Lake Kussharo Silence of WinterMinistry of Environment
Three picturesque caldera lakes, a majestic landscape of forests and volcanoes, and the unique vegetation and the animals that call it home. The Akan-Mashu National Park in Hokkaido is one of the most pristine natural areas in Japan. It is also a place where the culture of the Ainu people, the indigenous people who have lived in harmony with nature since ancient times, has been passed down from generation to generation.
Lake Kussharo Silence of WinterMinistry of Environment
A Stunning Landscape Sculptured by Volcanic Activity
A caldera lake is a body of water that forms in a depression created after a volcanic eruption. In Akan-Mashu National Park, three caldera lakes, Lake Kussharo, Lake Akan, and Lake Mashu, are located in close proximity to each other, creating a unique topography that has resulted in a dynamic landscape.
Lake Mashu ObservatoryMinistry of Environment
Lake Mashu
Lake Mashu, one of the most transparent lakes in the world, is surrounded by cliffs of 300 to 400 meters in height. The lake is usually shrouded in thick fog, but when it clears, it reveals a deep blue, shimmering surface—a truly fantastic sight.
The overwhelming clarity of the water is due to the special topography of the lake, which has no rivers flowing into it; rainwater filters through the soil and is then carried into the caldera, creating the tranquil blue surface of the lake.
Lake KussharoMinistry of Environment
Lake Kussharo
Lake Kussharo is the largest caldera lake in Japan. In winter, whooper swans rest their wings after completing their journey from Siberia; visitors can soak themselves in the hot springs that appear along the lakeside while watching the beautiful white birds come and go.
In summer, water sports such as canoeing and sailing are popular. In mid-winte, the entire surface of the lake freezes over; if you are lucky, you may witness the phenomenon of omiwatari – fractured ice ridges that can sometimes snake along the lake surface for up to 10km.
SwanMinistry of Environment
Lake AkanMinistry of Environment
Lake Akan
Lake Akan is known as the habitat of the marimo, algae balls that form that are a special natural treasure. Each season brings its own unique pleasures: alpine plants in spring and summer, autumn foliage in autumn, and pond smelt fishing on the lake in winter.
The surrounding area is lined with impressive mountains, such as Mount Meakan, which is a popular destination for climbers. Meanwhile, Lake Onneto (also known as Goshiki-numa, or the “five-color marsh”) near Lake Akan changes its appearance depending on the season, wind direction and the location of where the viewer is standing.
Lake Akan Winter sceneryMinistry of Environment
Mount Iō (Atosanupuri)Ministry of Environment
An Ecosystem Born from Volcanic Activity
Volcanoes provide more than just spectacular scenery. The nutrient-rich hot springs that gush out from the bottom of the lakes in the area produce a large number of plankton, which provides food for fish such as kokanee trout, salmon, and Japanese huchen.
Ezo deerMinistry of Environment
The volcanic soil supports lush coniferous forests filled with Ezo spruce and Sakhalin fir and provides a home for animals such as brown bears, Ezo deer, Blakiston's fish owls, and red foxes. The indigenous Ainu people have nurtured a deep sense of spirituality in the course of living in close contact with this natural environment.
Lake Akan Ainu TheatreMinistry of Environment
The Ainu and the Kamuy
The Ainu are an indigenous people who have traditionally lived from northern Tohoku to Hokkaido and on the Karafuto (Sakhalin) and Chishima (Kuril) islands. Akan Mashu National Park is home to two Ainu kotans, villages where the culture of the Ainu people lives on and where visitors can experience the spirituality of the original inhabitants of this land.
Ms. Keiko Saito, Telling stories of Ainu CultureMinistry of Environment
The Ainu people call various things in the natural world "Kamuy," which could be translated as "god," and regard them as objects of worship," says Keiko Saito, who lives near Lake Kussharo and promotes Ainu culture with a particular focus on the characteristics of this region.
Akan Mashu National Park SnowscapeMinistry of Environment
“The Ainu people believe that everything from animals, plants, and insects to natural phenomena such as rain and wind are Kamuy, and thus have made them objects of reverence and worship. Kamuy usually look like humans and live in the heavens, but they sometimes come down to earth in the form of brown bears and deer, clad in meat and fur. The Ainu and Kamuy do not have a one-sided relationship, but actually help each other.”
Mr. Akira Isori, descendant of AinuMinistry of Environment
Saito's partner, Hiromi Isori, who is of Ainu descent, works as an Ainu sculpture artist near Lake Kussharo. Isori describes one particular Ainu spiritual custom.
Lake Kussharo Ainu Altar "Nusasan"Ministry of Environment
“When brown bears are taken in the wild during winter bear cave hunting, if a mother bear is found, we receive its meat and fur; its cub will be taken back to the kotan to be raised with love. After one or two years, there is a big ceremony called the Iomante where the bear is sacrificed and its soul returns to heaven; if the soul of the animal tells others that it was treated with great care, it is hoped that other Kamuy will come to earth in the form of animals. The ritual is therefore performed as a wish for the cycle of souls.”
Mr. Masao Nishida, the owner of Chinita Folkart Shop at Akanko Ainu KotanMinistry of Environment
Taking Only what is Needed from Nature
Masao Nishida, who lives on the shores of Lake Akan and serves as a priest in Ainu rituals, explains that there is an Ainu saying that translates to, "If you have food to eat, clothes to wear, and firewood, that's enough.”
