Lake Saroma

Lake Saroma

This lake with a shoreline of 91 km in the heart of Abashiri Quasi-National Park is the largest in Hokkaido and the third-largest in Japan after Lake Biwa and Lake Kasumigaura. It is separated from the Sea of Okhotsk by a 20-km long sandbar. The blue color of the lake's beautiful surface is called Saroman blue. From mid-May to September, over 300 varieties of flowers bloom in splendor in wild flower gardens and forest parks, and the deep red glassworts can be seen around September. In the middle of Lake Saroma is a rocky hill with an observation deck at its top where visitors can take in a view of the entire lake. A walking path weaves through the virgin forests along the lakeshore for about 5 km, where animals such as Ezo red foxes can be spotted.