Oct 5, 2012 - 1 min read

Winter at Lake Onuma

Take in the stillness of the snow-draped landscape

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

The local swans don't have much of the lake to swim on

A small shrine, with a sturdy roof

This is the scene that greeted me outside Onuma Koen Station

Maybe a path, maybe a stream

The front of the station, also with a sturdy roof (I hope)

I passed by a few small ponds like this one as I walked to the lake

The only sound was me tramping along the paths through the trees

A few people were out skiing on the lake

Lake Onuma and Mount Komagatake

Santa would feel at home here

The local birdlife leaves tracks in the fresh snow

I got dripped on more than once by water melting off icicles in the trees

Half an hour on the train from Hakodate is Lake Onuma, a beautifully scenic lake overlooked by Mount Komagatake. In winter, the lake freezes over and the whole area is deeply blanketed in snow, creating a memorably tranquil atmosphere. During these few months, it's also possible to venture out onto the lake in skis, showshoes or ice-buggies, or to fish through holes in the ice.

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Peter Sidell

By Peter Sidell

Community writer

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