DISCOVER FUKUI

The Five Lakes of Mikata—Mikata, Suigetsu, Sugako, Kugushiko, and Hiruga—are all clustered together into a small area of southern Fukui, but all distinct from one another. Each one has a different depth and a different level of salt in its water, making each lake a different color. Lake Hiruga, the deepest lake, is as salty as seawater, making it excellent for fishing. These lakes are a popular destination for birdwatchers in winter, too, when many migratory ducks and sea eagles pass through.

The bottom of Lake Suigetsu, the largest of these lakes, has an unusual formation called “varves.” Varves are thin layers that form each year, and researchers have used them to determine events such as flooding and earthquakes over the past 30,000 years.

The nearby Rainbow Line is an 11-kilometer road through the mountains, with panoramic scenery far above the Five Lakes of Mikata.

In November 2005, the area was registered as a Ramsar Convention wetland, and in 2019, its sustainable fishing culture was recognized as a Japan Agricultural Heritage Site.