[Onneto Observation Deck in Ashoro] Lake Water Turning into 5 Colors Spreads in Front of Eyes

Onneto Observation Deck

Onneto Observation Deck (オンネトー展望デッキ) is on the west side of Lake Onneto located in the southeastern direction of Lake Akan in Akan Mashu National Park (阿寒摩周国立公園), and is a tourist attraction that most of tourists visit in the neighborhood of the Lake Onneto. A wooden observation deck is buil on the lakeshore. The lake turning into 5 colors, Mt. Meakandake (雌阿寒岳) and Mt. Akanfuji (阿寒富士) can be seen. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. A restroom is built near the parking lot. A trail to Onneto Lookout (オンネトー展望台) is provided beside the restroom, too. Drive safely because the parking lot is small, and Hokkaido Road 664 is narrow.

Lake Onneto (オンネトー) is a dammed lake born by an eruption of Mt. Meakan (雌阿寒岳) in Ashoro town. The Onnneto means “Aged Marsh” or “Large Marsh” in Ainu language. The perimeter of the lake is about 2.5 km, and the maximum water depth is about 10 m, and the lake is not so large. The Lake Onneto is one of the three major secret lakes together with Lake Ocotanpe (オコタンペ湖) and Lake Shinonome (東雲湖) in Hokkaido. Because colors of water look azure blue and emerald green depending on seasons, places, directions of wind and weather, the lake is called “Goshikinuma (五色沼 * Marsh turning into 5 colors)”, and it is said that the colors of the water is the most beautiful in Hokkaido. It seems to look beautiful in particular if weather is bad. The water turning into 5 colors is acid with ph 6, and fishes can not inhabit, but only Uchida Crawfish (内田ザリガニ) and Yezo Salamander (エゾサンショウウオ) inhabit in the water. Creatures seem to be able to adapt to harsh environment.

Lake Onneto

Lake Onneto (オンネトー) is a dammed lake born by an eruption of Mt. Meakandake (雌阿寒岳) in Ashoro town located in the southwestern direction of Lake Akan (阿寒湖). The perimeter of the lake is about 4 km. The Lake Onneto is one of the three major secret lakes together with Lake Ocotanpe (オコタンペ湖), Lake Shinonome (東雲湖) in Hokkaido. Because colors of water look azure blue and emerald green depending on seasons, places, directions of wind and weather, it is called “Goshikinuma (五色沼 * Marshes with 5 Colors)” and is said that the colors of the water is the most beautiful in Hokkaido. It seems to look beautiful if weather in particular is bad. The water turning into 5 colors is acid with ph 6, and fishes can not inhabit, but Uchida Crawfish (内田ザリガニ) and Yezo Salamander (エゾサンショウウオ) inhabit. Creatures seem to be able to adapt to harsh environment. Wooden paths are built around the Lake Onneto and tourists can make a round trip for about 60 minutes. In an autumn, a lot of visitors come to see fall foliage. There is the lake on the foot of Mt. Meakandake and are Onneto Observation Deck (オンネトー展望デッキ), Onneto Hot Falls (オンネトー湯の滝), Onneto Campsite (オンネトー野営場), Onneto Observatory (オンネトー展望台) and Meakan Onsen (雌阿寒温泉) near the Lake Onneto. Read More

The Lake Onneto is in Ashoro town, but the distance is around 50 km away from the center of the Ashoro, and the distance is around 20 km away from Akako Onsen Resort (阿寒湖温泉街), so a convenience store is not built around here. But Onneto-Chaya (オンネトー茶屋) is relatively near here, and tourists can have a lunch there. There are the Mt. Meakandake, the Mt. Akanfuji, the Lake Onento, Onneto Hot Falls (オンネトー湯の滝), Onneto Campsite (オンネトー野営場), Onneto Lookout (オンネトー展望台), Meakan Onsen (雌阿寒温泉) and Rawanbuki Field (ラワンブキ観賞ほ場) around here, and trails are built, too. As for the Lake Onento, Cherry blossoms can be enjoyed in a spring, fresh green can be enjoyed in a summer, fall foliage can be enjoyed in an autumn, especially, the lake is famous as one of best places to see the fall foliage in Hokkaido.

Onneto Hot Falls

Onneto Hot Falls (オンネトー湯の滝) is a hot spring waterfall in the southwestern direction of Lake Onneto located in the southeastern direction of Lake Akan in Akan Mashu National Park (阿寒摩周国立公園), and has been designed as a special natural monument in Japan since 2010 because precious natural manganese was discovered. The manganese that is often used for a dry cell is generated on the ocean floor most commonly, so here is very precious place to see the generating manganese on the ground. In addition, it is said that here is the largest generating manganese place on the ground. By the way, water is hot, and Guppy and Tilapia breed in very cold ground of Hokkaido, and it become a problem. Those are removing at a pond now. It takes 20 minutes from a parking lot to here on foot. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. There is a restroom near the parking lot. Read More

Onneto Lookout

Onneto Lookout (オンネトー展望台) is a viewing place on the west side of Lake Onneto located in the southeastern direction of Lake Akan in Akan Mashu National Park (阿寒摩周国立公園). Visitors go up a mountain from North Trailhead (北登山口) beside a restroom near Onneto Observation Deck (オンネトー展望デッキ), and reach to a monitoring hut for volcanoes and a resting place on the viewing place at about 690 m above sea level. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More

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Meakan Onsen

Meakan Onsen (雌阿寒温泉) is a hot spring place in Ashoro town located in the northwestern direction of Kushiro city, and is well-knonw as a secter onsen in a mountain at around 720 m above sea level in Akan Mashu National Park (阿寒摩周国立公園). Only Nonaka Onsen (野中温泉), Nonaka Onsen Annex Building (野中温泉別館), Kiefuku (景福), a public parking lot and a public restroom are built at an entrance of Lake Onneto (オンネトー). A lot of hikers come to go up Mt. Meakandake (雌阿寒岳) or Mt. Akanfuji (阿寒富士), and here is popular for the Lake Oneneto and rare type of hot springs. The distance is around 50 km away from the center of the Ashoro, and the distance is around 20 km away from Akako Onsen Resort (阿寒湖温泉街), so a convenience store is not built. But Onneto-Chaya (オンネトー茶屋) is a little away from here, and tourists can have a lunch there. Read More

Lake Onneto from Onneto Observation Deck

The Onneto Observation Deck is the size that about 20 people can enter, and the Lake Onneto, the Mt. Meakandake, and the Mt. Akanfuji can be seen. Different colors of the lake can be enjoyed depending on seasons or time, so enjoy 4 seasons of the lake. People say “In a spring, melting ice and 2 mountains can be enjoyed, In a summer, a conbination of fresh green, 2 mountains and the lake can be enjoyed, In an autumn, fall foliage, and snow-covered 2 mountains and the lake can be enjoyed”. In a winter, the road is cloed, so visitors can make a snowshoe trip from the Meakan Onsen. I think that the snow lake is beautiful, too. I visited here in the summer and the autumn, and each lakes were good colors.

Atmosphere of Lake Onneto Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Lake Onneto

List of Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations around the Lake Onneto. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

Meakan Onsen

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Yama-no-Yado Nonaka Onsen(山の宿 野中温泉)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten