Know Shirakami Mountains?

Ao-ike or Lake Blue
Due to refraction, the lake looks mysterious 

In 1993, nearly 17000 ha of the Shirakami Mountains was recognized as a World Heritage Site. It was one of the first designations in Japan along with Horyu-ji temple, Himeji Castle, and Yakushima Island.

Situated in the mountains of Tohoku, this trackless site includes the last virgin remains of the cool-temperate forest of Siebold's beech trees that once covered the hills and mountain slopes of northern Japan. The black bear, the serow and 87 species of birds can be found in this forest.

The Shirakami Mountains comprise a maze of steep sided hills with summits rising to just over 1,200 m. Many streams have their sources within the area and it is an important water catchment area.

The beech forests were already formed some 8000 years back. It is believed that the beech forests grew soon after the end of the glacial age. They have never been cultivated, mainly because beech trees were useless.

However, the trees came to be processed into musical instruments in the 1970s and logging projects were proposed. The construction of a forest road started in Akita but was halted due to active opposition. People in Aomori were fiercely against the projects, which changed the attitude of the Aomori Prefecture. In 1988, the construction was suspended.

The thirty three lakes which form the Juni-ko area are considered to have been formed from the rivers isolated by the landslides in 1704. Juni-ko means twelve lakes but as already mentioned there are thirty three lakes. But at least there seems to be a specific point from which the exact 12 lakes can be seen. That’s where the large scale landslide happened and its trace is still visible.

Serious alpinists will try some of the peaks but casual easy forest walk is also possible.

Wear comfortable walking shoes and explore the Juni-ko area, hopefully with a local guide (and me as an interpreter). Fantastic lakes, trees, air, wind, soil, sky, light and shadow.

The Japanese beech, Siebold's beech, or buna:

A deciduous tree of the beech family Fagaceae. Native to Japan and one of the dominant trees of Japan's deciduous forests.

Walk the beech forest and breathe the fresh air