Mikatagoko (Tripartite Five Lakes)

Mikata Goko (Five Lakes of Mikata), which straddle the towns of Mihama and Wakasa in Fukui Prefecture, consists of five lakes: Mikata, Suigetsu, Suga, Kyuko, and Hyuga, and is a representative scenic spot of Wakasa Bay National Park.

The lakes have long been mentioned in the Manyoshu (Anthology of Myriad Leaves) and are widely known for their seasonal beauty.

It is designated as a national scenic beauty spot and is registered under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance.

The five lakes, Mikata, Suigetsu, Suga, Hyuga, and Kugako, are characterized by different water qualities, each having the properties of fresh water, sea water, and brackish water. Lake Kugako is directly connected to the Sea of Japan, while lakes Suga and Suigetsu have different ratios of seawater to freshwater.

As a result, a variety of fish inhabit these lakes, and both freshwater and saltwater fish can be seen.

It is also an important habitat for waterfowl, with more than 10,000 waterfowl wintering there and Steller’s sea eagles and white-tailed sea eagles flying in during the winter.

The five lakes are known as the “Five Color Lakes” because of their different water qualities and depths, each of which is a different shade of blue.

The area surrounding the lakes is home to valuable relics, including the Torihama Shell Mound, an archaeological site from the Jomon period. For the people of that time, the lake, forests, and ocean were a familiar environment and a rich source of life. In addition, in 2012, the “chronology” of Lake Suigetsu was recognized as the world’s “standard time” for dating.

The Mikata Goko lakes once existed inland, far from the coast. After the end of the 4th Ice Age, in the early Jomon Period, the sea level rose, and Lake Kujiko became a large inlet. Later, the inlet was blocked by sediment carried by the Mimi River, and the lake became a lagoon. The other lakes are thought to be fault lakes that formed at the sedimentation zone of the Mikata Fault about 500,000 years ago.

From the 11.2-km long prefectural road Mikatagoko Rainbow Line, visitors can clearly feel the difference between the lakes and enjoy the magnificent view of the five lakes and the Sea of Japan. The vast plum fields in the surrounding area are also known as the Wakasa Plum Road.

Lake Mikata

It is a completely freshwater lake with a circumference of 9.6 km, a maximum depth of 5.8 m, and an area of 3.58 km². Carp, crucian carp, moroko, shrimp, and eels can be caught. From winter to spring, the traditional fishing method of “taki-net fishing” is used.

Changes in the climate and vegetation of the Japanese archipelago have been recorded for tens of thousands of years, and changes in the marine environment of the Sea of Japan are also recorded on the lake bottom. Microfossils such as pollen and diatoms have been found in the sediments of the lake bottom, indicating that information has been stored for the past 70,000 years. In addition, taki-net fishing is conducted in Mikata Lake during the winter season.

Lake Suigetsu

With an enclosure of 10.80 km, a maximum depth of 34.0 m, and an area of 4.18 km², it is connected to Mikata Lake by the Setoguchi and to Lake Kuwako by the Urami River ditch.

The bottom of the lake is covered with a series of “annual stripes” deposited over a period of 70,000 years. The annual stripe deposits are used to date the past 70,000 years and serve as an important clock.

The lake is a brackish lake, half seawater and half fresh water, and is a double-bottomed lake, with fresh water in the upper layer and oxygen-free brackish water containing hydrogen sulfide in the lower layer. Due to channel construction, fresh water now flows in from Mikata Lake and brackish water from Lake Kugako. Therefore, the heavy brackish water stays at the bottom of the lake and remains unmixed with the fresh water on the surface.

This causes the brackish water at the bottom of the lake to become anoxic, and hydrogen sulfide is produced by the respiratory activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria. In the upper layers of the lake, on the other hand, oxygenated freshwater and photosynthetic bacteria inhabit the lake, and green sulfur bacteria are especially dense near the upper limit where light intensity is high.

Lake Suga

With a circumference of 4.2 km, a maximum depth of 13.0 m, and an area of 0.91 km², it is a brackish lake like Lake Suigetsu. Many wild birds such as white-tailed eagles, Steller’s sea eagles, and ducks can be observed in the surrounding area.

Lake Kugako

With a circumference of 7.10 km, a maximum depth of 2.5 m, and an area of 1.40 km², the lake is long from north to south and borders the sea. It is a brackish lake where seawater flows back from the Sea of Japan at high tide, and in the past, whitebait fishing was very popular.

Lake Hyuga

With a circumference of 4.0 km, a maximum depth of 38.5 m, and an area of 0.92 km², it is a completely saltwater lake with its mouth connected to the Sea of Japan. Fish are sea creatures, and black sea bream, horse mackerels, and sardines can be caught. There is also a fishing pond, which attracts many anglers. On the third Sunday of every January, an underwater tug-of-war is held at the Hyuga Bridge, which has been designated an Intangible Folk Cultural Asset.

