Lake Shikotsu-ko (支笏湖) is located in Chitose, Hokkaido, Japan. It is a caldera lake and a part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The average depth of Lake Shikotsu-ko is about 265 meters (869 ft), with a maximum depth of 363 meters (1,191 ft), making it the second deepest lake in Japan.
The lake is surrounded by three volcanoes: Mt. Eniwa to the north, Mt. Fuppushi and Mt. Tarumae to the south. The caldera formed during the Holocene epoch, which is the geological period from the end of the Ice Age to the present, due to subsidence between these volcanoes.
Despite its relatively small surface area compared to Lake Biwa-ko, Japan’s largest lake, Lake Shikotsu-ko’s volume is three-quarters that of Lake Biwa-ko.
The lake’s depth helps maintain a relatively warm water temperature throughout the year, preventing it from freezing over completely, which is rare for lakes in Japan.
The water clarity of Lake Shikotsu-ko is comparable to Lake Mashu-ko in eastern Hokkaido and Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia.
Link
Access
- From Sapporo
1h 20 min from Sapporo by car or bus - From Chitose
40 min from Chitose airport by car or bus
Neighborhood
- Marukoma Onsen(丸駒温泉)
- Koke-no-Dōmon(苔の洞門)
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