2016-11-11

Jizo statue and the moon





Jizo statue and the moon
Mt. Jizo
ZAO, Japan

Jizō is a Bodhisattva, one who achieves enlightenment but postpones Buddhahood until all can be saved. 





2016-10-07

Morning glow of Crater-lake





Morning glow of Crater-lake
ZAO, Japan


Okama takes the place of the most popular site during spring to autumn. Okama is a circle crater lake surrounded by the three mountains of the Zao Mountain Range, i.e. Kattadake, Kumanodake, and Goshikidake.

This lake was named Okama after Japanese traditional cooking pot (kama) from its shape, and has been beloved by all.







This lake also has another name of “Goshikiko” (lake of five colors) since its surface of emerald green changes its color according to the sunlight. 

No creatures can inhabit here due to its highly acidic lake water. 

This is an exclusive lake in the world in terms of its water layer structure where the water temperature decreases to 2℃ until 10 m deep and then increases in further depth.

There have been 26 eruptions in Zao up to date, and the latest one occurred on February 15, 1895.

The lake was 63 m deep when measured in 1939, but it was gradually buried over years due to the collapse of Goshikidake cliff walls, which resulted in the size of maximum depth of 27.6 m, average depth of 17.8 m, circuit of 1,080 m, 325 m east to west, and 325 m north to south in 1968.





2016-10-06

2016-10-05

Vacant look




Vacant look of Japanese serow
ZAO, Japan



The Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus) is a Japanese goat-antelope, an even-toed ungulate mammal. 
 They are black to whitish, and colouring lightens in summer. The fur is very bushy, especially the tail. Both sexes have short, backwards-curving horns and are difficult to distinguish by sight. Japanese serow are found in dense mountain forests where they eat leaves, shoots, and acorns.

In the mid-20th century the Japanese serow was hunted to near-extinction. In 1955 the Japanese government passed a law designating it a "Special National Monument" to protect it from poachers. Populations have since grown so greatly that IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals ranks it "least concern".






Golden ray




Golden ray
ZAO, Japan


A track in the col




A track in the col
ZAO, Japan


Crater-lake in the haze




Crater-lake in the haze
ZAO, Japan



With a height of 1841 meters, Mount Zao is one of the most prominent mountains in the Tohoku Region.

The active volcano features a beautiful crater with lake, known as Okama (御釜) due to its resemblance with a traditional cooking pot.

A spectacular road, the Zao Echo Line, leads to close to one of Mount Zao's secondary peaks, called Kattadake (1758 meters), tourists can view the Okama Crater without much effort.