Submerged Forest at Shirakawa Lake Look beneath the leaves and there’s another tree

In early May, I paused by Shirakawa Lake. The trees in front of me were full of bright new leaves, and there they were again just below, mirrored in the water. Looking at those reflections, I could see the green spread much farther than I’d imagined.

My driving friend pointed out a tree trunk, and I followed it with my eyes from the branch fork down. It just kept going, straight into the water. With no ground in sight, even an ordinary tree looked completely different.

They say this view appears when spring snowmelt fills the lake. The water around the trunks is all from winter’s snow. With those new leaves above it, it feels as if spring has travelled down from the mountains to the lake.

I tugged my coat closed and took another look at the water. A big branch on the tree to my right split into finer branches in the reflection below. ‘That same branch is down there, too,’ I said, and my friend turned to look where I was looking.

Next, I want to have ramen made with wild mountain vegetables at Shirakawa-so. After a morning by the lake, something warm sounds just right. My eyes are still on the water, but I’ve already picked the next little stop.

Standing beside my friend, I looked at the first tree again. At first, I’d only noticed the leaves; now my eyes kept following the trunk down into the water. If I come back to see the fresh green of the submerged forest, I’d happily spend another morning just like this.