Lake Notoro

In eastern Hokkaido, on the westside of Abashiri City, Lake Notoro is known to be covered with crimson coral grass in fall. “Japan’s Best Sango Grass Habitat” has wooden boardwalks, making you feel like walking on a runway on the coral grass carpet.

It is also famous for clam hunting, which opens between mid-April and mid-July, and the grassland will host lots of visitors enjoying clamming. The north side of the Lake is brackish, being connected to the Sea of Okhotsk, which brings in broken pieces of the iceberg in winter. In summer, majestic nature will impress you. Besides clams, the Lake hosts scallops, surf clams, whelks, oysters, sea urchins, etc., well-known as a place for seafood.

Around the Lake, there are ports at Futamigaoka and Ubaranai. The National Railway’s Yumo Line used to run along the lakeshore and the picturesque site was seen from the train windows.