Forest of Onnetō in MarchMinistry of Environment
“My grandmother used to tell me this. When you catch something in the forest, you leave some of its organs for the crows and foxes; in turn, the animals will help us. For example, if you go toward the sound of foxes, you may find a school of salmon. The Ainu way of thinking is to live by taking only what we need from nature and helping other creatures.”
The moon reflected on the water's surface of Lake KussharoMinistry of Environment
The Lost Ainu Culture
The spirituality inherited by the Ainu people has implications for modern society. However, their culture and beliefs were once in danger of being lost.
Ritual Equipment and Nuts, telling the story of Ainu cultureMinistry of Environment
After the Meiji era (1868-1912), the Japanese government pursued a policy of settling and assimilating the people of Hokkaido, banning the traditional activities of the Ainu people, including salmon and deer hunting, speaking the Ainu language, singing, dancing, and performing rituals.
This not only resulted in the loss of traditional culture, but also had the disastrous effect of creating discrimination against the Ainu people. "There are many people who have lived their lives hiding their Ainu heritage,” laments Saito.
Kushiro River Winter SceneryMinistry of Environment
“When I have spoken with elderly Ainu people, they have told me that their grandparents never tried to pass on the language to the younger generation. They said, 'You are the generation that will learn and live with the Japanese language, so you don't to know it.’
There are many people who were forced to hide their origins due to discrimination and persecution. Throughout this course of history, the culture of the Ainu people, who had no written language, was rapidly disappearing.”
Akanko Ainu KotanMinistry of Environment
Learning About Ainu Culture at the Lake Akan Ainu Kotan
Today, there is a thriving movement to revive lost Ainu traditions and transmit the culture of the Ainu people to the outside world.
The Ainu Kotan on the shores of Lake Akan was created with a free loan from the Maeda Ippoen Foundation, the owner of the land, for the "independence of the Ainu people.” Nishida, who lives in the area, says that the kotan has a history of contributing to the revival of the Ainu culture.
Akan Yukar Lost Kamuy: Lake Akan Ainu TheatreMinistry of Environment
“The Marimo Festival, held every October at Lake Akan, has been held for over 70 years. When the festival first started, Ainu songs and dances were still forbidden.
However, only on the day of the festival, Ainu people from all over were permitted to gather to enjoy Ainu songs and dances. This had an impact on other kotans, and this coming together became one of the catalysts for the Ainu people to reassess their identity in a positive way.”
Akan Yukar Lost Kamuy: Lake Akan Ainu TheatreMinistry of Environment
“The theater at Lake Akan Kotan stages traditional Ainu stories called Yukara with dancing and singing. In recent years, we have also combined the stories with digital art and tried to express them in a modern way.
Even today, we are still exposed to discriminatory words against the Ainu people, but this is not because of malice; it is more because of a lack of knowledge about the Ainu people. If we can communicate effectively about the Ainu people, discrimination can be overcome through greater understanding.”
Lake Kussharo Reflection of the Mountains on the WaterMinistry of Environment
Not “Protecting Nature,” but Mutual Cooperation with the Natural World
It is said that the Ainu language does not have a word for "nature conservation”—nature is not something to be protected, but something that humans help to survive. It is hard not to think of the impasse in modern society that has pushed nature to the point of needing protection.
Nature conservation is also an issue that is being addressed in the Akan-Mashu National Park. Ms. Kamimura, who works as ranger with the Akan-Mashu National Park to protect and utilize Lake Akan, is continuing her efforts to restore the environment where the marimo grows to its former health.
Marimo of Lake Akan: ExhibitionMinistry of Environment
“There are places in Lake Akan where the marimo that once existed have been decimated. The reason for this is said to be soil runoff after deforestation and inadequate wastewater treatment during the period of rapid economic growth, which caused excess organic matter to flow into the lake, affecting the growth environment of the marimo.
There are also areas where organic matter has accumulated around the lake shoreline, so improving the soil is also an issue. Lake Akan is the only place in the world where this large spherical marimo grows, so we have to take steps to protect it.”
Akan Mashu National Park SnowscapeMinistry of Environment
Uemura, meanwhile, notes that he has been hearing from many locals that the number of bears that do not hibernate has increased in recent years. Although there is no clear cause and effect relationship, it is said that this may be due to the lack of food due to rising temperatures and changes in the mountain environment, and an overall imbalance in the ecosystem.
Reflection of the forests on the sufrface of the waterMinistry of Environment
Everything in Nature has a Role to Play
There is a proverb in the Ainu language that expresses their spirituality that goes: Kanto orwa yaku sak no arankep shinep ka isam (Nothing comes from heaven without purpose).
Nurse LogMinistry of Environment
There are aspects of civilization that have developed in a way that has required the conquering of nature for the benefit of humans. However, in the modern society that has emerged as a result of this approach, the kind of symbiotic relationship between nature and humans that the Ainu people have maintained since ancient times seems to be disappearing.
We are left to contemplate what role humans have in the natural ecosystem; what can the natural environment of this place in Japan’s north, which has fostered the belief system of the Ainu people, teach us as we face these questions?
Cooperation with:
Lake Kussharo Ainu Kotan
Lake Akan Ainu Kotan
JIJI Canoe
Photos: Kentaro Hisadomi
Text: Masaya Yamawaka
Edit: Saori Hayashida
Production: Skyrocket Corporation
The content and titles are those at the time of the interview (2024).
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