Drive along National Route 121 from Aizu towards Yonezawa, and you will find the lake further at the foot of the Iide Mountain Range in Yamagata Prefecture.
Iide Town, Nishimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture, Shirakawa Lake.
It is a reservoir of the Shirakawa Dam completed in 1981 (Showa 56). Usually, it is a quiet dam lake surrounded by greenery in the mountains.
However, during a specific time in spring, this lake shows a completely different expression.
Many trees rise up from the surface of the lake.
The "submerged forest" that appears only for one month in spring.
This scenery is called submerged forest.
Originally, there was ground at the bottom of the lake, where white willow trees grow. Normally, the water of Shirakawa Lake only slightly submerges the lower parts of those trees.
But in spring──.
Meltwater from the mountains of the Iide Mountain Range flows into the dam all at once. The water level of the lake rises dramatically. As a result, the trunks of the white willows that were growing at the bottom of the lake become submerged up to the middle.
Thus, a landscape appears where "the trees look like they are growing out of the water".
This can be seen only for about two months from late March to mid-May. The timing when the lake is full and the white willows begin to sprout leaves coincides perfectly.
By summer, the water level drops, and the white willows return to being ordinary shoreline trees.
A mystical morning mist.
The best time to see the submerged forest is in the early morning.
In the morning, a thin mist rises above the lake surface. The fresh green white willows float there. Only the outlines of the trunks and leaves can be seen through the mist. It is a scenery that feels as if you have wandered into an ink wash painting.
If you go out onto the lake by canoe, you can paddle through the mist. The experience of looking up at the submerged forest from just above the water's surface while slipping between the trees has a depth that cannot be conveyed through photographs.
Walking after knowing, Lake Shirakawa
When we guide customers at Lake Shirakawa, we always start by telling them, "This view can only be seen for two months a year." Many customers are surprised and say, "Oh, I didn't know that."
The fact that seasonal scenery can be seen becomes a harvest of the journey itself. It will be remembered as "the year I saw the submerged forest of Lake Shirakawa this spring."
When you visit during the rainy season or summer, it looks like just a dam lake. The autumn foliage isn't bad either. However, once you see that ephemeral scenery in spring, it becomes a place with a mysterious power that makes you want to see it again.
If you visit Lake Shirakawa
Best viewing period
Late March to mid-May. This is a limited period when the timing of the snowmelt and the budding of the white willow coincide. It is said that the peak is usually from mid-April to early May.
Access
Iide Town, Nishimurayama District, Yamagata Prefecture. About a 2-hour drive from Aizuwakamatsu. The route via Yonezawa is easy to understand.
Canoe experience
The experience of the submerged forest from the lake surface is organized by local canoe guide operators. The early morning departure plan offers the most beautiful scenery. Advance booking is essential.
Places to visit together
- Yonezawa (Yamagata Prefecture) ── About a 30-minute drive from Lake Shirakawa. Enjoy Yonezawa beef and Uesugi culture.
- Aizu and Kitakata ── On the way back to Aizu from Lake Shirakawa. Kitakata ramen and walking through the town of warehouses.
- Lake Hibara ── The same theme of 'water and lakes.' A journey comparing the lake created by the 1888 eruption of Mount Bandai and a modern dam lake.
Would you like to join us on a journey to encounter stories?
At Tabinoito, our guide Catherine, who has lived in Urabandai and Aizu for half a century, shares stories of the land not found in guidebooks, providing personalized tours for one group per day.
A 2-night, 3-day course combining Lake Shirakawa in spring, Yonezawa, and Aizu, including an early morning canoe experience, can be customized according to your requests. Leave all the long-distance driving and arrangements to us.
"I want to see the scenery that only exists in spring" or "I want to take a photo trip with my spouse" ─ whatever your requests, feel free to ask. Consultation is fine, and we will not pressure you with persistent sales tactics.
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Related articles:
The village submerged at the bottom of the lake ── Memories of Hibara Village erased by the 1888 eruption of Mount Bandai
Reference materials
- Submerged Forest (Official Iide Town)
- Submerged Forest of Lake Shirakawa (Yamagata Prefecture Tourism and Product Association)
- Shirakawa Dam (Dam Guide)
- On-site coverage (visit and interviews by Tabinoito guide Catherine)
The author of this article
Catherine ── A guide who has lived in Fukushima's Urabandai and Aizu for half a century. Founder of the private tour company Tabinoito. With over 30 years of guiding experience, deeply knowledgeable about the local nature, history, and cultural beliefs. We provide tours of Urabandai and Aizu, sharing stories of the land that are not found in guidebooks, limited to one group per day.