Fish and Fisheries

Mikata Goko (Five Lakes of Mikata) has been recognized as a Japan Agricultural Heritage site for its sustainable fishing culture. Mikata Goko was recognized as a Japan Heritage site as part of the “Cultural Heritage of Wakasa Traffic Linking the Sea and the Capital - Goshoku Province Wakasa and Saba Kaido (Saba Road).

Mikata Goko is home to carp, crucian carp, mullet, eels, shrimps, wakasagi, tamoroko, Japanese bitterling, sea eagle, and lotus, and fishing is also enjoyable.

It is also known as a bird-watching area, and thousands of ducks, including mallards, teal, white-winged teal, and white-rumped teal, have been sighted here.

The lake and its surrounding area are home to reed, water bamboo, and Japanese knotweed communities, and birds of prey such as osprey, Steller’s sea eagle, and white-tailed sea eagle can also be seen here.

As for fishing, eel fishing is particularly iconic. During the summer months, eel tube fishing takes place throughout the Mikata Goko region. Eels have been a specialty of the region since the Edo period (1603-1868), and books on the study of Japanese herbalism praised eels from the Mikatagoko lakes for their high fat content and described them as “the most delicious eels in Kyoto.

There is also a whitebait fishery, and from April to November, whitebait is caught mainly in Lake Kugako. Yamato shijimi, which are also caught in Lake Kugako, the Urami River, Lake Suigetsu, and Lake Suga, have a refreshing taste with little mud. Yamato-shijimi have also been excavated from Torihama shell mounds dating back to the Jomon period, and during the Edo period (1603-1868), the shells of the whitebait were used for salt production.

Sea bass is also abundant, coming up from the Sea of Japan from spring to fall and caught by longline fishing in Lake Suigetsu and Lake Suga. Once an important fish as an offering, it is now in low demand on the market and is mostly consumed as a fisherman’s meal.

Other than that, from spring to fall, tenaga shrimps are caught throughout the Mikata Goko (five lakes of Mikata, excluding Lake Hyuga). Shibazuke fishing is conducted and they are used as fishermen’s meal.

In winter, mullet are caught, and according to 19th century fisheries statistics, mullet was the most productive seafood in the Mikatagoko Lakes in terms of production and sales. Today, however, it is generally consumed as fishermen’s meal due to its low market value.

In addition, crucian carp are also caught during the winter season. Tataki net fishing and gill net fishing are conducted in Mikata Lake, Suigetsu Lake, and Suga Lake, and in the past, crucian carp were also shipped outside of Fukui Prefecture. Crucian carp is considered a specialty of the Mikata region and has long been enjoyed as a foodstuff.

Hishi grows wild around the Mikata Five Lakes and has been used as a foodstuff since ancient times. In the Edo period (1603-1867), it was regarded as an important source of food for families without fields. Hishi are sometimes systematically harvested in order to reduce their overgrowth.

Mikatagoko Rainbow Line

Located in the mountainous area around Mikatagoko, this sightseeing road offers beautiful views of the Mikatagoko Lakes and the Sea of Japan. Visitors can enjoy the drive while admiring the spectacular scenery of the Mikatagoko Lakes and the Sea of Japan.

The road opened as a toll road in 1968, but was opened to the public free of charge in 2022. Resting facilities around Mikatagoko include Michi-no-Eki Mikatagoko (Route 162), Goko-no-Eki (Route 27), and Mikatagoko Parking Area (Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway).

Rainbow Line Summit Park

Located at the summit of Umijodake, this very large park offers many attractions, including an observatory, lift and cable car, rose garden, monument at the Lover’s Sanctuary, pledge key, tile throwing at Tengudo, Wago Shrine, outdoor sculptures, Goki no En, Friendship Bell, Medaka Village, Beetle House, Safety Jizoson of Umijodake, rest house, and more. In addition, visitors can enjoy meals at restaurants and other facilities.

The observatory is a superb spot from which you can view all of the Mikata Goko (Five Lakes of Mikata) spread over Mihama Town. You can see the Sea of Japan and the Five Lakes of Mikata from any direction, east, west, north, south, and west.

Five terraces have been set up, and visitors can enjoy the view in a variety of styles, including footbaths and sofas.

You can drive up to the middle of Umejodake and use the lift above the first parking lot. Rainbow Line Summit Park is located at the end of the lift or cable car ride.

Mikatagoko Circular Road

This road has been selected as one of the 100 best roads in Japan. This road is 23 km long and travels around the shores of the three lakes of Suga, Mikata, and Suigetsu. The 10 km west side of the road is a two-lane road with National Highway 162 and Fukui Prefectural Highway 216 Jogin Mikata Line, while the 13 km east side is a nature trail maintained as the Wakasa Town Road. By taking this road, visitors can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the lake as they stroll along.