Fukaura, Aomori Prefecture
A visit to Aoike Pond at Juniko Dappled sunlight and a fallen tree beneath the water
Juniko is the collective name for 33 lakes and ponds surrounded by beech forest in the western part of the Shirakami Mountains. The best-known is Aoike Pond. Late one morning in June, I stood inside the deck railing and took my time looking at the trees beneath the water and the sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Here’s the view I saw and the story of my visit to Juniko (Aoike Pond) late one June morning.
SummerLate morning in June
Dappled sunlight and a fallen tree beneath the water
The moment I turned toward the pond from the wooden deck, I caught my breath. The water, ringed by forest, was so unmistakably blue. I’d come to see how the blue compared with the photos. The moment I saw it, though, I forgot all about comparing. I looked down at the pond, my hands still lightly clasped at my chest. It was so close, yet my gaze felt drawn right down into the water.
After I’d been looking for a while, a fallen tree began to emerge beneath the water. A huge, decaying beech tree rests on the bottom of Aoike Pond. Apparently, the water is clear enough for you to see it. I’d been focused on the blue, but now I found myself wondering which way the trunk stretched. Following it with my eyes beneath the surface, I stopped seeing it as simply a beautiful pool and began to sense the depth of the place.
I thought I was watching what lay beneath the water, but then I noticed the trees reflected on the surface. There was forest above the pond and forest on its surface, too. I shifted my gaze to a patch of sunlight sparkling through the leaves, then went back to look for the fallen tree. For a moment, I couldn’t tell which one I was looking at, and I laughed a little. So much to look at, all packed into such a small space.
It’s called Juniko, meaning “Twelve Lakes,” and yet there are 33 lakes and ponds. The name apparently came from the 12 lakes and ponds visible from Kuzure-yama. After walking into the forest to see Aoike Pond, it was easy to picture all the others hidden from view. I’d thought the name told me everything, but now I wanted to walk on and see the other ponds, too.
Juniko is said to have formed when a major earthquake in 1704 triggered a landslide. Standing in front of this quiet pool surrounded by trees, it’s hard to imagine such a powerful upheaval. I looked again at the fallen tree before me and the slopes around the pond. Thinking of how much time it took for this forest to become what it is now, I wanted to remember the whole place, not just the blue that first took me by surprise.
Before leaving the deck, I slowly lowered my hands from where I’d held them clasped at my chest. However many photos I take, before I leave I still want to take one last look for myself. And on the way back, I’m looking forward to Fukaura Tuna Steak Rice Bowl, too. I heard it comes as three small bowls: sashimi, tuna seared on one side, and tuna seared on both sides. I can’t decide which to try first. After gazing at a forest pool, I can enjoy the taste of the sea in the same town. It made me want to stretch today’s trip a little longer.
The story sections are fiction inspired by this location. For accurate information, please consult official tourism and information websites.
Local specialty
Fukaura Tuna Steak Rice Bowl
This local specialty features wild bluefin tuna from Fukaura Town, served in three small bowls: sashimi, tuna seared on one side, and tuna seared on both sides. It’s also featured at Akashōbin, the restaurant at Aone Shirakami Juniko. I’d love to have it after seeing Aoike Pond, and now I’m looking forward to comparing the tuna prepared both ways.
Highlights
A beech tree on the pond floor, visible through crystal-clear water
Aoike Pond is so clear you can see a fallen tree on its bed. Its cobalt-blue surface is famous. I loved moving my gaze from the trees reflected above to the ones below, caught up in seeing both in the same pond.
33 lakes and ponds, and the name Juniko
Juniko is a group of lakes and ponds in the western Shirakami Mountains, said to have formed in a landslide triggered by the 1704 earthquake. Its name comes from the 12 lakes and ponds visible from Kuzure-yama. Even after taking my time at Aoike Pond, I found myself curious about the other ponds in the forest.
Road details
Route from National Route 101 to Juniko
From coastal National Route 101, I make my way into Juniko and continue on foot through the forest to Aoike Pond. The thought of continuing from the sea to a forest pool had me excited even before I arrived.
As I leave the coast and head from National Route 101 toward Juniko, the scenery shifts from sea to forest. At Aoike Pond, I stopped walking and compared the tree beneath the water with the sunlight filtering through the leaves.
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