SUNRISE AT LAKE MASHU (摩周湖), Teshikaga (弟子屈), Hokkaido (北海道), Japan, 2019.06.19

Day 5 (1/3).

Leaving Shitetoko behind, we drove southwest towards another natural marvel of Eastern Hokkaido, the Akan Mashu National Park (阿寒摩周国立公園). On the lush green plains, stratovolcanoes emerged from the horizon, revealing the violent past of the local geology. Hot springs, crater lakes, and stratovolcanoes define the characteristics of the area, and have led to the creation of the national park in 1934. Just 15 minutes of drive from the Viewing Platform 1 of Lake Mashu (摩周湖), we checked in at Masyuko Youth Hostel (摩周湖ユースホステル). That night, we woke up at 2:30am and drove to the Viewing Platform 1 of Lake Mashu to watch the sunrise, a famous scenic sight in Hokkaido. In the summer, the sun rises at around 3:30am in Hokkaido, leaving us little time for sleep.

On our way to Akan Mashu National Park , we could see stratovolcanoes rose from the horizon in a distance.

Masyuko Youth Hostel offered us a comfortable place for a short rest before venturing out again to watch the sunrise.

Arriving at Viewing Platform 1 of Lake Mashu, we were stunned to see a sea of clouds blanketed over the area of Kawayu Onsen (川湯温泉).

Looking down from Viewing Platform 1, the water of Lake Mashu appeared like a crystal clear mirror.

Claimed as the clearest lake in the world (with transparency measured at 41.6m back in 1931), Lake Mashu is a beautiful crater lake where visitors can enjoy the scenery from two viewing platforms along the crater rim. The clarity might have slightly declined in recent decades, but Lake Mashu is still nevertheless an extremely beautiful water body.

Occasionally sea of clouds would appear over Lake Mashu, but not during our visit.

Soon the sun emerged behind the distant mountains to the east.

We enjoyed moments of tranquility at the viewing platform.

Several tourists and photographers stood among us at the viewing platform to watch the sunrise.

While the sun gradually rose over the crater lake, the moon still lingered in the sky behind us.

When the sun was up, the blue water and lush green surroundings changed the ambience of Lake Mashu into a different picture.

The deep blue Mashu Lake looked mysterious and surreal, almost too beautiful to be true.

The rim of the crater lake is now covered by dense vegetation.

On the other side, clouds and fog continued to cover the foot of Mount Iō (アトサヌプリ) and the Kawayu Onsen (川湯温泉) area.

The entire Kawayu Onsen (川湯温泉) area was blanked in thick fog.

Over to the southwest we could see the stratovolcanoes near what could be the Lake Akan area.

Down in Lake Mashu, the small island stood like a feature sculpture at the centre.

The sea of clouds at Mount Iō (アトサヌプリ) and Kawayu Onsen (川湯温泉) subsided a little as the sun rose further up.

Moisture and thin mist emerged over the water of Lake Mashu. The mist moved rapidly over the water as if dancing. At one point thicker mist gathered over the small island like a cotton shield.

The mist over the island soon dispersed into thin air. As the sun reached high in the sky, we returned to the hostel for another few hours of sleep before coming back to Lake Mashu for hiking later in the day.