25 July – 22 August 2022・Location: Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture...

Cruise through a blanket of a thousand purple lotuses in full bloom on Lake Izunuma!

During the summer, Lake Izunuma and Lake Uchinuma is transformed into a blanket of lilies and lotuses in full bloom that cover about 75% percent of the lake's surface, marking the start of the Lotus Festival! Located between Kurihara and Tome City, this popular destination in Northern Miyagi among nature lovers is home to the largest lowland lake in the Tohoku region, and is recognized internationally as an important natural habitat and wetland. It features over 200 species of birds and fish, and nearly 500 types of plants —including several water lily and lotus varieties.

We highly recommend taking a relaxing 30 minute sight-seeing boat ride —operated by local fishermen— through the thousands of floating purple flowers that color the lake. Since the lotus flower typically blooms in the early morning and closes up in the afternoon, its best to come early to take in the spectacular sight of the flowers in full bloom!

During your excursion, don't forget to check out the nearby Izunuma-Uchinuma Sanctuary Center for a free in-depth look at the diverse nature and wildlife in the area (most exhibits offer English explanations)!

The area around Lake Izunuma and Lake Uchinuma can also be enjoyed during the winter where gorgeous migrating birds can be admired. Izunuma and Uchinuma are the largest wintering grounds for whooper swans in Japan. From the bank of the swamp, you can see the powerful spectacle of large whooper swans soaring overhead. The wetlands become a sanctuary and home to over 170,000 geese during the winter period. At night they can be seen sleeping on the surface of the swamp, but in the morning you can admire a powerful spectacle of flapping wings as they fly off en masse to feed on fallen firs and other plants in the rice paddies around the swamp. The sound of the geese as they fly away from the Izunuma and Uchinuma swamps is majestic and not to be missed, as it has been selected as one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan to Preserve" by the Ministry of the Environment!

Official Page (Japanese): kurihara-kb.net

Time: 7:30AM–3:00PM (closing time may be earlier due to weather conditions)

※ The Uchinuma Venue operates August 7th to 9th, 13th to 16th, 18th, 21st, and 22nd ONLY.