Hokkaido Official Tourism Site HOKKAIDO LOVE!

At Lake Shikaribetsu, located at the highest altitude in Hokkaido, you can enjoy the fantastic sight of railway tracks disappearing toward the transparent lake bottom.

Lake Shikaribetsu, quietly nestled in Daisetsuzan National Park, is a mystical place called the "lake of the sky." In this lake, which boasts one of the highest levels of transparency in Japan, you can see railway tracks extending straight toward the lake bottom, slowly sinking into the clear blue water. The scenery created by the surrounding mountains reflected on the lake surface and the tracks disappearing into the water is like a path continuing to another world. Known as a popular photo spot that has become a topic on social media, many photography enthusiasts visit. On clear days, the tracks continuing to the lake bottom can be clearly seen through the transparent water, and hearts are captivated by the beauty like a work of art created by nature in silence.

The true identity of these tracks is a practical rail for pulling pleasure boats onto land before winter arrives. Lake Shikaribetsu becomes a sub-zero world in winter, and the entire lake surface freezes, so these tracks play the role of pulling boats up before the lake freezes. If you visit to see the lake bottom tracks, clear days from spring to autumn are optimal. Surrounded by cold, clear air and the scent of the forest, you can burn this miraculous sight into your eyes.