Oy vay! Quite the downpour this morning and swirling mists on the mountain sides. A couple of ‘lightening’ and ‘icy road conditions’ warnings flashed on road signs on my pathway. Very atmospheric.

Lake Onuma was first on my list, a scenic site set against the backdrop of Mt. Komagatake. Mt. Komagatake simultaneously created Lake Onuma, Lake Konuma and other lakes as mirrors that reflect its own beauty. The lakes in Onuma were formed when rivers were blocked by volcanic mudflows and land subsidence in the late stage of the lakes’ formation.

The what I was after as a pic…..and what I saw….:)

Further down the road, came across a town called Suttsu….a town of wind, where one of the strongest gales in Japan, a local wind called “Dashikaze” blows. By making effective use of this gale, the town became the first local government in Japan to generate wind power. There are 11 wind turbines in operation, transforming the “Dashikaze” into clean energy and contributing to the development of the community. And there was an orange gate leading to a mountain vista that I also liked.

Iwanai is one of the oldest towns in the region. Unlike many Hokkaido towns, it predates the Meiji Restoration, having started as a seasonal fishing location c. 1450, and developing into a year-round village in the mid-18th century. Citizens of Iwanai whose families have been native for many generations have a peculiar “fisherman” accent to their Japanese, distinct to others living in the region. Iwanai is located on the western of the Shakotan Peninsula. And there’s a skiing resort that offers ‘champagne’ powder snow.

Iwanai’s mascot is Taramaru  (たら丸), an anthropomorphic Alaskan pollack. His features are “nejiri hachimaki” (a traditional Japanese headband), a “kuroi nagagutsu” (a black boot) and his mouth always carries an asparagus as a weapon.