- September 21st, 2017
- Nature
- Little-KnownGoodSpots
- EasternArea
[Lake Komuke in Monbestu] Red Coral Grass and Paradise of Wild Birds
CONTENTS
Lake Komuke
Lake Komuke (コムケ湖) is a brackish water lake in Monbetsu city located in the northwestern direction of Abashiri city, and means “Bent Marsh” in Ainu language. The perimeter of the lake is about 22.7 km. The maximum water depth is 3.8 m. 3 large and small lakes are connected each other, and are collectively called the Lake Komuke. It is hardly become a sightseeing spot, and a beautiful scenery has been left in its natural state. A sandy road is between the Lake Komuke and the Sea of Okhotsk, and visitors can observe the nature along the road. But pay attention to stuck your car. A lot of flowers grow naturally in sandy beach, and I think that here is a primeval flower garden. The moderate salty lakeshore is suitable for coral grass, and some coral grass colonies are around the lake. It begins turning red in early September. It can be said a valuable place that the natural Coral Grass can be seen. Admission free.
The Lake Komuke is well-known as a paradise of wild birds, and about 170 kinds of the wild birds can be observed. A flamingo that ran away from Asahiyama Zoo (旭山動物園) flew here in old days, too. I asked a person that observed a wild bird by chance. He told me that he observed a Steller’s sea-eagle, and lent his telescope to me. When I watched the Steller’s sea-eagle, it was powerful. In addition, a bear sometimes appears. By the way, here was used in CM of SKII that Mr. Masaharu Fukuyama (福山雅治), a famous singer-songwriter, played the piano as a shooting place.
Movie of SKII CM
The distance is about 20 km away from the center of the Monbetsu, and is about 15 km away from the center of Yubetsu town, and a restaurant, a cafe and a convenience store are not built. Monbetsu Airport (紋別空港), Komuke Primeval Flower Garden (コムケ原生花園) and Lake Shibunotsunai (シブノツナイ湖) are relatively near here. By the way, an express bus “Ryuhyo Monbetsu-go (流氷もんべつ号)” runs between the Sapporo and the Monbetsu.
List of Lake Komuke Tourist Attractions
The Lake Komuke Coral Grass Colony and Komuke International Campsite are around the Lake Lake Komuke. My visited places are as follows.
Lake Komuke Coral Grass Colony
The coral grass grows naturally here and there. There is no sighseeing facility, so the visitors look around to find the coral grass colony theirselves in wearing rainboots. In that case, pay attention not to tread on the coral grass. The coral grass colony can be seen in a distance from the road. But the visitors are allowed to observe the coral grass closely in the Lake Komuke, and I looked around about for 2 hours. I got tired, but it was interesting.
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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 Komuke (コムケ湖), Lake Saroma (サロマ湖) and Lake Notoro (能取湖), 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.
Atmosphere of Lake Komuke and Coral Grass Colony Can Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Lake Komuke and Coral Grass Colony
| Admission fee | Free of charge |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | Parking lot is not provided |
| Business hours | Open 24 hours |
| Regular closing day | Open year all round |
| Telephone number | +81-158-27-5181 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
| Mapcode | 801 418 361*17 |
Komuke International Campsite
Komuke International Campsite (コムケ国際キャンプ場) is in the western side of the Lake Komuke, and opens from late April to late October. A shower facility and a coin-operated washing machine are provided.
Atmosphere of Komuke International Campsite Can Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Komuke International Campsite
| Camping fee | Adult: JPY 200. Child: JPY 100. |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | Free parking lot is provided (68 Cars) |
| Business hours | – |
| Regular closing day | From November to mid April |
| Telephone number | +81-158-27-5181 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
| Mapcode | 1040 002 355*43 |
List of Accommodations
Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Monbetsu. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
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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