Delight in the Five-Color Marshes of Goshikinuma Ponds

Enjoy a rainbow of hues as you stroll through a unique national park landscape

One of the unique natural features of Bandai-Asahi National Park in Fukushima are the Goshikinuma Ponds, or five-color marshes, located on a highland plain just north of volcanic Mt. Bandai. The ponds themselves are a relatively new feature on the landscape that formed after the mountain erupted in 1888, shifting the landscape and blocking a local river. The ponds’ striking colors derive from the volcanic sediment, minerals, and iron oxide that have leaked into the lake beds over the years. A visit to the ponds presents an ever-shifting palette worthy of an artist; the color of one pond can change subtly throughout the day, and none are identical to another.

An hour-and-a-half walking trail leads around the five main ponds as well as several other photogenic bodies of water. The wheelchair-accessible Urabandai Visitor Center is a good place to start any walk, with numerous exhibits on the park’s geography and local wildlife.

Access: From Tokyo Station, take the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train to Koriyama Station (about one hour 20 minutes), then transfer to the Banetsu-Sai Line rapid train to Inawashiro Station (about 40 minutes). Take the Aizu Bus to the Urabandai Kogen stop (about 40 minutes) and walk to the Goshikinuma ponds (about 10 minutes).

Goshikinuma Ponds