mt. zao's okama 蔵王お釜 (yamagata, japan)

Posted by timothy sullivan (Tokyo, Japan) on 15 October 2008 in Landscape & Rural.

The picturesque acid-green waters of crater Lake Okama (also known as goshiki numa or “five-colors’ pond”, 五色沼) lay at the top of a rather winding road up one of Mt. Zao’s peaks; the site is so popular that the handful of rather endeavourers joggers easily pass by the slew of cars. I say “endeavorous” as the combination of gale-force wind and temperature hovering near the zero-mark should dissuade most people (indeed, it even dissuades trees from growing: the wind’s constant pummelling force causes branches to elongate and grow only on the leeward side of trees’ stubby trunks). Yet, tourists are clearly summoned to this point; most only venture out from their car or tourbus for 5 to 10 minutes at most- -braving the harsh environment for long enough just to get a few moments’ gaze at the caldera lake (カルデラ湖) and outward at the golden-crimson-peaked mountains.

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