Morning glow of Crater-lake
ZAO, Japan
Okama takes the place of the most popular site during spring to autumn. Okama is a circle crater lake surrounded by the three mountains of the Zao Mountain Range, i.e. Kattadake, Kumanodake, and Goshikidake.
This lake was named Okama after Japanese traditional cooking pot (kama) from its shape, and has been beloved by all.
This lake also has another name of “Goshikiko” (lake of five colors) since its surface of emerald green changes its color according to the sunlight.
No creatures can inhabit here due to its highly acidic lake water.
This is an exclusive lake in the world in terms of its water layer structure where the water temperature decreases to 2℃ until 10 m deep and then increases in further depth.
There have been 26 eruptions in Zao up to date, and the latest one occurred on February 15, 1895.
The lake was 63 m deep when measured in 1939, but it was gradually buried over years due to the collapse of Goshikidake cliff walls, which resulted in the size of maximum depth of 27.6 m, average depth of 17.8 m, circuit of 1,080 m, 325 m east to west, and 325 m north to south in 1968.
