶湖) and Lake Kasumigaura (霞ヶ浦) in Japan. The lake has no name in Ainu language, and they called it just lake. It is well-known for tasty seafood such as Oyster and Scallop, and moderate salty lakeshore is suitable for the coral grass, and some coral grass colonies are around the lake. Cape Kimuaneppu (キムアネップ崎), Wakka Primeval Flower Garden (ワッカ原生花園), Kerochi Coral Grass Colony (計呂地サンゴ草群生地) and Cape Sango (サンゴ岬) are famous in particular. The best time to see the fall foliage is from mid september to early October.



The coral grass is an annual plant with 10 cm-20 cm in height, and means "Akkeshisou (アッケシソウ)". Mr. Kiyotoshi Sugiyama (椙山清利) discovered the plant in Kaki island, Akkeshi town in 1891, and Mr. Kingo Miyabe (宮部金吾), a famous botanist, named it after the place name. Another name is Sangosou (サンゴ草), and it is more famous than the Akkeshisou, and the Sango means "Coral" in English, and it is called so because shapes of leaves looks like the coral. In Japan, it is a rare plant growing wild only in a part of Hokkaido, Okayama prefecture and Kagawa prefecture, and in some lakes such as the Lake Saroma (サロマ湖), Lake Notoro (能取湖) and Lake Komuke (コムケ湖), Hokkaido, the coral grass can be seen. Because it is very rare plant, to harvest it is forbidden in Japan, but Europe people seem to eat it as vegetables. It is usually green, but it turns red in an autumn. By the way, the coral grass in the Hokkaido is difference from the coral grass in the Inland Sea.
Lake Saroma
Lake Saroma (サロマ湖) is a brackish water lake among Kitami city, Saroma town and Yubetsu town, and is the 3rd largest lake after Lake Biwa (琵琶湖) and Lake Kasumigaura (霞ヶ浦) in Japan. A sandbar of 200 to 700 m width separates the lake from the Sea of Okhotsk (オホーツク海), and the lake links the sea with only 2 points. In old days, the sandbar separeted the lake from the sea depending on seasons perfectly. The perimeter of the lake is about 87 km, and the maximum depth is 19.6 m. The lake has no name in Ainu language, and they called it just lake. It is well-known for tasty seafood such as Oyster and Scallop, and fishing Japanese pond smelt is popular in a winter. Read More

An express bus "Dreamint Okhotsk-go (ドリーミントオホーツク号)" runs between the Sapporo and the Kitami, and Limited Express Sekihoku-go (特急石北号), an express bus, runs between the Kitami and Asahikawa, and Senpoku-go (釧北号), an express bus, runs between the Kitami and Kushiro, and an express bus "Engaru-go (えんがる号)" runs between the Sapporo and Engaru. Besides, Rent-a-car can be rented around Kitami Station.
List of Coral Grass Colony Tourist Attractions
The Cape Kimuaneppu, the Wakka Primeval Flower Garden, the Kerochi Coral Grass Colony and the Cape Sango are around the Lake Saroma. My visited places are as follows.
Cape Kimuaneppu Coral Grass Colony
Cape Kimuaneppu Coral Grass Colony (キムアネップ崎アッケシソウ群生地) is near an entrance of Kimuaneppu-saki Campsite. A wooden path with about 110 m in length is built on the colony, and a lookout is set at the end of the wooden path. Various primeval flowers bloom along the wooden path, and it has an atmosphere such as a primeval flower garden. The wooden path is short, so visitors can not look around the whole colony, but they can view the coral grass without getting dirty shoes. The whole lakeshore covered with a red carpet can be enjoyed in a distance. It takes about 20 minutes to see it fully. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. A restroom and the parking lot are on the site. Nothing is built around here, but restaurants are built in Hamasaroma (浜佐呂間) that is 6 km away from here.









