Okama

Temperature and Precipitation in Yamagata

The caldera lake created by the accumulation of water in the crater is the Okama.
The name of the Okama, which is a symbol of Zao, is derived from the fact that it looks like an Okama as you can see. It is also called Five Colored Lakes or Five Colored Swamps because the color of the emerald green lake surface changes depending on the weather. As you can imagine from the color of the lake surface, it is said that organisms cannot live in water because it is strongly acidic. In addition, the non-cliff part of the circular lake is discolored to rainbow color, which clearly shows the peculiar water quality of the lake. Rest assured that it does not have a peculiar smell like sulfur.
Although you cannot get close to the surface of the lake in Okama, you can walk to the place where you can see Okama within a few minutes on foot from the rest house, which is a very accessible place as a natural tourist spot. Also, I walk up the mountain road to Okama, but since it is well maintained, there is no problem with my usual clothes and shoes. In addition, you can see the Okama from various angles, and the expression of the Okama changes depending on the location, so please walk around and try it out. Even in that case, there is no problem in moving because the mountain road is maintained, so don't worry.
The surface of the lake in Okama, but on a windless day, you can see a clean and flat water surface without making slight movements. This static surface of the water also feels mysterious and is very nice. The cliff on the back is also impressive. This cliff has collapsed several times in the past, and it seems that the water depth of Okama is getting shallower each time.