Welcome to the winter wonderland and is time to play outside! (#2 Forest of Lake Akan)
Time flies and only two months left in this year!
The autumn leaves are withered and the Lake Akan Onsen area, where Kamuy Lumina is held, is one of the fastest areas in Japan to enter winter.
We will have a very cold and long winter from now on, but you can still experience a lot of outdoor activities here! Hokkaido may come to your mind as the best place for skiing and snowboarding, but in fact, there are a lot of different activities available in winter as there are in summer!
This week, we will introduce you to some of the must-do activities in Lake Akan and the surrounding area in winter!
Experience a snowy forest walk in Lake Akan!
The Lake Akan area is located in the eastern part of Hokkaido, and eastern Hokkaido has relatively little snowfall compared to other parts of Hokkaido.
However, Lake Aka is well-known as one of the heaviest snowfall areas in eastern Hokkaido.
Usually, the first snowfall is observed at the end of November or the beginning of December.
And usually in the mid-December to the end of December, heavy snowfall starts coming.
Therefore, drivers please be careful and drive safely to visit us!
On a heavy snowfall day, it can exceed 50 centimeters overnight.
On such days, the snow removal work is just too much work, and local residents have to get up earlier than usual to get things done.
The more snowfall, the more difficult to access the forests around Lake Akan.
But we would like to introduce the "Bokke Trail" for those who wish to experience a winter walk in the Lake Akan forest!
First of all, we recommend renting "snowshoes" or "walking skiboards" before taking a walk.
In winter, the Bokke Forest has places where snow can accumulate from 50 cm to 1 meter, making it very difficult to walk with only shoes or boots.
To have an easier walk, stop by the Akan-kohan Eco Museum located near the Bokke Trail and rent "snowshoes" or "walking skis!
That will help you distribute your weight when walking and allow you to stroll smoothly!
In the green season on the Bokke Trail, the area is covered in deep green colors and is the site of the Kamuy Lumina held at night.
In winter, the leaves fall and the wildlife is very easy to see and the air is very clear.
If you wear snowshoes or walking skiboards, you can go inside a bit from the regular trails to the deeper forest.
It's a totally different way to enjoy the area than in the summer, and it's just a lot of fun!
Most of the wildlife that lives in the Bokke Forest does not hibernate, so you may be able to see Ezo deer and red foxes there!
At the far end of the Bokke Trail, there is a spot where you can see Mt. Oakan and frozen Lake Akan in front of you, so why not take a walk through Lake Akan forest to get there?
In this article, we have introduced a winter stroll through the forest of Lake Akan!
We know there are some people who are not comfortable playing outside in the extreme cold weather, but we believe this is truly an unique experience of Lake Akan, so please give it a try!
And next time, we will introduce you to some exciting experiences you can have at the frozen Lake Akan! Stay tuned!
Kamuy Lumina Event Information
■Where can I buy tickets? How is the opening time?
Tickets are available at the official website, hotels around Lake Akan, "Kamuy Lumina" Ticket Booth, and designated travel agencies.
Fees: Adults (junior high school students and older)
Child (elementary school student)
*Preschool children or below are free of charge.
Official website (Ticket purchase page): https://webket.jp/pc/ticket/index?fc=52386&ac=9000
Starting time changes depending on the sunset time. So be sure to check when planning your trip!
2024 season opening hours:
May 11 (Sat) - August 9 (Fri) 19:30 - 21:00
August 10 (Sat) - August 30 (Fri) 19:00 - 21:00
Asugust 31 (Sat) - September 13 (Friday) 18:30 - 21:30
September 15 (Sun) - September 30 (Mon) 18:00 - 21:30
October 1 (Tue) - November 3 (Sun) 17:30 - 21:00
November 4 (Mon) - November 9 (Sat) 17:30 - 20:30
This special website will provide information not only about "Kamuy Lumina", but also sightseeing information about the town, Lake Akan Onsen, where this event is held. Please check out the latest and seasonal recommendations here.
We will also announce the release of web articles on Facebook and Instagram.
↓ Follow Us ↓
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamuy_lumina/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akan.adventure/
We hope to meet you soon at the event of "Kamuy Lumina"!
AN ENCHANTED NIGHT WALK AT LAKE AKAN
〒085-0467
5-20, Akankoonsen 1-chome, Akancho, Kushiro City, Hokkaido, 085-0467, Japan