Atmosphere of Coral Grass Colony Can Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Coral Grass Colony around Lake Saroma
Admission fee | Free of charge |
---|---|
Parking lot | Free parking is provided (20 Cars) |
Business hours | Open 24 hours |
Regular closing day | Open all year round |
Telephone number | +81-1587-2-1200 |
Home page | Home page is here |
Mapcode | 525 663 164*51 |
Coral Grass Colony of Wakka Primeval Flower Garden
Wakka Primeval Flower Garden is in the eastern part of the Lake Saroma. Raitokoro River (ライトコロ川) drains into the Lake Saroma, and Coral Grass Colony grows along an inlet. It takes about 10 minutes from Wakka Nature Center to the Coral Grass Colony on foot. A wooden path is built on the lakeshore, so visitors can observe Coral Grass closely. The Red Coral Grass goes well with the wooden path and the lake. When I visited here in late Octorber, 2018, it was said that fall foliage of the Coral Grass was almost over. I think that the lakeshore covered with red color is worth seeing. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Article of the Wakka Primeval Flower Garden is here














Kerochi Coral Grass Colony
Kerochi Kotsu Park (計呂地交通公園) is in the southern part of the Lake Saroma, and Yubetsu town keeps former Kerochi Station as a park. It has a public restroom, a watering place, a steam locomotive, a park golf ground and the Kerochi Coral Grass Colony, and a staying is available at a house of stationmaster and a passenger car, too. An accommodation charge of the house of the stationmaster is JPY 500, and The accommodation charge of the passenger car is JPY 300. But they do not serve bedding, so cycling travelers and motorcycle travelers often use those. Seafood souvenir shops are built around the park. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge.
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The Kerochi Coral Grass Colony is in the innermost of the park. About 300 m length of a wooden path is built on the marshland. But I could not hardly see Coral Grass when I visited here in late Octorber, 2018.






Atmosphere of Kerochi Coral Grass Colony Can Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Kerochi Coral Grass Colony
Admission fee | Free of charge |
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Parking lot | Free parking is provided (10 Cars) |
Business hours | 24 hours |
Regular closing day | From November to April |
Telephone number | +81-90-7051-5656 |
Home page | Home page is here |
Mapcode | 404 387 086*11 |
Coral Grass Colony of Cape Sango
The Cape Sango is in the western part of the Lake Saroma, and its formal name is Tsurunuma Primeval Flower Garden (鶴沼原生花園). Coral Grass Colony grows along an inlet, so here took after another nmae of the Coral Grass (Sango-so * Sango means coral in Japanese). The cape is not touristy, so few people visit here. Drive safe because a road to the Cape Sango is narrow. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge.


Movie of Cape Sango
The Coral Grass at the Cape Sango has been designed as a natural monument in Hokkaido. In addition, the only suspension bridge is built in Coral Grass Colony of Hokkaido. Visitors go across the bridge to the Coral Grass Colony. When I visited here in late Octorber, 2018, it was nearly the best time to see the red Coral Grass. The visitors can walk to observe the red Coral Grass on sandy beach closely. But your shoes may get wet on the wet sandy beach, so I guess that you wear rain boots. By the way, views from here are comfortable, too.













Atmosphere of Cape Sango Can Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Cape Sango
Admission fee | Free of charge |
---|---|
Parking lot | Free parking is provided (4 Cars) |
Business hours | 24 hours |
Regular closing day | Open all year round or winter season |
Telephone number | - |
Home page | Home page is not provided |
Mapcode | 404 650 683*44 |
List of Accommodations
Refer to following websites for the accommodations around the Lake Saroma. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
Saroma
Tokoro
Yubetsu
A page of Lake Saroma is here
Lake Saroma
A page of Hokkaido Fall Foliage is here
Hokkaido Fall Foliage
By the way, Club Tourism (クラブツーリズム), a Japanese tour travel agency, provides various types of tours such as day trip tours or ordinary tours. In the case of bus tours, tourists do not drive their cars themselves, so they can savor alcohol. Choosen tourist attractions are national parks such as Rishiri and Rebun, Shiretoko, and popular tourist places such as Furano and Biei, and some activities such as hiking and fruit picking are also enjoyed depending on seasons. If you are interested in tour trips, you should visit the club tourism's website for details.
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