Lake Akan Boat Cruise and Nature Trail

Take a cruise around Lake Akan, observe marimo and walk a lush nature trail dotted with hot mud pools

This course starts with a boat trip around the beautiful blue waters of Lake Akan. Stop by the Marimo Exhibition and Observation Center on Churui Island to discover marimo—a type of algae that forms itself into a ball. After you return to Marimo-no-Sato Pier, take the Bokke Nature Trail to see local flora, fauna and hot mud pools. Finish your excursion with a visit to the Akankohan Eco-museum Center, where you can learn more about the area.

Highlights

Marimo

Marimo algae

Marimo, balls of algae that grow in Lake Akan, are a Special Natural Monument. Get a close-up look at the huge marimo at the Marimo Exhibition and Observation Center on Churui Island.

Bokke—bubbling mud pools

Bokke Mud Pools

The walking trail from the pier to the Eco-museum Center winds through a forest of conifers, like Sakhalin spruce and Sakhalin fir, and broadleaf trees like katsura and Mongolian oak. Look out for bokke—hot, bubbling pools of mud. If you are lucky, you may even spot a Japanese deer or Eurasian red squirrel.

Akankohan Eco-museum Center

The Akankohan Eco-museum Center houses exhibits about the Akan area's forests, lakes, volcanoes and wildlife, with a special section dedicated to marimo. An aerial photograph of the Akan Caldera covers the entire floor.

Route Map

Lake Akan Boat Cruise and Nature Trail

Click to Expand Map